This is a novel, above all, for readers drawn to considering language itself as a source of self-revelation. To my ear, with no knowledge of Korean, the collaboration did not noticeably alter the cadence of Han’s voice in English. Yet something about that voice seems less certain in this book, less trusting of its ability to convey subtext. Ample evidence emerges in this novel of the psychologically messier, more complex books Han is known for in the English-speaking world. In addition to her incisive writing about bodily responses to language, “Greek Lessons” contains some exceptionally poignant scenes about a mother’s growing estrangement from her child.

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