In a classroom in Seoul, a woman who has lost her ability to speak begins studying Ancient Greek. Her silence follows a series of personal losses, including the death of her mother and the loss of custody of her child. Her teacher is a man losing his sight due to a hereditary condition. As he transitions into darkness, he attempts to guide her through the complex grammar and dead syntax of an archaic language. Their interaction centers on the difficulty of communication and the physical sensations of fading senses, moving between his memories of Germany and her internal isolation.
Readers who value quiet, internal narratives and precise descriptions of psychological states will find value here. It attracts those interested in the relationship between language and physical identity, or how people navigate profound sensory impairment. A reader finishes the book with a specific understanding of how two individuals attempt to bridge their isolation without traditional speech or clear vision. It serves as a study of how human connection persists through the technical structures of a foreign tongue when social and biological systems fail.
Deep, inward-looking, contemplative, open-ended and thought-provoking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Wisdom Collector. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2011
- Language
- EN
