Review: Greek Lessons, by Han Kang

Title: Greek Lessons

Author: Han Kang

Publisher: Hogarth

Genre: Literary/Contemporary

Date of Publication: April 18th 2023 (originally published November 10th, 2011)

Number of Pages: 192

See it on Goodreads: Greek Lessons

Summary

“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.

Review - When Communication Fails...

I wasn't expecting that I would be writing this review today, but here we are! Greek Lessons was my book club's pick for last month, and it created such strong feelings in me that I just had to write my thoughts down. This is actually my second Han Kang this year (with The Vegetarian being a reread for me), and she also has a new release titled We Do Not Part.

The story of this book starts with a woman that suddenly loses the ability to speak and with a man that has been gradually losing his sight. What brings them together is a class of Ancient Greek, where one attends as a student and the other teaches it. Their perspectives are so interwoven that they paint a full picture of what happens when all communications fail. 

Greek Lessons is definitely one of those book with a sparse plot line, as well as being very introspective. Things are happening, but you will not find big, dramatic events. Yet, every line of this book overflows with emotions - but emotions that creep slowly into you, and when you realize it, it's already too late as you are a heartbroken mess. These moments come from the characters' inability to communicate, the loss of language and vision that we so often take for granted.

And to me, this was the great question of the novel - what happens when the known means of communication aren't there anymore? What happens when there is suddenly no way of using your voice to make your thoughts and feelings known? What happens when every sight becomes a memory, so unchanging that it feels like illusion?

During my book club session, we wondered why Greek and why not any other language. And this is a question that stayed with me. However, the more I think about it, it seems like the perfect choice for me (and not because I'm Greek). In the book, Plato's Republic is mentioned a lot. And in this work, there are imprisoned people that live in a cave, unable to see the outside as it is, but rather the shadows cast on the cave's walls. In my head, this distorted view of the world matches of the fragmented lives of our main characters. You can even see that in quotes like this one:

“The world is an illusion, and living is dreaming,” I muttered. Yet blood runs and tears gush forth.”

All in all, Greek Lessons was an excellent read for me. It reminded me the style of The White Book, which was until now my favourite Han Kang book. If you want a short, yet impactful read, don't hesitate to pick it up. However, don't expect a big, loud story, rather a kaleidoscope of emotions, introspection, and looking back. 

Read more of my reviews here.