Reviews
The question of whether God exists is undoubtedly an interesting subject of debate, even setting aside its religious implications. While some believe God exists, others do not; this book explores the potentially serious issue of His existence as well as the meaning of life. Although the subject matter and story might seem quite serious, boring, or predictable, they are portrayed intriguingly thanks to two unconventional characters: Jacob, a psychotherapist, and Abel, a man who claims to be
Hans Rath’s audacious contemplation of God made me burst into laughter throughout the book. Perhaps his contemplation stems from standing before God’s dilemma while observing the state of the world, where he, too, cannot help but grapple with the very same dilemma that Nietzsche cried out, "God is dead." Regardless of the principles of God’s creation, there is clear evidence of his contemplation on how God must feel watching a world becoming so chaotically entangled. However, this contemplation
The conversation with God was truly entertaining, as it was rather delightful than preposterous. In particular, the witty banter of the book's narrator, psychologist Jakob Jacobi, put most comedians to shame, eliciting bursts of laughter. Jakob is rushed to the emergency room after being punched in the nose by his ex-wife's husband (a professional boxer), where he receives a request for psychological counseling from a clown named "Abel Baumann." When Abel—who claims to have done every job
If a god like this exists, I would like to meet him someday. The content of the book perfectly matches the illustration on the cover. The clown, the cigarette, and the punch depicted on the stacked outer covers all appear in the novel, as do the drawing of the scarred nose on the inside cover and the wine glass being poured. In other words, the illustrations hold significance in their own right. Before reading this book, I had read reviews mentioning that it featured a story about a god and a
And God said, "Let's talk." Hans Rath Even if God did not exist, we would have created Him. - Voltaire His ex-wife is standing at the door in the middle of the night. This is the very beginning of the novel. To think that his ex-wife, not even his current wife, is standing at the door in the middle of the night—it piqued my interest right from the first sentence. While being rushed to the emergency room after getting punched in the nose by his ex-wife's boxer husband, he meets a funny doctor
This work generated much anticipation and curiosity even before its publication, having been serialized in the "7 Authors Exhibition" held on Daum. It is a bestseller that sold over 100,000 copies in Germany alone. The story unfolds as Jakob Jacobi, a psychotherapist who spends his days meaninglessly and aimlessly, unable to even take care of himself, meets Abel Baumann, a man who claims to be God and seeks counseling. Jakob spends his days in agony, troubled by divorce and bankruptcy, and
I do not believe. However, witnessing unbelievable phenomena from time to time, I often find myself wondering if someone does exist on Earth. German author Hans Rath’s *And God Said, "Let’s Talk") deals with the existence of God, but it speaks of a God who is not a distant being, but one right beside us. Personally, I started reading with the worry that it might feel boring or dry, but contrary to my expectations, it was an enjoyable read filled with the author’s unique humor and cheerfulness.
Jakob Jacobi is a psychotherapist, yet he is burdened with so many problems that he needs counseling. On the verge of bankruptcy, he finds himself living in the apartment of his ex-wife, whom he divorced three months ago. And outside the door, his ex-wife has arrived for counseling. Ellen, his ex-wife, rushed over in the middle of the night to seek advice regarding problems with her lover after inheriting a large fortune from her deceased uncle. However, before the session could even begin, the
I read Hans Rath's novel, *And God Said, "Let's Talk"). The title was quite unique, so it immediately piqued my interest, and I think it is a well-chosen title. The story unfolds as a man named Abel Baumann appears before Jakob, a psychotherapist who has gone to the hospital with a broken nose, claiming to be God and requesting counseling. I remember someone once saying that leaders of cults are incredibly eloquent. The point is that even though their claims are preposterous and nonsensical,
This book is composed of stories that are delightful yet short, delivering a strong intellectual impact. This is because it deals with "God"—a representative of abstract and unprovable things that transcends the debate over His existence for modern people. It is a concept that has gone beyond reverence to merely an indifferent acknowledgment of existence, perceived solely as an extremely abstract idea, and whose presence has become meaningless within a rigid thought system driven by dualistic
Hans Lath: And God said, "Let's talk."
