Greek Lessons

Brought to you by Penguin.The unforgettable novel from Booker International Prize winner Han Kang, author of The Vegetarian.In this compelling and beautifully-patterned novel, Han Kang tells the interwoven stories of a Greek instructor who is losing his sight and a woman who refuses to speak. Uniquely involving, and thoughtful, it explores the depths and limits of human connection.A remarkable and timeless writer, Han Kang's words and stories go to the heart of what it means to be human - to be a species capable of both utmost violence and utmost love. With enormous tact, clarity and tenderness she examines the lives of the overlooked and the little seen, affording them a grace and dignity which makes them unforgettable.'Han Kang is what most writers spend their lives trying to be: a fearless, unsentimental teller of human truths' Lisa McInerney'Han Kang's vivid and at times violent storytelling will wake up even the most jaded of literary palates' Independent(c)2023 Han Kang (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Brought to you by Penguin.The unforgettable novel from Booker International Prize winner Han Kang, author of The Vegetarian.In this compelling and beautifully-patterned novel, Han Kang tells the interwoven stories of a Greek instructor who is losing his sight and a woman who refuses to speak. Uniquely involving, and thoughtful, it explores the depths and limits of human connection.A remarkable and timeless writer, Han Kang's words and stories go to the heart of what it means to be human - to be a species capable of both utmost violence and utmost love. With enormous tact, clarity and tenderness she examines the lives of the overlooked and the little seen, affording them a grace and dignity which makes them unforgettable.'Han Kang is what most writers spend their lives trying to be: a fearless, unsentimental teller of human truths' Lisa McInerney'Han Kang's vivid and at times violent storytelling will wake up even the most jaded of literary palates' Independent(c)2023 Han Kang (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Book of the Year 2023 according to New Yorker, TIME magazine, Kirkus A powerful novel of the saving grace of language and human connection, from the Nobel Prize-winning author of The Vegetarian. 'Breathtaking . . . She is simply my favourite living writer to read, and think with, and see the world with' Max Porter In a classroom in Seoul, a young woman watches her Greek language teacher at the blackboard. She tries to speak but has lost her voice. Her teacher finds himself drawn to the silent woman, for day by day he is losing his sight. Soon they discover a deeper pain binds them. For her, in the space of just a few months, she has lost both her mother and the custody battle for her nine-year-old son. For him, it's the pain of growing up between Korea and Germany, being torn between two cultures and languages. Greek Lessons is a tender love letter to human connection, a novel to awaken the senses, vividly conjuring the essence of what it means to be alive. Translated by Deborah Smith and e. yaewon. Shortlisted for the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation 2024 'Another stunning gem: quiet, sharply faceted, and devastating' Kirkus 'Han Kang is a writer like no other. In a few lines, she seems to traverse the entirety of human experience' Katie Kitamura

Book of the Year 2023 according to New Yorker, TIME magazine, Kirkus A powerful novel of the saving grace of language and human connection, from the Nobel Prize-winning author of The Vegetarian. 'Breathtaking . . . She is simply my favourite living writer to read, and think with, and see the world with' Max Porter In a classroom in Seoul, a young woman watches her Greek language teacher at the blackboard. She tries to speak but has lost her voice. Her teacher finds himself drawn to the silent woman, for day by day he is losing his sight. Soon they discover a deeper pain binds them. For her, in the space of just a few months, she has lost both her mother and the custody battle for her nine-year-old son. For him, it's the pain of growing up between Korea and Germany, being torn between two cultures and languages. Greek Lessons is a tender love letter to human connection, a novel to awaken the senses, vividly conjuring the essence of what it means to be alive. Translated by Deborah Smith and e. yaewon. Shortlisted for the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation 2024 'Another stunning gem: quiet, sharply faceted, and devastating' Kirkus 'Han Kang is a writer like no other. In a few lines, she seems to traverse the entirety of human experience' Katie Kitamura

NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS' CHOICE - A dazzling novel about the saving grace of language and human connection, from the "visionary" ( New York Times Book Review ) author of the International Booker Prize winner The Vegetarian "Both a disquieting journey about the loss of sense and a return to the sensorium of touch and intimacy, Greek Lessons soars with sensuous and revelatory insight."--Cathy Park Hong, author of Minor Feelings A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New Yorker, Time, Chicago Public Library, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly "Now and then, language would thrust its way into her sleep like a skewer through meat, startling her awake several times a night." In a classroom in Seoul, a young woman watches her Greek language teacher at the blackboard. She tries to speak but has lost her voice. Her teacher finds himself drawn to the silent woman, for day by day he is losing his sight. Soon the two discover a deeper pain binds them together. For her, in the space of just a few months, she has lost both her mother and the custody battle for her nine-year-old son. For him, it's the pain of growing up between Korea and Germany, being torn between two cultures and languages, and the fear of losing his independence. Greek Lessons tells the story of two ordinary people brought together at a moment of private anguish--the fading light of a man losing his vision meeting the silence of a woman who has lost her language. Yet these are the very things that draw them to each other. Slowly the two discover a profound sense of unity--their voices intersecting with startling beauty, as they move from darkness to light, from silence to breath and expression. Greek Lessons is the story of the unlikely bond between this pair and a tender love letter to human intimacy and connection--a novel to awaken the senses, one that vividly conjures the essence of what it means to be alive.

NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS' CHOICE - A dazzling novel about the saving grace of language and human connection, from the "visionary" ( New York Times Book Review ) author of the International Booker Prize winner The Vegetarian "Both a disquieting journey about the loss of sense and a return to the sensorium of touch and intimacy, Greek Lessons soars with sensuous and revelatory insight."--Cathy Park Hong, author of Minor Feelings A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New Yorker, Time, Chicago Public Library, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly "Now and then, language would thrust its way into her sleep like a skewer through meat, startling her awake several times a night." In a classroom in Seoul, a young woman watches her Greek language teacher at the blackboard. She tries to speak but has lost her voice. Her teacher finds himself drawn to the silent woman, for day by day he is losing his sight. Soon the two discover a deeper pain binds them together. For her, in the space of just a few months, she has lost both her mother and the custody battle for her nine-year-old son. For him, it's the pain of growing up between Korea and Germany, being torn between two cultures and languages, and the fear of losing his independence. Greek Lessons tells the story of two ordinary people brought together at a moment of private anguish--the fading light of a man losing his vision meeting the silence of a woman who has lost her language. Yet these are the very things that draw them to each other. Slowly the two discover a profound sense of unity--their voices intersecting with startling beauty, as they move from darkness to light, from silence to breath and expression. Greek Lessons is the story of the unlikely bond between this pair and a tender love letter to human intimacy and connection--a novel to awaken the senses, one that vividly conjures the essence of what it means to be alive.