Literature

The Light

Kim Gomchi
Pages
392
Dimensions
152*225
ISBN
978-89-92235-44-0 03810
Price
12,000KRW
Date
July 2008
Contents
Novel
*Arco Literature Sharing Selection

If someone were to ask what Light is about, many different answers would be possible. It is a story about Jesus taking a dump, and about “beating up” Paul, the first writer of Christian doctrine. It is also about a man and woman who go through a harsh break-up just before they enter a romantic relationship because they do not share their views on God and Jesus. Therefore, The Light is both a romance and religious novel. Or rather, it is a religious story adopting the language of romance.

Kim Gomchi firmly rejects the languages of religious novels written thus far, which are as difficult to read as the Bible. Instead, he thoroughly reads the four Gospels that directly deal with “the life and death of Jesus”, underlining, adding footnotes, and inserting questions marks. It is not a simple repeat-after-me reading; rather, it squarely dissolves the language and words of the text. Rewriting the Bible, he points out that we, here and now, are looking up at the twisted God. He does not merely elaborate on biblical knowledge, but portrays every little detail of the romantic development between man and woman with vivacious contemporary language, washing the mystery and deification that has been overly attributed to Jesus as if he were laundering old, seeped-in stains.