The Gospel According to Jesus Christ | Jose Saramago

The Gospel According to Jesus Christ | Jose Saramago | Uncharacteristic Characterization of Christ

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The Gospel Accordi...

	The Gospel According to Jesus Christ Jose Saramago Harvest Books, 1994 - 396 pages average customer review:based on 76 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

This is a skeptic?s journey into the meaning of God and of human existence. At once an ironic rendering of the life of Christ and a beautiful novel, Saramago?s tale has sparked intense discussion about the meaning of Christianity and the Church as an institution. Translated by Giovanni Pontiero.

Imaginative and Provocative

This is a wonderful work of fiction that is creatively devised and unique. It is certainly, as has previously been forewarned by others, not for the devout reader who will take offense when faced with a work of fiction that does not accurately depict Jesus and those closest to him as is told by the canonical Gospels and orthodox scholarship. Saramago takes the Gospels and distills them into a remnant not unlike a skeleton upon which he casts his own flesh of fiction. What is perhaps the most impressive aspect of this work is that one has to constantly remind her/himself that this is indeed a fictional tale and not a fifth Gospel. Saramago's use of traditional parables and events in the life of Jesus Christ helps to create and atmosphere that the reader can become confused in. It is very well done.

The one note of criticism I will make is one that has been made several times in reviews prior. Saramago does not use punctuation aside from periods and is apparently allergic to the `tab' key that would permit him to start a new paragraph every so often. It is a text that is very compact with little to distinguish dialogue (capital letters denote a new speaker) and can be very frustrating if you are a slow reader. If you are one who reads at a faster pace, the dialogue may come naturally as the story is read. I only mention this because it was at first frustrating to me, but I quickly adapted to the style and found no problem finishing it.

There are twists that are revealed along the lines of "Last Temptation of Christ," but with a new take. I suggest that it be read by anyone who likes creative and innovative fiction with a taste for the provocative or controversial - but please remember that this is fiction!

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Uncharacteristic Characterization of Christ

I believe this novel will be especially compelling for those of whom it may not have been intended, namely ardent believers. Those of us who memorized passages, acted out scenes, and were often rebuked with parables. As a thought experiment on the psychology of Jesus it is most compelling, most notably for the style in which the narrative dialogue is constructed. Conversation is organic, it flows right along with the scene, and it is inferred within the context of the ongoing mental movie derived from the text. There is no punctuation, or demarcation of any kind to differentiate dialogue from description, omniscient narration, or internal ruminations. Admittedly, it takes some getting used to and requires a little to determine who is speaking at times, but the experience is well worth the effort and the fact that Jose pulls it off is a testament to his mastery. The story, in general, follows the account in the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke); however, key scenes have a different spin on them reveal the humanity that most certainly must exist within the Son of Man/Son of God. The Bible's account all too often deigns to the deity within Christ and treats his humanity as if it doesn't exist. I don't want to ruin the surprise which will accompany those episodes where these revelations of character emerge. All in all it was a provocative account, poetically envisioned, of an all too familiar story.

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A bit disappointing

I like Jose Saramago as a writer. I like religion as a topic. However, it took me a very long time to get into this book. The first half dragged on for WAY longer than I felt it could have and though the second half delivered everything I'd been hoping for all along, the fact that it took so long to get to it was bit disappointing. In the end, I think it could have been more effective as a novella. That said, I did enjoy it once it got moving.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

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