Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal

by Christopher Moore (Goodreads Author)

4.28 of 5 stars 4.28 · rating details · 69,668 ratings · 7,398 reviews

The birth of Jesus has been well chronicled, as have his glorious teachings, acts, and divine sacrifice after his thirtieth birthday. But no one knows about the early life of the Son of God, the missing years -- except Biff, the Messiah's best bud, who has been resurrected to tell the story in the divinely hilarious yet heartfelt work "reminiscent of Vonnegut and Douglas A...more

Trade Paperback, 1st Perennial, 444 pages

Published 2004 by HarperCollins (first published 2002)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Best Humorous Books

3rd out of 1,871 books — 3,706 voters

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

Best Books Ever

237th out of 24,616 books — 93,917 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Dec 28, 2009 Kemper rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, humor, sky-cake, favorites

The last ten years have mutated my views on religion. I went from a vague agnostic live-and-let-live attitude to a full blown distrust and dislike of mass worshipping of mysterious deities. When it wasn’t being used as an excuse to murder people who believed different things, then it was being used to deny basic scientific concepts or prevent consenting adults from marriage based on gender. Overall, I’d become convinced that humanity was far too stupid to use religion as anything but yet another...more

184 likes · like · see review

May 12, 2013 Lance Greenfield Mitchell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is an hilarious take on the missing years of Jesus, known as Joshua bar Joseph in this account. The four gospels which mad it into the New Testament miss three decades of the Messiah's life. Only two of them say much about his birth, one describes a brief episode when Jesus was about twelve where he spends some time in discussion with the elders in the synagogue, but they largely concentrate on the short years of his ministry leading up to his crucifiction and resurrection.

Lamb is an accoun...more

30 likes · like · see review

Jul 29, 2009 Chris rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, humor, top-shelf

If you've been following my reviews over the last few years, I don't see any reason why I should have to put a caution into this, but here it is: if you're not interested in speculative fiction, open to the reinterpretation of the life of Jesus, speculation on the gaps in the gospels and the possibility of pan-religious values having been vital to the formation of Christianity, then you should probably not read this book. Nor should you really be using the internet - there's just too much nasty...more

102 likes · like · see review

Oct 04, 2009 Kim rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, need-to-buy, holy-shit

What I remember from CCD:

• It was Tuesday nights and that meant that I missed Who’s the Boss
• All the really obnoxious cheerleaders went to my church (Our Lady of Perpetual Help-OLPH!)
• I had to go to CCD so I could get confirmed or I couldn’t get married in a church (so I was told every time I tried to feign an illness or a menstrual cramp)
• We would be ushered into the school/rectory thing where we had to choose 3 colored rings which represented 3 different ‘classes’ we would attend… things l...more

85 likes · like · see review

Aug 30, 2007 Aaron rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone who doesn't mind a bit of blasphemy

Christopher Moore is a sick, sick fuck. And I mean that in a good way.

I found a copy of this wonderfully hilarious novel at the Champaign Public Library Book Sale and decided that I ought to own a copy. It holds up well on a second read and served to fill a nostalgia for Kurt Vonnegut, whose death I may not ever get over. This book is very reminiscent of Vonnegut in its plotting and style and wisecracks and it certainly filled a hole. I've read everything Vonnegut ever wrote and I was more than...more Christopher Moore is a sick, sick fuck. And I mean that in a good way.

I found a copy of this wonderfully hilarious novel at the Champaign Public Library Book Sale and decided that I ought to own a copy. It holds up well on a second read and served to fill a nostalgia for Kurt Vonnegut, whose death I may not ever get over. This book is very reminiscent of Vonnegut in its plotting and style and wisecracks and it certainly filled a hole. I've read everything Vonnegut ever wrote and I was more than a little depressed that my days of reading new works by one of my favorite authors had come to a close. This book alone marks Christopher Moore as the leading contender for that particular throne. If not Vonnegut, then Douglas Adams.

Lamb tells the story of Jesus Christ, chronicling the missing years from 12 through 30 that the Bible itself fails to enlighten us on. It's very funny and more than a little blasphemous, but it's also firmly grounded in theology. Moore doesn't make any shit up here. He merely expounds on the details the Bible has left out.

Basically, Levi who is called Biff is resurrected by an angel of the Lord centuries after his death so that he can write a new gospel (we later come to find out that Mary Magdalene has been resurrected to write one, too). Holed up in a seedy motel with the angel Raziel, himself addicted to professional wrestling and soap operas, Biff writes his side of the story on hotel stationery. Biff was Christ's only companion during the missing eighteen years, so he's pretty much the authority on this subject. Through Biff's writings, we learn that he and Jesus (here named Joshua, due to Hebrew translation) spent many years traveling the world in search of the three wisemen, hoping that they can help Joshua understand exactly what it is Joshua is supposed to be doing. They battle a vicious demon with Balthazar. They encounter a Yeti with Gaspar. They study Buddhism with Melchior. And through all of this, Joshua creates a new ministry that seems to totally contradict the one started by his father.

