The good man Jesus and the scoundrel Christ

Book Cover
Average Rating
Publisher
Canongate
Publication Date
[2010]
Language
English

Description

The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ is the remarkable new piece of fiction from best-selling and famously atheistic author Philip Pullman. By challenging the events of the gospels, Pullman puts forward his own compelling and plausible version of the life of Jesus, and in so doing, does what all great books do: makes the reader ask questions.In Pullman’s own words, “The story I tell comes out of the tension within the dual nature of Jesus Christ, but what I do with it is my responsibility alone. Parts of it read like a novel, parts like history, and parts like a fairy tale; I wanted it to be like that because it is, among other things, a story about how stories become stories.”Written with unstinting authority, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ is a pithy, erudite, subtle, and powerful book by a controversial and beloved author. It is a text to be read and reread, studied and unpacked, much like the Good Book itself.

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ISBN
080212996
9780802129963

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Published Reviews

Publisher's Weekly Review

This gospel retelling is relatively faithful in style, time line, and events to the four canonical gospels-though Pullman injects a very Pullman-like spin on it by splitting Jesus Christ into two men, among other creative twists. Twin babies are born of the virgin Mary, one called Jesus, the other Christ. After a childhood in which Christ is a goody-goody and Jesus the popular one, Jesus and Christ continue down separate but intertwined paths, with Christ sneaking around, spying on Jesus's ministry and writing down his every word and deed. Jesus becomes a philosopher-revolutionary and Christ is the politically savvy brother, who ultimately proves naive. Pullman's gospel version reveals how the politics and structure of the institutional church were plotted by power-hungry men, who used the renown of Jesus and his well-meaning, devoted brother Christ as pawns in their corrupt game-a critique that will be familiar to readers of His Dark Materials. This is a tale of (almost comedic) mistaken identity and good intentions gone horribly awry. Readers will find the parables, the Good Samaritan, healings, and the Sermon on the Mount, among other familiar scenes. (May) Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.

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Library Journal Review

Pullman (www.philip-pullman.com), author of the award-winning "His Dark Materials" trilogy, takes a unique and respectful look at the life and legacy of Jesus as told from the point of view of Christ, Jesus's identical twin brother, whose not-entirely honest telling underscores the questionable reliability of such historical accounts. Pullman himself reads, his deep and soothing British-accented performance carrying the story along admirably. Recommended for all listeners, especially fans of religious fiction. [Also available, exclusively from the iTunes Store, is an iPhone ebook app combining Pullman's full-text, synchronized reading and including a video Q&A with the author.-Ed.]-Scott R. DiMarco, Mansfield Univ. of Pennsylvania Lib. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Library Journal Reviews

In Canongate's "Myths" series, noteworthy contemporary authors rethink classic stories. Here, in what is surely the most daring pairing so far, proclaimed atheist Pullman, author of "His Dark Materials" trilogy, questions the events of the Gospels and puts forth his own tale. Interesting to see what challenges libraries might get on this one. Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.

Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.
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