First Impression Friday will be a meme where you talk about a book that you JUST STARTED! Maybe you’re only a chapter or two in, maybe a little farther. Based on this sampling of your current read, give a few impressions and predict what you’ll think by the end.

Synopsis:

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, while day by day he is losing his sight.

Soon the two discover that 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-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.

And yes, it is the weekend! I know, many of you are looking forward to these two days that represent a brief reprieve from our fast-paced lives. It is now time to dress down and don comfortable articles of clothing. I do hope that you are ending the week on a high note. I hope it went well for everyone, else, I hope that you spend the weekend recovering or finding your mojos back. I hope that everyone spends their weekend completing tasks or chores unrelated to their jobs. I hope that you spend the time pursuing what you are passionate about. For me, it is going to be the typical weekend spent reading books, watching random videos, and, well, catching up on my writing.

Before I can dive into the weekend, I will be capping the work week first with a First Impression Friday update; this has become a weekly ritual I guess. I just realized that today is the second day of June. Before we realize it, we will already be midway through the year. A new month also entails new reading adventures. After spending the past two months reading works of Japanese literature – I read more than twenty books! – I have decided to pivot toward the rest of Asia. I opened the month with Nobel Laureate in Literature Mo Yan’s Red Sorghum, my first by the Chinese writer. I am now reading my second book for the month, Han Kang’s Greek Lessons.

It was back in 2016 when I first heard about the Korean writer. Her novel, The Vegetarian, was everywhere. The novel made Kang the first Korean writer to win the International Booker Prize in 2016. The first time I read the book, I was torn. Years later, developments made me appreciate the story. Despite the mixed feelings I had with The Vegetarian, I read Human Acts because it was recommended by a fellow reader. I ended up liking the book. I had the same experience with The White Book. So now, I am into my fourth novel by Kang, making her my most-read Korean writer; Chang-Rae Lee, in second, had three books.

Greek Lessons was originally published in 2011 but was recently released in English, with translation by Deborah Smith and Emily Yae Won; it was with the former that Kang shared the 2016 International Booker Prize. The book naturally piqued my interest, especially after it was listed by Times Magazine as one of the best books of 2023, so far. The experience with Kang’s works is not always straightforward. As such, I am still trying to steady the ship. It was only now that I realize that the storyline diverged into two distinct voices. One thread involved a male voice who narrated the story from his own point of view. The second one involved a female character. Her story was conveyed in the third person point of view.

Silly me. That was why I was having trouble with the story. I found it odd how it shifted between the two perspectives. At least now, I have reached a point of clarity and I can begin to appreciate the story better. Anyway, it was easier to follow the female character’s story. I learned that she was a writer who produced three collections of serious poetry. She was also recently divorced and lost custody of her eight-year-old son. The male character’s story, however, has not crystallized yet. One thing, however, was clear: there is a classroom setting where the titular Greek lesson is being taught. Greek characters are also woven into the story.

From what I have read so far, I have surmised that the story will probe into the complexities and bright alleys of establishing connections with our fellows. Sure, there are dark elements and some layers of deeply buried trauma are evoked by some of the novel’s passages. Judging from Kang’s other works, loss, and death are going to be imminent. I almost expect it. What I am curious about is how the two character’s individual threads will converge. Will they help each other heal from whatever was hurting them? Or will they further destroy each other? Will there be some layers of romance? I am curious also as to the importance of Greek lessons hold not only in the characters’ lives but also in Kang’s oeuvre, perhaps even Korean literature.

The book seems slender but I am not one to be fooled. Some of the most slender books I read packed the biggest punches. They have taught me not to judge the book but its size, or as the old adage goes, by its cover. I know I will encounter some deep passages and meaningful philosophical intersections in the story. Kang’s writing, as always, is lyrical. Beautiful. I have a lot to look forward to. How about you fellow reader? What book or books are you taking with you for the weekend? I hope you get to enjoy them. Again, happy weekend everyone!