Along the way, we learn how all of the apostles came to stand at Jesus's side. We learn what bunnies and chocolates have to do with Easter. We discover how to tell the difference between a legitimate vision of The Virgin Mary and just a face in a pile of cow dung. We meet some ninjas. We stand face-to-face with the blood-thirsty goddess Kali. And we also get treated to a rough draft of The Sermon on the Mount (apparently Jesus really wanted to bless all the dumbshits, but got vetoed).

This book is highly recommended.
(less)

33 likes · like · see review

Mar 09, 2008 Shannon (Giraffe Days) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, humour, religious, 2008

**some spoilers**

Lamb starts with one of my favourite quotes, which sets the scene very aptly: "God is a comedian playing to an audience that is afraid to laugh" (Voltaire). A deceptively slim-looking book (but one that is absolutely heavenly to hold - no pun intended - with it's glossy floppy cover and delicate leaves), Lamb is, as the title says, the (fictional) story of Christ's childhood as told by his best friend Levi who is called Biff.

Now, Moore doesn't mention Monty Python anywhere, but...more **some spoilers**

Lamb starts with one of my favourite quotes, which sets the scene very aptly: "God is a comedian playing to an audience that is afraid to laugh" (Voltaire). A deceptively slim-looking book (but one that is absolutely heavenly to hold - no pun intended - with it's glossy floppy cover and delicate leaves), Lamb is, as the title says, the (fictional) story of Christ's childhood as told by his best friend Levi who is called Biff.

Now, Moore doesn't mention Monty Python anywhere, but I'd wager he's seen Life of Brian. Whether he liked it, got it or appreciated it, I couldn't say, but it's a possible inspiration. It doesn't have the clever wit or irony, or the sheer genius of Brian, but it does have the irreverant humour. That aside, Lamb is a great story, made up but oddly plausible.

Keeping to the "known" facts and not interested in questioning your faith in any grand or cynical way, Lamb is told by Biff, resurrected today by an angel so he can write down his version of events. Given the gift of tongues, Biff writes it in contemporary American idiom, which saves the story from being dry and boring. He claims to have invented sarcasm, and encourages Joshua (later Jesus) to have a sense of humour. The best bit about this book, though, are the adventures the two friends have.

At about 13, they set off to find the three Wise Men who had been there at Joshua's birth, in order for Joshua to learn how to be the Messiah. They spend years in a cave-like fortress in Afghanistan with Balthasar, more years at a Budhist temple in the mountains with Gaspar, and yet more time in India in nooks in a cliff with the seagulls learning from Melchior. They learn Confuscius from Balthasar, Biff learns about poisons and alchemy from Balthasar's Chinese concubines, and they encounter a very hungry demon They meditate and study Budhism from Gaspar (as well as kung-fu and "Jew-do" because Joshua doesn't want to hurt anyone) and encounter the last Yeti; and rescue children from the Hindu god of destruction, Kali, before finding Melchior, who teaches Joshua how to fit himself inside a wine bottle and multiply food - which comes in handy later, that's for sure - while Biff learns the Kama Sutra.

Biff is the perfect counter-point to the more serious, naive and well-meaning Joshua, whose mother brought him up from birth to believe his father is God, not her husband Joseph. Although Moore admits it's hard to write a story set in this time and place because of the lack of knowledge of the period, he does an admirable job and it's entirely believable. I did find it a slow read at times, but I definitely found myself laughing as well. It also gave the best explanation of the Holy Ghost, or Holy Spirit, that I've ever heard, and suddenly it makes more sense. More to the point, though, it makes Joshua - Jesus - more human, and thus more sympathetic. That matters to me, though it might not to other people.

It got so that I found myself really caring for this character, and the others - especially Maggie (the Mary Magdelene), their friend from childhood. The final scenes, when you're suddenly reminded of how the story ends, creep up on you and settles like a lump in your throat, and I totally felt for Biff and understand why he did what he did at the end - though interestingly enough, despite all he'd seen Joshua do, and despite the fact that he had always believed in him, he did not believe Joshua could really bring himself back from the dead. And so, in the end, he did not have faith. A slight irony.