Hans Rath's novel *And God Said Let's Talk*, which garnered a great response from readers after being partially serialized as part of Daum's "Author Discovery, Exhibition of 7 Authors," is a bestseller that sold over 100,000 copies in Germany. It weaves ultimate questions such as "Does God exist?" and "What is the meaning of life?" into a story filled with humor and surprising twists. The story depicts a delightful commotion that begins when a suspicious man claiming to be "God" requests psychological counseling from a psychotherapist who can barely manage his own affairs. Jakob, overwhelmed by his own problems stemming from divorce and bankruptcy, is considering quitting his job as a psychotherapist due to a lack of clients. It is then that Abel, the "worried God," comes to him and requests counseling. In reality, Abel is working part-time as a circus clown. Although Jakob is convinced that Abel is mentally ill—seemingly far removed from being God—he feels an inexplicable attraction and accepts the request for counseling. How much of this man's story should we believe, considering he starts his life's history with the 'Big Bang'? As the journey continues, Abel's extraordinary nature begins to reveal itself, making it difficult to view him merely as a madman…
Korean title: 그리고 신은 얘기나 좀 하자고 말했다
Korean author: 한스 라트
Korean publisher: 열린책들
ISBN-13: 9788932917016
Reviews
The question of whether God exists is undoubtedly an interesting subject of debate, even setting aside its religious implications. While some believe God exists, others do not; this book explores the potentially serious issue of His existence as well as the meaning of life. Although the subject matter and story might seem quite serious, boring, or predictable, they are portrayed intriguingly thanks to two unconventional characters: Jacob, a psychotherapist, and Abel, a man who claims to be
Hans Rath’s audacious contemplation of God made me burst into laughter throughout the book. Perhaps his contemplation stems from standing before God’s dilemma while observing the state of the world, where he, too, cannot help but grapple with the very same dilemma that Nietzsche cried out, "God is dead." Regardless of the principles of God’s creation, there is clear evidence of his contemplation on how God must feel watching a world becoming so chaotically entangled. However, this contemplation
The conversation with God was truly entertaining, as it was rather delightful than preposterous. In particular, the witty banter of the book's narrator, psychologist Jakob Jacobi, put most comedians to shame, eliciting bursts of laughter. Jakob is rushed to the emergency room after being punched in the nose by his ex-wife's husband (a professional boxer), where he receives a request for psychological counseling from a clown named "Abel Baumann." When Abel—who claims to have done every job
If a god like this exists, I would like to meet him someday. The content of the book perfectly matches the illustration on the cover. The clown, the cigarette, and the punch depicted on the stacked outer covers all appear in the novel, as do the drawing of the scarred nose on the inside cover and the wine glass being poured. In other words, the illustrations hold significance in their own right. Before reading this book, I had read reviews mentioning that it featured a story about a god and a
And God said, "Let's talk." Hans Rath Even if God did not exist, we would have created Him. - Voltaire His ex-wife is standing at the door in the middle of the night. This is the very beginning of the novel. To think that his ex-wife, not even his current wife, is standing at the door in the middle of the night—it piqued my interest right from the first sentence. While being rushed to the emergency room after getting punched in the nose by his ex-wife's boxer husband, he meets a funny doctor
This work generated much anticipation and curiosity even before its publication, having been serialized in the "7 Authors Exhibition" held on Daum. It is a bestseller that sold over 100,000 copies in Germany alone. The story unfolds as Jakob Jacobi, a psychotherapist who spends his days meaninglessly and aimlessly, unable to even take care of himself, meets Abel Baumann, a man who claims to be God and seeks counseling. Jakob spends his days in agony, troubled by divorce and bankruptcy, and
I do not believe. However, witnessing unbelievable phenomena from time to time, I often find myself wondering if someone does exist on Earth. German author Hans Rath’s *And God Said, "Let’s Talk") deals with the existence of God, but it speaks of a God who is not a distant being, but one right beside us. Personally, I started reading with the worry that it might feel boring or dry, but contrary to my expectations, it was an enjoyable read filled with the author’s unique humor and cheerfulness.
Jakob Jacobi is a psychotherapist, yet he is burdened with so many problems that he needs counseling. On the verge of bankruptcy, he finds himself living in the apartment of his ex-wife, whom he divorced three months ago. And outside the door, his ex-wife has arrived for counseling. Ellen, his ex-wife, rushed over in the middle of the night to seek advice regarding problems with her lover after inheriting a large fortune from her deceased uncle. However, before the session could even begin, the
I read Hans Rath's novel, *And God Said, "Let's Talk"). The title was quite unique, so it immediately piqued my interest, and I think it is a well-chosen title. The story unfolds as a man named Abel Baumann appears before Jakob, a psychotherapist who has gone to the hospital with a broken nose, claiming to be God and requesting counseling. I remember someone once saying that leaders of cults are incredibly eloquent. The point is that even though their claims are preposterous and nonsensical,
This book is composed of stories that are delightful yet short, delivering a strong intellectual impact. This is because it deals with "God"—a representative of abstract and unprovable things that transcends the debate over His existence for modern people. It is a concept that has gone beyond reverence to merely an indifferent acknowledgment of existence, perceived solely as an extremely abstract idea, and whose presence has become meaningless within a rigid thought system driven by dualistic
