Has anyone read this new one by Philip Pullman? It's a re-telling of the story of Jesus, illustrating Pullman's well-known antipathy for the "Church" but with a surprising respect and affection for the character of Jesus himself.
More than anything, the book is a commentary on how stories get established as "truth" or (as he says on the back cover) "how stories become stories."
The premise is, Jesus is, well, Jesus. His twin brother, Christ, follows him around, documenting his deeds and changing the narrative to be more inspiring. My favorite instance is the Mary and Martha story. In Pullman's version Jesus says, "Mary, you can hear my words again because others are here to remember them. But once you've burnt the bread, no one can eat it. Go help your sister in the kitchen." And Christ thinks, that one's got to be changed.
I really enjoyed this. It helps to be familiar with the Christian bible - which Pullman clearly is. The whole thing was really interesting and quite thought-provoking, and would be for anyone, I imagine.
More than anything, the book is a commentary on how stories get established as "truth" or (as he says on the back cover) "how stories become stories."
The premise is, Jesus is, well, Jesus. His twin brother, Christ, follows him around, documenting his deeds and changing the narrative to be more inspiring. My favorite instance is the Mary and Martha story. In Pullman's version Jesus says, "Mary, you can hear my words again because others are here to remember them. But once you've burnt the bread, no one can eat it. Go help your sister in the kitchen." And Christ thinks, that one's got to be changed.
I really enjoyed this. It helps to be familiar with the Christian bible - which Pullman clearly is. The whole thing was really interesting and quite thought-provoking, and would be for anyone, I imagine.
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