Lauren O. (LoMel) - , reviewed on 5/30/2011 + 134 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 2

This is a re-imagining of the life of Jesus by Philip Pullman, author of the His Dark Materials trilogy and noted atheist.

The book is a VERY quick read, 240-odd pages with short chapters. Pullman's narrative reads easily and seems pretty plausible (although I did figure out one of the main plot points about 100 pages in). The most interesting part for me, however, was the afterword (not sure if it's present in the hardcover edition, but it is in the paperback). Pullman uses this space to talk about his own personal religious history, how the idea for writing this novel came about, and some of the research and thought process he went through during the writing. I felt as though the afterword alone was almost worth the price of the book itself; it was a very eloquent explanation.

As with any reinterpretation of a religious account, this book may not appeal to very religious (Christian) readers, but for those interested in general religious studies or people who have an open mind about these things, I would recommend this book, if only for a different perspective on a well-known story.

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