Novelist Jang Kang-myung turns inward in 'Wandering,' confronting mortality and love

Novelist Jang Kang-myung, known for his works that delve into societal issues such as youth suicide, online manipulation, and school violence, turns his gaze inward with his new autobiographical novel, 'Wandering.' While his previous novels often featured characters who clashed with the world, revealing societal problems through their struggles, 'Wandering' explores the author's personal landscape following a deeply personal crisis.

The novel chronicles three intense days after Jang's wife, Kim Sae-seom, was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a type of brain tumor, in 2026. Although the narrative is deeply personal, Jang consistently refers to himself in the third person as 'he,' maintaining a detached yet intensely analytical perspective. He portrays himself as a highly efficient, successful writer who once described himself as a sociopath due to his perceived lack of empathy.

However, this carefully constructed identity rapidly disintegrates in the face of his wife's diagnosis. The profound fear of loss shatters his self-perception, leading him to question his beliefs and even consider praying to God, whom he had previously distanced himself from. The narrative depicts him weeping uncontrollably in hospitals and on roadsides, realizing that the core of his being was not in his achievements or efficiency, but in the aspects of life he had previously dismissed as trivial or unnecessary.

The book concludes with a poignant "Author's Note," written on his wife's hospital room phone shortly after her second brain surgery. In it, Jang makes a heartfelt plea for prayers for Kim Sae-seom, acknowledging his own mortality and the shared human condition of vulnerability. The novel leaves readers contemplating their own existence, the inevitability of loss, and the profound strength found in human connection and shared hope when facing the ultimate unknown.