Read Amélie Nothomb in Lent, ‘Sed’, while you see the series ‘The Chosen’.

Sed (Anagrama, 2022) is a writer’s masterpiece Amélie Nothomb (Kobe, 1967) that I liked, but I did not love it. I still say: it is a masterpiece; That the courts do not remove the brave.

Nothomb She is a Belgian author with a very particular style of writing and a very personal vision. That is what has overturned in this kind of monologue of the beginning of our time with Christ as the protagonist. Because of its theme, we could start reading it in these times of Lentnow, in addition, the television series has also become so fashionable The Chosen.

When I knew about the existence of this novel, the idea seemed like crazy or a genius and we already know that both are the same. Christ tells in the first person the moments before the crucifixion, the crucifixion itself and his death. He does it in Nothomb’s words because I really tell you That the voice differs a little from what we might expect to find in the mouth of Jesus. However, it makes interesting reflections, stuffed gaps that are not in the gospels (or are, but there is room for ambiguity) and focuses on two main plot engines: Desire and death.

The desire nothomb represents it through The feeling of thirst. A very deep sensation on which we rarely stop to reflect. For Christ/Nothomb there is the impulse of life, in that state of longing for something, of needing something, of … I do not know how to call it, because in the middle yearning the ego and thirst of course not. It is, as I mean, a “vital” impulse. Maybe in “vital” the key is. That is why it also contrasts with the moment of the end. With death. We attend the death of one of the most famous people in history. And there is a question in the air … death ends with the feeling of thirst?

An author, Amélie Nothombwhom I read for the first time and that seems to me to have my own universe. In principle I do not feel interest in continuing to explore his bibliography, because this book was mainly interested in the proposal of the Passion of Christ (as I said I am very fully with this topic because of the series of The chosen) And I think Sed She is a masterpiece of a great author that, I have already said, I liked, but not delighted, so for the moment … let’s leave it as it is. But if you have the possibility of reading this little book of few pages, do it.

💬 To know more: the series ‘The Chosen’ is a series about the life of Jesus of Nazareth seen through the eyes of those who knew him. He has seven seasons and is a more intimate look at Jesus’ teachings, compared to what we are used to in the films about passion. Above all, we also know the disciples and other characters that surround the life of the teacher.