Some of you may already know this book, or its author Christopher Moore. Based on the sensibilities of folks here, and your evident senses of humor, if you haven't I really think you'd like it.
IMO, Christopher Moore is one of the funniest men on the planet. You can tell a lot just from the titles of some of his books: "Practical Demonkeeping," "Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story," "The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove," and "Island of the Sequined Love Nun." But with "Lamb" he really outdid himself. It is *exactly* what its title implies, the Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal. I think it's a truly funny, sweet, uplifting, and irreverently reverent novel. I give if 5 crosses. :-) I have recommended this book to Buddhists, Hindus, Christians, Jews and atheists; to priests, rabbis, Indian gurus, Zen masters, and others; not one of them has disliked it, and most, if they could stop laughing long enough, have passed the recommendation along to their colleagues and/or students. The book is more provocative in concept than it is in actuality. I think it's actually remarkably understated. The basic idea is simple -- an angel named Raziel gets orders to go "dirtside" and resurrect Christ's best friend "Levi who was called Biff" after 2000 years to write a new Gospel. He is to tell the truth this time, as only a best friend -- who met his best bud Joshua (Jeshua, Jesus) when they both were six, who traveled with him to the East, and who was with him as a disciple (not an apostle...there is a difference, as you will learn) until the end -- can tell it. Along the way you will learn the origin of many things. Blond jokes (angels are all blond, and are gorgeous but not terribly bright), the secret martial art known as Jew-do, sarcasm (invented by Biff, never quite understood by Josh), the proper method of choosing a harlot, how bunnies came to be associated with Easter, what the rough draft of the Sermon on the Mount sounded like, and what the H in Jesus H. Christ stands for. And yeah, it really is understated, in its own way. Moore could have gone WAY over the top with this premise. But he didn't. His version of Christ is *exactly* what he is portrayed to be in the four Gospels we got stuck with; he just adds a new perspective. And a wonderful perspective it is, too. Biff -- total asshole, with the subtlety of a water buffalo, with the lustful appetites of a Don Juan and the ethics of a weasel, but above all with a love for his friend Josh matched in literature only by the one that Sam showed for Frodo in "The Lord Of The Rings." It's a great tale. You will laugh out loud more than once a chapter, and at the end you will actually see the tale of Jesus differently than you did before, and appreciate it more. And, you'll know how to tell the difference between a bona fide vision of the Virgin Mary and elephant poop. What's not to like about that? Unc To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