Despite Biff's silly humour and the occasional fart joke, Lamb is written with maturity, compassion and skill. The setting, landscape and supporting characters immerse you in the story, the period and the upheavels. More to the point, it's a nice (comforting) thought that Jesus might have had as good and loyal and silly a friend as Levi who is called Biff.(less)

35 likes · like · see review

Apr 19, 2010 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: humorous, library, religion-related, historical-fiction, 2010, reviewed, blog_etb, challenge-1010

I should probably start this review by saying that I found this book in what I now think is probably the most inappropriate place possible.. the Young Adult section of my town library. I'd wanted to read this for a long time, but whenever I browsed the Moore books in the adult section, it was never to be found. I always figured, "Eh, someone probably has it checked out... I'll snag it next time." Oh, silly me. I was foolishly thinking that my library would shelve a mature book full of extremely...more

12 likes · like · see review

Feb 24, 2007 smalls rated it 3 of 5 stars

OK, I finished the book! Whoohoo! All in all, it was ok for me. I laughed a lot in the beginning...
some of my favorite lines were
"Revelations 2; Just When you thought it was safe to sin."
and "Actually , I thought I'd stay Josh. Your mother needs someone to look after her, and she's still a relatively attractive woman. I mean a guy could do worse."

My absolute favorite part was the lizard in the beginning. I laughed so hard! very fun and creative.

It got slow for me while he was visiting the wisem...more OK, I finished the book! Whoohoo! All in all, it was ok for me. I laughed a lot in the beginning...
some of my favorite lines were
"Revelations 2; Just When you thought it was safe to sin."
and "Actually , I thought I'd stay Josh. Your mother needs someone to look after her, and she's still a relatively attractive woman. I mean a guy could do worse."

My absolute favorite part was the lizard in the beginning. I laughed so hard! very fun and creative.

It got slow for me while he was visiting the wisemen. But I did laugh once in a while. Definately not as much as in the beginning.

The End...
I was nervous reading the part during His ministry. Being a Born Again Christian, I knew this could be difficult. I did struggle with a few things, and to me they were important. Well, at least two things. First, the scorging, "At least it wasn't a Roman scourge they lashed him with. He took thirty nine lashes, but it was just leather, not the lead -tipped whip that the romands use. "
A cat of nine tails was used with other devices. It was the Romans scourging so it was a roman scourge. Pieces of glass and metal shards are embedded in the leather strips, and they rip through the flesh. Important to me because I want others to know how bad the penalty for our sins was.

Second part was the crusificiton, the poisen. This is a fictional work. But Mr. Moore did do a lot of research for this book as well. And I always have to take a stand on the belief of the real death and resurection of Jesus. I found myself praying that the book wouldn't go that route. But it did, and you are lead to believe that he drinks it. Thankfully Moore didn't let the ending be the poisen.

Now that that is said, I would like to say that I loved that no matter how raunchy the book got, or made me shake my head, the ending was still sad. His followers didn't get it, didn't want to believe it even. It ripped them to shreds inside. With how the book was going,I kept expecting humor in the crusifiction, but it was well done emotionally. If there was a poisen that could work like that, I would have wanted to try it to save Him too. It is too much to fathom that the person you have been friends with for even the time that the real diciples were with Him, was going to have to bear that torture, and then to understand He was coming back, and that it was being done to save the world, I wouldn't have gotten it either. Because of the Bible, those who believe have hindsight. I really appreciated that Moore stayed true to at least the tragedy and pain that His friends had to wittness.

Jesus swearing as a kid, didn't seem to bother me quite as much as it did as He aged. Once the book got to the part that is written, it was much harder for me to find the humor in certain things. But there were some. Like when Biff talks about his mom and Joshua says, "she still plagued with demons?" Lines like that cracked me up.

Thanks for letting me read the book. It was interesting and at times fun. I will still reccomend it to one more of my friends who I know can handle it as a Born Again believer. But it is definately a book I have to be careful of recomendations. Only because so many "Christians" that I know would have a fit reading this book.
But I did pass it on to a friend of mine, who is a christian, but who also has a great sense of humor.(less)

13 likes · like · see review

Oct 16, 2011 Jennifer (aka EM) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Beautifully imagined, and even though I probably missed a lot of the biblical references, I caught enough to make the experience satisfying.

Moore notes, in his afterword, that he expects most readers not to be strong Christian believers as those who are perhaps wouldn't give this book the time of day anyway. So, he writes reassuringly, for those of us who missed some or most of the allusions, we are invited to confer with those who might have a better grasp of the details.*

I don't know who the...more

6 likes · like · see review

Apr 01, 2008 Kristen Boers rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of absurdist humor. 15 year olds who like to pretend they're 18.

