The White Book

A Novel

By: Han Kang, Deborah Smith - translator

Narrated by: Jennifer Kim

FROM HAN KANG, WINNER OF THE 2024 NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE

“[Han Kang writes in] intense poetic prose that . . . exposes the fragility of human life.”—from the Nobel Prize citation

SHORTLISTED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE • A “formally daring, emotionally devastating, and deeply political” (The New York Times Book Review) exploration of personal grief through the prism of the color white, from the internationally bestselling author of The Vegetarian

“Stunningly beautiful. . . one of the smartest reflections on what it means to remember those we’ve lost.”—NPR

Shortlisted for the International Booker Prize, Han Kang’s The White Book is a meditation on color, as well as an attempt to make sense of her older sister’s death, who died in her mother’s arms just a few hours after she was born.

In captivating, starkly beautiful language, The White Book is a letter from Kang to her sister, offering a multilayered exploration of color and its absence, and of the tenacity and fragility of the human spirit.

Critic reviews

“A brilliant psychogeography of grief, moving as it does between place, history and memory . . . Poised and never flinches from serene dignity . . . The White Book is a mysterious text, perhaps in part a secular prayer book. . . . Translated peerlessly by Smith, [it] succeeds in reflecting Han’s urgent desire to transcend pain with language.”—The Guardian

“With eloquence and grace, Han breathes life into loss and fills the emptiness with this new work.”—Library Journal

“Everything I ever thought about the color white has been profoundly altered by reading Han Kang’s brilliant exploration of its meaning and the ways in which white shapes her world, from birth to death—including the death of The White Book’s narrator’s older sister, who died just a few hours after she was born, in her mother’s arms. This is an unforgettable meditation on grief and memory, resilience and acceptance, all offered up in Han’s luminous, intimate prose.”—Nylon

“Han’s first two English-language translations were instant sensations, establishing her as a riveting practitioner of the surreal and of historical fiction alike. Her latest . . . is told by a woman haunted by the death of her elder sister just after birth—a contemplation of life, death, resilience and, as the title hints, color.”—HuffPost

“[The White Book] promises to be equal parts Italo Calvino, Angela Carter, and something entirely Han Kang’s own. . . . A quieter, yet just as intensely symbolic, follow-up to the startling violence of her first two books.”—LitHub

“A quietly gripping contemplation on life, death, and the existential impact of those who have gone before.”—Eimear McBride, author of The Lesser Bohemians

“The White Book is a profound and precious thing, its language achingly intimate, each image haunting and true. It is a remarkable achievement. Han Kang is a genius.”—Lisa McInerney, author of The Glorious Heresies

“Kang’s masterful voice is captivating and nothing short of brilliant.”—Booklist, starred review

White Imagery

Images of White, family, esp parent/child connections. Kang is a poet whose gift of prose/poetry is a joy to read and listen to.

Beautifully poetic

This book is about white objects and the symbolism behind them. While it may be short, it’s poetic and beautifully written. Some essays need time for “digestion.”

Nobel deserved

Amazing ability to clearly describe the emotion and thoughts mixed through a life lived. Deserved the Nobel

Really nice story

It was a very interesting, calm story to listen to and made me think a lot.

Great story!

Wow I'm siked! Lets make it another; I would love to hear more from this author.