Incomparably grotesque, beautiful, and powerful

A story readers will not have encountered anywhere before

Lee Duon’s second full-length novel, Burning Heart, has been published by EunHaeng NaMu Publishing following a three-year revision. The novel, which won Grand Prize in the 2017 Kyobo Story Contest, begins with the question, “What if there is a village that lives off serial murders?” As the belief that “murder cases” can be profitable spreads, individuals with dark motives are drawn to the village, creating an unsettling atmosphere. The pasts of these villagers converge in one place, exposing the hidden depths of our society’s darker side. This novel serves as a metaphor for our society’s treatment of people who have been pushed to the edge of a cliff, having been driven out of the survival race. It cautions that when we commodify things that cannot be measured in monetary value, individual bodies become objectified, misfortune and poverty are put on display, and human beings, even in death, are reduced to a state where they cannot truly reach a state of death. As the readers are gradually captivated by this uncanny village, the secrets of those who planned the murders and those who were killed are relentlessly unraveled without a moment’s hesitation.

In a village never seen before, an unheard story begins to unfold

Revealing the meaning of goodness defended with all one’s might

As the narrative proceeds, the novel momentarily shifts from the search for the murderer to reveal how the village members have become a collective community of evil. This evil isn’t controlled by a single person; instead, it permeates the entire community, existing yet not fully visible. Once regarded as tragedies in the village’s history, the murder cases have now become a source of fortune for those with nothing else to live on. The justification that there is no choice but to prioritize money and livelihood over guilt, humanity, and ethical consciousness takes precedence. Amidst all this, the novel showcases the pure-hearted determination of a young girl who strives with all her might in the face of grotesque selfishness, to turn the nightmare into hope. Although humans can be cruel and brutal, it is ironically through suffering that they can reflect on themselves and connect with the hearts of others. This clear and important truth is realized through the young girl. Perhaps the author is desperately conveying a message to the world: that one must survive and become a beacon of hope in a world filled with darkness.