Remember back in 9th grade when you wrote a wonderful, insightful papers for every assignment and then, eventually, you got cocky, got drunk on your own brilliance, got sloppy and lazy with self assurance? And, inevitably, your next paper would come back with a comment from your teacher that went something like this "Accurate, and mildly interesting, but doesn't compare with your previous work...What happened?" This is what I felt like writing in my copy of "Lamb" about 120 pages in.
There's a...more Remember back in 9th grade when you wrote a wonderful, insightful papers for every assignment and then, eventually, you got cocky, got drunk on your own brilliance, got sloppy and lazy with self assurance? And, inevitably, your next paper would come back with a comment from your teacher that went something like this "Accurate, and mildly interesting, but doesn't compare with your previous work...What happened?" This is what I felt like writing in my copy of "Lamb" about 120 pages in.
There's a really lovely forward to this book, inviting believers and non believers alike to enjoy the book, take what they need from it, disregard the rest. I should have liked to take the first 1/3 of the book and left the rest. The story's protagonist is not Christ himself, but his best buddy Biff, brough back from the dead by an angel of the Lord. The reason for Biff's resurrection is that the Powers that Be (Uh, God) has decided that the Bible doesn't really tell us enough of what happens to Jesus between the time He's born and around 30, when He becomes a big deal with His proclaiming to be the Son of God bit. So, Biff is brought back by the angel Raziel to write the Gospel According to Biff, giving us an insight to Jesus from the man who knew him best.
What a great idea. It's such a great idea, that as a writer, I'm jealous and annoyed I didn't come up with it first. Anyone unclear as to why they've never come across a "Biff" in their readings of Leviticus or Matthew should note that the protagonist's real name is Levi. He's just called Biff. Just like Jesus Christ, who's name in Hebrew translates to Joshua. At first I thought this was a clever trick of Moore's, enabling the reader to see past what we already know about Jesus Christ by giving that character a new name. That was, of course, before I got to the chapter where Joshua and Biff are living in a desert fortress with one of the three Magi and seven Asian concubines. Yup. You read that sentence correctly. Incidentally, that's where it all went down hill for me.
The early chapters are full of clever twists on things we already know or think we know about the life of Jesus in 5 B.C. We meet a young Mary Magdalene, and surprise surprise, she does have a crush on the Boy Who Would be the Savior, but her story take a delicious turn I didn't see coming and won't spoil for you. We also meet Jes..um, Joshua's parents, Joseph and Mary, and get a little insight into the caprenter and the virgin who produced the world's most famous son. The world of Joshua and Biff is contextualized for us, made relatable, by modern day Biff, reminiscing not only on his childhood but trying to compare it to this strange world he suddenly finds himself alone in.
Then, with almost no warning, the innocent reader is thrust into a world of sex, drugs, and kung fu. My complaint is not with the sex, drugs, kung fu, meditation, yaks, human sacrifices, and bull violating but with the seemnig randomness in the story. It's like Moore got a little too comfortable with how well he was going and jumped the shark. I have no problem with the fact that theoretically Jesus, oh right, JOSHUA, would study with Buddhist monks except this...it doesn't fit in the story. Who cares iff it doesn't fit in history, this is fiction after all, but it doesn't fit in the narration.
As the book goes on, we touch in less and less with modern day Biff, losing our conduit to the world that is slowly but sreuly getting more outlandish and harder to stay connected with. And then BAM! There are the last four chapters, with the ending we all know, slapdashed on the page as if the author has to interest in them himself, so why should we? And then the books over. Arguably, that is the author's point. This book, Biff's Gospel, is about Joshua's life, not his death, and neither Moore, nor Biff, will give us the safisfaction of retreading every moment of the end, like some perverse literary "The Passion of the Christ." But to me, that is mute point. "Lamb" prides itself, from the first sentence, on shocking us with insight and irreverance for what most people think is the most mporant story of our time. The charm of the book, of Biff himself, is that he treats his pal like anybody else...well, not quite true. He treats Joshua as his best friend in the world, but not as the Savior. By repriving the reader of the true anguish at the death of a best friend, Moore looses something...His book had smarts and it had charm. What it's missing is heart. A more detailed ending could have given us that. Without it, the book was accuate and mildly interesting...what happened?
(less)

19 likes · like · see review

Oct 20, 2011 brian tanabe rated it 5 of 5 stars

Hello! One of the most humorously engaging books I’ve read in a while. Painfully, I’ve gone through the rest of Moore’s oeuvre confirming my theory that he channeled Tom Robbins and perhaps some other lesser authors to write this literary slice of heaven. As a side note, I attended a reading and was thoroughly blown away for two reasons. First, I learned why Moore doesn’t do readings. He is f-ing horrible at reading, let alone his own words. BUT, it was so incredibly horrible that it made the wh...more

10 likes · like · see review

Apr 16, 2009 Patrick Gibson rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people who don't take it all seriously

Shelves: humorous

When angels are sent to earth, they refer to it as going ‘dirt-side.’ Most don’t like their assignments.

