- Overview
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Set in a medieval monastery shrouded in alchemic secrets, this novel tells a story of conspiracy and raises questions about authenticity.
- Book Intro
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While writing a doctoral dissertation on Western medieval economic history, the narrator of this novel discovers at the Sorbonne Interuniversity Library archives an interesting compilation written in the early 14th century by William, a Franciscan monk from Baskerville. The book, Records of the Noblest and Most Monstrous Things in the World, was a record of scary and bizarre events, such as murders, disappearances, cannibalism, plagues, heretic trials, and burning at the stake encountered by William upon arriving at the monastery in Besançon, a hotbed of heresy, after receiving a request for his immediate presence from Bishop Pierre.
As stated in the Johan Huizinga quote at the beginning of the novel, reality and life are always switching between two opposite poles. This novel blends together the smell of blood with that of roses, the fear of hell with innocent pleasures, absolute contempt for earthly pleasures with its unstoppable addiction, hatred with love, and good with evil.
The epilogue, written by the author's friend Kim Yeonsu, is a clear reminder about the difficulties faced by the novelists of the time. It offers a glimpse into why Kim Gyeong-wook felt as if he had no choice but to write The Golden Apple. This is a recommended book.
- About the Author
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Kim Kyoungwook
(English) Kim Kyung-wook debuted In 1993 when his novella "The Outsider" was awarded the Writer’s World New Writer Award. He is the author of numerous story collections including There Is No Coffee in Baghdad Café, On the Way To Meet Betty, Who Killed Kurt Cobain, Leslie Cheung Is Dead?, Dangerous Reading, God Has No Grandchildren, Boys Never Grow Old, and My Girlfriend’s Fathers. He is also the author of the novella “The Man Looking in the Mirror” and the novels including Acropolis, Morrison Hotel, Golden Apple, Thousand Years Kingdom, Like a Fairy Tale, What Is Baseball, Time of Dog and Wolf, and The Country Is Yours. He has received the Hankuk Ilbo Literary Award, Contemporary Literary Award, Dongin Literary Award, Kim Seung-ok Literary Award, and the Yi Sang Literary Award.