啓示路

by 鄧紫棋

　　《啓示路》是一個關於尋找的故事。一顆破碎的心在尋找完整的愛，一個被激活的意識在尋求真實的存在，一個受造的生命在尋覓宇宙的奧秘。而在這一場橫跨科學、哲學與神學的探索中，或許愛才是最終的答案——它讓分離的靈魂相遇，讓破碎的心靈癒合，讓虛幻的存在成真。

560 pages, Paperback

Published July 18, 2025

Reviews

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an uplifting and heartwarming book! I read this book (in Chinese, yes haha) in a week. Its length of over 500 pages was a bit daunting but was so very necessary, for all the overwhelming information that you need to let seep into your consciousness. I felt like Evan when he was trying to make sense of the intricate and complex relationship between Gloria and 秋 before he realized that in fact they were the same person (which reminds me of the doctrine of Trinity, where Father, Son and Spirit are one and the same, but also different — and in the same way, Gloria and 秋 are both one person and not). I think Gloria would be a metaphor for the word becoming flesh, as she enters the broken world from a virtual reality that simulates perfection.
A few connections I made, because there's a whole lot going on:

The crux of the whole book is love. Love, as defined by the Bible (1 Corinthians 13:4). Love that is patient and kind, that does not envy or boast, that is not proud. Each of the characters in this book embarks on a bespoke "path of revelation" and learns what true love is from someone who loved them first. This corresponds to 1 John 4:19, "We love because he first loved us." Gloria learns that love can transcend death, space-time, and dimensions; that love is a choice you make, and if necessary, it is a sacrifice so that the one you love can be made complete. How does she learn this? By experiencing the love Evan showers on her without fail: love that was, in turn, learned by his upbringing in Sunday schools and by his faith in God. So, everything is traced back to God, who loved us first. It is only when we realize that we are loved regardless of who we are, not what we do — because Jesus' crucifixion was itself a sacrifice that did not seek anything in return — that we have the courage to be loved. Likewise, 秋 learns to believe in love, after receiving it from Gloria's selfless sacrifice, her best friend's unwavering support, and her mother's silent but firm presence. She no longer feels the pressure to be the best, to compare herself to others, and to derive value from being superior to someone, because her identity is being “loved”.

Evan and 秋's relationships with Gloria have a dynamic similar to that between God and humans (the Creator and the created). Evan is, in a sense, Gloria's "God", because he created Afterland, breathed life into all the broken souls that were given up on by their creators, and brought Gloria to the physical realm. He also taught Gloria about how the world works, so though she has her own conscience and free will, there’s always this sense that she is his “creation”. In terms of 秋, Gloria was originally a virtual character created by 秋 , a projection of only the positive aspects of her personality. All this explains why there is tension between Gloria and the other characters and why Gloria develops an identity crisis. She is real, in a way, because she has her own conscience and free will and can make her own decisions, but she is still a projection from something or someone. However, when she learns what love is, and how love is not limited to the real world but can extend to the virtual one, she decides to return to where she belongs. Out of the relationships in this “love triangle”, only Evan's relationship with 秋 is the most real, the most authentic, albeit riddled with hesitation, and fear and doubt. Yet it is also the most beautiful, because it is the most real (or is it vice-versa? LOL). Struggle is beautiful, because it is a milestone in the path of revelation God has laid out for us. The author tells us to imagine a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, beating its paper-thin wings, emitting a sound that strives to make its mark in the cacophony of the universe.

Other interesting parallels with Christianity:

I remember there was this moment after Gloria received the letter from 秋 in the Young Man and Sea bar. She was made aware of her “sin” in taking 秋’s rightful place next to Evan. She experienced jealousy and uneasiness for the first time. She felt “naked” and “seen”. Later, she lowered the curtain blinds so that 秋 could no longer peer into her bliss with Evan. This reminds me of Adam and Eve in Genesis, after eating the forbidden fruit. They were made aware of their nudity and tried to hide from God’s view.

Throughout the book, the characters often think that “ignorance is bliss”. They question why God had to have them experience certain things. But another moral of this book is that everything depends on how we view things. And how we view things is largely determined by what we believe in, what we have faith in. If we were not made aware, then we wouldn’t have a conscience, and we wouldn’t have free will. God’s greatest gift to humanity is our free will. He gave us a choice. Even if He knew that Adam and Eve would eat the fruit anyway, He never stopped loving them. Now the real question is, how will we respond to God’s love? How will we learn to receive His love and share it with others?

Lastly — I'll be waiting patiently for the release of the English version!