Raziel, an angel who missed the Virgin Mary annunciation by ten years (he got distracted), has been sent dirt-side two thousand years later to resurrect Jesus’ best friend Levy (called Biff) so he can write a fifth gospel. The power (singular) that be claims mortals need a new one.

Biff and Raziel ensconce themselves in a hotel room. The angel watches television 24/7 (angels don’t sleep) while...more When angels are sent to earth, they refer to it as going ‘dirt-side.’ Most don’t like their assignments.

Raziel, an angel who missed the Virgin Mary annunciation by ten years (he got distracted), has been sent dirt-side two thousand years later to resurrect Jesus’ best friend Levy (called Biff) so he can write a fifth gospel. The power (singular) that be claims mortals need a new one.

Biff and Raziel ensconce themselves in a hotel room. The angel watches television 24/7 (angels don’t sleep) while Biff writes recollections of his time spent with Joshua back in the day (years 5AD to 35AD, approximately).

Who knew we should thank Biff for inventing lattes, sarcasm, and the pencil?

As Biff struggles to recollect his two thousand year old adventures with the Son of God, he finds a Gideon bible in the hotel end table, hides it in the bathroom and sneaks a series of reads. He is dismayed that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, for the most part, got it all wrong. And the fact they don’t mention Biff at all really pisses him off.

While Angel and the reborn buddy of Jesus (called Joshua) deal with the complexities of twenty-first century life (grasping why the room service houseman is called Jesus but pronounced ‘Hey-soos’) the gospel according to Biff sets about clearing up misconceptions and getting the story straight.

Is it irreverent? Oh, good lord yes. If the subject matter involved another world religion instead of Christianity, the author would be put to death. Fortunately, most Christians have a sense of humor—at least Jesus did (the whole water to wine thing—come on), so this hysterical tale can finally be told. And it is laugh-out-loud and roll-your-eyes funny.

The funny bits flow like wine at a wedding. The running joke Jesus trying to get his Father (in Heaven) to clarify the ‘thou shalt know no woman’ rule for the Son of God is hilarious. (For the record, Dad keeps avoiding the issue.)

Excrement abounds (both human and animal—particularly camels) and sex at the beginning of the first millennia was omnipresent. Another great running gag is Jesus working on his miracles from a young age. It took quite a while to perfect the rising of the dead thing. Some of his earlier experiments weren’t necessarily successful but groan-worthy comical.

Thought provoking as well as satirical, this romp through the Holy Land with Josh, Biff and the boys is a clever bit of wordsmithing. I’m guessing the people who would hate this wouldn’t be caught dead reading it in the first place—so the rest of us can quickly get over the shock (there is some, come on, you know it) and have a good time.

“God is a comedian playing to an audience that is afraid to laugh” —Volaire

“Torah! Torah! Torah!” —war cry of the Kamikaze Rabbis (That’s funny, you laughed, I heard you.)
(less)

7 likes · like · see review

Nov 11, 2008 Tara rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Those who are not offended easily

Shelves: loved-it, mybookclub

There is something so blasphemous about this book and yet I just laughed from page 1 to the end!

I was raised in a Christian household and knew the story of Jesus forwards and backwards. Or at least I thought I did. Now, I try not to take myself to seriously and I try to maintain a certain amount of humor about my faith and religion as a whole. This book made me bust a gut and there were several times when just a little of "pee" came out, that's how hard I was laughing.

I happened upon this book a...more

10 likes · like · see review

Apr 22, 2012 Jonathan rated it 1 of 5 stars

A book recommendation that I suffered through... not for charges of blasphemy, but for style. I can't stand this type of comedic writing with its obvious set-ups and zingers and formulaic irreverence. Douglas Adams wanna-be. This type of humor gets enough time between news items on NPR's "All Things Considered." Bah!
Witness the last lines (paraphrased here):

"The 'H' in Jesus H. Christ stands for Hallowed . . . you know, 'Hallowed be thy name'?"

"Oh! I thought it stood for Harvey."

He saved that ge...more

14 likes · like · see review

May 14, 2012 Hayes rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: bc-bookring, read-in-2012

Mixed.
Loved the beginning.
Hated the middle.
Liked the end.
It should have been a novella, or a shorter novel.
It was too long in the middle part.
There was too much sex.
There was too much blood and gore.
I'm glad I read it.
I think this is a book for the menfolk.
Stop.

