Greek Lessons is my fourth book from Han Kang. It is yet another masterpiece of emotionally charged, lyrical prose. Kang in many ways is a poet who writes literary fiction. Each line is a mesmerizing distillation of profound depth of feeling that one rarely encounters in contemporary literature. Her words linger with you for hours, even days on end, perhaps even keeping you up at night.
The story in Greek Lessons, is simple: a Greek teacher who is going blind and a deaf/mute female pupil learning Greek, forge an unlikely bond as a result of an untimely accident. The story captures a gamut of emotions that rock both of their seemingly disparate worlds. Kang is skillful in slowly pulling at the thread binding the two protagonists together, to reveal layer after layer of emotional connective tissue.
My only very minor quibble with Greek Lessons, is that at the times Kang shifts the perspective of the protagonist very suddenly which can sometimes be a bit disorienting to a reader. This change in viewpoint has dramatic effect, which in many ways emulates the confusion that may arise in someone with sensory deprivation, be it blindness or deafness. Thus there is an element of feeling your way in the dark through the story that is both disconcerting yet also eerily fitting the story.
As a side note: I had an enthralling 20-min discussion at the Stockholm Writer’s Festival 2026 with a fellow author and poet, about Han Kang’s work. We both share a passion and admiration for the astounding haunting beauty of her prose which permeates her works Human Acts, The White Book, The Vegetarian and Greek Lessons. I am curious to read more of Kang’s work, and gain further inspiration for my own writing.
Thank you as always for stopping by! Please feel free to share your thoughts or reactions in a comment below. Also, if you would like to receive more updates about my writing please consider joining my newsletter mailing list by subscribing below.