Details for 'Greek Lessons' by Han Kang
Greek Lessons
This South Korean writer won the International Booker Prize for 'The Vegetarian'. It's a novel I've had recommended to me but hadn't got round to reading, so I was eager to try this, her latest novel in English.
The book has been translated by Deborah Smith and Emily Yea Won and celebrates language, cultural differences and human connection.
A young woman attends Greek language classes in Seoul, but cannot speak. Her teacher finds her mesmerising and intriguing, though he is losing his sight.
They are both consumed by the pain of their current circumstances. She has lost her mother and the custody of her nine-year-old son all within a few months. He is caught between the two cultures and languages of his upbringing in Korea and Germany.
It's a fascinating, mysterious and bewitching book which deserves to be read slowly and thoughtfully. It would make a great book group read as there's so much here to unpick and discuss. I think I might try 'The Vegetarian' now!