7 likes · like · see review

Apr 29, 2011 Noce rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: narrativa-americana, storico

Non so come iniziare: avete presente i film per i bambini, che siete costretti a vedere sul divano insieme a loro?

All'inizio partite con scetticismo, la storia l'avete già vista mille volte, anche se non vi ricordate i dettagli, sapete soprattutto che fine avrà, quali sono i punti deboli ecc...
Poi, com'è, come non è, vi lasciate prendere la mano.
Allungate le gambe, vi rilassate, guardate il vostro compagno di “avventura” e piano piano vi ammorbidite, rimanete colpiti dalle sue espressioni di...more

9 likes · like · see review

Jan 06, 2008 Chris rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone

I've been a apostle of Christopher Moore's manic, wonderful fiction since the publication of his brilliant first novel, Practical Demonkeeping. For years now, I've spread the Word, bringing friends and random strangers into the fold, spreading the gospel of twisted humor to the previously uninitiated.

Until I read LAMB, his latest novel, I would have said that Blood Sucking Fiends (A Love Story) was not only his best book, but a feat of comic wonder and wondrous comedy that even the genius of Chr...more I've been a apostle of Christopher Moore's manic, wonderful fiction since the publication of his brilliant first novel, Practical Demonkeeping. For years now, I've spread the Word, bringing friends and random strangers into the fold, spreading the gospel of twisted humor to the previously uninitiated.

Until I read LAMB, his latest novel, I would have said that Blood Sucking Fiends (A Love Story) was not only his best book, but a feat of comic wonder and wondrous comedy that even the genius of Christopher Moore might never surpass.

His new book is another thing entirely, which is not to say that the bizarre sense of humor that has been the hallmark of Moore's novels in not as omnipresent in LAMB as it is in all his work; if anything, he is funnier than ever. But in telling the story of Christ's "missing years" through the eyes of his childhood pal (Levi, who is called Biff), Moore has managed to exceed the hilarity of his previous work while leavening the jokes with a respect for his subject that comes through as something approaching reverence. Only the reader who picks up this novel with the sole intention of being offended could find anything truly offensive here. Most readers, regardless of their religious beliefs, will find themselves hoping that Josh of Nazareth really had a friend like Biff.

As with all of Moore's work, LAMB is funny enough to be easily rejected by those who refuse to see that humor can allow a sufficiently gifted author to approach a serious subject with depth and intelligence. The careful research and attention to detail that inform the novel without weighing it down will be dismissed by those who wish to diminish the minor miracle that the author has accomplished with this book. But those who pick up LAMB with an open mind will find more than "merely" light entertainment; beneath the hilarious surface of this beautifully written novel lies a tender, respectful treatment of the idea that maybe, just maybe, love and kindness might be a better thing than hatred and fear.

In LAMB, Christopher Moore picks up the gauntlet that Theodore Sturgeon threw down in his controversial novel of the second coming, Godbody, filtering a similar message through the warped lens of his twisted mind to create an utterly unique, yet fascinatingly similar work. The Clown Prince of fiction is not just another jester; like the best comedians in any medium, there is a deep vein of truth (with or without the capital "T") that runs through all his work, especially this latest book. Can an "alternate" history comic novel of the life of Christ bring enlightenment? Perhaps not, but careful readers will find at least a glimpse of transcendence, and this mental pilgrimage to the Holy Land of entertainment will surely hold them enthralled. (less)

6 likes · like · see review

Feb 23, 2012 Rob rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: recovering Catholics (especially recovering Catholics)

Shelves: missing, 2012

Irreverent.

I believe that is the word that appears in every published review. It's fitting; this novel is hand-crafted to earn that adjective. And in that way, it is almost unfair to call it "irreverent" because your credibility as reader is called into question. Did you even bother to read it? Don't you have some kind of feedback of your own?

Of the novels by Christopher Moore that I have read to date, this is undoubtedly his strongest work. And it's definitely irreverent (like I said, he wrote...more

8 likes · like · see review

Jun 07, 2007 Punk rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: good-more-than-once

Lamb chronicles Christ's missing years, from childhood to age 33. Here he's known as Joshua (from the Hebrew Yeshua), and the book is told from the point of view of Biff, Joshua's best friend, which has the distinction of making this novel read a lot like a buddy film. Biff loves Joshua and would do anything for him, and that's a good story no matter who you are.

Moore is his usual irreverent self, but most of that is spent on Biff rather than Joshua. Perhaps the most profane thing he does in thi...more

4 likes · like · see review

Dec 29, 2010 Catie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010, humor

This book was a lot of good fun. I think that this would appeal to Christians and non-Christians alike. It does help to have some knowledge of Christian history though. This is the hilarious missing "gospel" of Levi "Biff," who is Jesus' closest friend throughout his life. This book also fictionally fills in the missing years of Jesus age 6 - 30. We get to follow the friends as they travel through Asia and India, seeking knowledge and enlightenment. Biff views the world a lot like one of us migh...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 12, 2007 Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone

Shelves: fiction, wits-and-fools, 21st-century

I read this in high school, so take the maturity of my opinion for what you will, but I thought it was absolutely hilarious at the time. Yes, some of the humor is rather juvenile and that kind of made it even better back then. I remember there was also a sweet pathos to it, despite the fact that it is so clearly set up to be a ridiculous, satirical, farce of a novel. It will suddenly hit you with a serious point, or show you the darker side. Then move right back into the hilarity. Sometimes it h...more

7 likes · like · see review

Aug 13, 2008 Hayley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

4 likes · like · see review

Dec 31, 2008 Amy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Amy by: Kristi

Shelves: read-in-2008

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 03, 2009 Dana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: stories-adult

I found this review...it pretty much sums it up for me. I don't really feel like writing a review right now, but I want to remember this book later.

Review from Amazon.com

"Finding some real theology in a bawdy sarcastic laff-riot parody of a gospel is like finding either real butter or a dead frog in your movie popcorn, depending on your own religious perspective. It is a wonderful addition for some, a cause for disgust in others, and a complete surprise to everybody.

Christopher Moore's story cla...more I found this review...it pretty much sums it up for me. I don't really feel like writing a review right now, but I want to remember this book later.

Review from Amazon.com

"Finding some real theology in a bawdy sarcastic laff-riot parody of a gospel is like finding either real butter or a dead frog in your movie popcorn, depending on your own religious perspective. It is a wonderful addition for some, a cause for disgust in others, and a complete surprise to everybody.

Christopher Moore's story claims to be a new Gospel written by one Levi, known as "Biff," who was Jesus' best friend from childhood. A blond, air-headed angel (somehow I see Owen Wilson in the movie) has resurrected him and ensconced him in the Hyatt-Regency Saint Louis to write a new Gospel (while the Angel becomes addicted to soap operas). Biff writes a wacky, profane story about how Jesus, accompanied by Biff, grew from a kind of pipsqueak six-year-old to become truly the Messiah-with special emphasis on the years between childhood and the beginning of his ministry, during which Moore asserts that Jesus and Biff sought out the three Magi. On the road (like a Biblical Bob Hope and Bing Crosby), they spend years in a magical Confucian stronghold carved into a mountain (populated by lusty whipsmart concubines with martial arts skills straight out of a Tarentino movie), as well as in a Tibet-like Buddhist monastery (where Biff learns to move like lightning and Jesus becomes a bodhisattva), and finally visiting India. In the process Jesus becomes the Messiah and Biff....well, Biff becomes the inventor of sarcasm.

Now, as to the butter-vs-frogs analogy: I'm a religious liberal, and to me Moore's book is real farce. It's the funniest book I've ever read, and parts of it are so funny they will have many people actually gasping for air from laughter (and Jesus' attempt to dictate the Beatitudes to Biff is the single funniest passage of the funniest book). So for me this book is real butter on my popcorn.

Moreover, because Moore is grappling with a genuine theological puzzle - how Jesus could be fully man and fully god at the same time - even believing Christians who can read the book at armslength will find something interesting. Theologically, the "fully man" part has always been hard to appreciate, since part of what makes us human (lust, say, or incomprehension, or even, I'm amazed to say, flatulence) seems to be entirely outside Jesus' historical existence. Moore's take on Jesus was that he had to learn (as all true humans must do) how to grow into his calling, yet the premise of the book is, indisputably, that Jesus WAS the Messiah. So behind the laughter Moore is, in his way, trying to suggest one possible solution to this very old theological problem.

But to a final group - those who are offended by a humorous approach to their faith - you folks will just hate this. Honest, you'll be deeply offended. If you see someone reading "Lamb," and rolling on the floor, just stay clear. For you this is popcorn with a dead frog in it.

Everybody else, please read this!"(less)

5 likes · like · see review

Feb 24, 2008 Ginny rated it 4 of 5 stars

I hope Jesus was at least a little bit like the character portraying him in "Lamb." While the intentional historical inaccuracies show him studying Eastern philosophy and kung fu, it does seem probable and desirable that Jesus would have spent time learning as much as he could about the world and its people. It's also believable that he would have had friends and contemplated an adolescent desire for female companionship. What is not believable is that his friend would have been named Biff (it t...more I hope Jesus was at least a little bit like the character portraying him in "Lamb." While the intentional historical inaccuracies show him studying Eastern philosophy and kung fu, it does seem probable and desirable that Jesus would have spent time learning as much as he could about the world and its people. It's also believable that he would have had friends and contemplated an adolescent desire for female companionship. What is not believable is that his friend would have been named Biff (it took me a while to not think of "Back to the Future" every time his name was mentioned) or that he would have been so curious about sex that he would have encouraged Biff to fornicate and recount the details.

I enjoyed this book most when Joshua (Jesus) and Biff were very close. As the book neared the end, the details seemed rushed. The reader was distanced from Joshua until his execution, which was a well-written scene that almost brought a tear to my eye. However, what followed was quite obviously a formulaic excuse for why Biff was omitted from the existing gospels. Granted, the author tried to make up for it with a bit of a twist at the end (which was foreshadowed much too early in the book -- you thought the author was never going to get back to it, and actually never completely explained it). Biff is called to write his gospel in modern-day America, and he speaks to the reader frequently at the beginning of the book, but when his side notes wane you actually start to miss him. The epilogue that resolves modern-day Biff's dilemma is quick and forced, and leaves the reader less emotionally connected than he would like to be.

Those gripes aside, this book was quite an entertaining read, and I found myself laughing out loud and, at times, fully in suspense (the encounter with the demon was great, if a bit wordy). The author's mix of thorough research and silly humor was fairly balanced, although I got tired of the "I invented sarcasm" bit. OK maybe a little more griping -- I wish the character of Mary (Jesus' mother) had been more fully developed, and that I had been able to feel more of her pain upon Joshua's death. I realize her scope was limited by the narrator's viewpoint, but it would have been nice to hear more about her than how beautiful she was. I do also feel compelled to mention that the author has a slight penchant for rambling -- most often while trying to describe the physical setting, which I sometimes had trouble picturing in my head. So he tried really hard, but didn't always succeed.

However, I did give this book four stars for good reason. I did really like it. I enjoyed the subject matter, and I thought it was treated with nothing but respect by the author. I probably would've given the book five stars if he had just left out some of the truly inconceivable events. A yeti? Come on, now. (less)

4 likes · like · see review

Jul 15, 2007 Sean Montgomery rated it 4 of 5 stars

I feel like I might have been able to appreciate this book a little bit more if I had been more familiar with the more traditional gospels of Jesus Christ -- the Matthew, Mark, Luke and John variety. Then again, if I had been, I feel like I might have been more offended by the notion of Jesus learning kung fu or having his childhood friend give him the play-by-play of a prostitutional encounter, so maybe it worked out for the best.

Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Christopher Moore,...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jun 29, 2007 Eli rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: novels

Lamb is a funny book in the slapstick, irreverent tradition of Douglas Adams and Tom Robbins, and a really thought provoking look at what shaped the thoughts of Jesus in the years before his ministry. It's an interesting combination, and Moore pulls off the balance between slapstick and reverence with a delicate touch. Ultimately, though, I found myself wishing for more of the thought provoking stuff and less of the adolescent giggles.

This was particularly true for me in terms of sex in the boo...more

5 likes · like · see review

Jun 12, 2007 Tom Leary rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone interested in a funny explanation and some context to Christ's life

This is one great book, just freaking hilarious while also being pretty useful to me.

Lamb gives me context where I hadn’t completely understood before.

Christopher tells the story of Christ from birth. While he talks about his life after he comes out and begins preaching openly, he focus much more on Christ’s formative years, everything from an interest in sin to learning the ways of the Buddha.

This is, of course, a complete work of fiction. Everything is made of from the author’s mind. While he...more

2 likes · like · see review

May 15, 2012 Bettie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: spring-2012, tbr-busting-2012, too-sexy-for-maiden-aunts, washyourmouthout-language, amusing, fantasy

LAMB

religion> jew> christian
amusing
spring
fantasy
demons
a yeti moment
tbr
fraudio
too sexy for maiden aunts
wash your mouth out language
overlords> roman
Chinese philosophy> buddhism

Narrator Fisher Stevens

Everyone seems to be reading one Christopher Moore or another at the moment and seeing as I have a few in the larder, thought this one looked good as a starter.

Shave the Yak!

With no past there is no guilt, with no future there is no dread, all there is, is now.

Enjoyable enough however th...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 18, 2007 Joanne rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people who want a good laugh

This is my first Christopher Moore book and if time allows, not the last. I really enjoyed it, however it took me an astonishingly long time to get through it considering how easy a read it is.

Well, I have two words to sum this book up: Outrageously hilarious. It was laugh out loud on the metro funny. I love how Moore filled in the 20 or so years of Jesus' life that the world is ignorant of with Jesus exploring the ancient religions of the world with his best friend Biff. I feel like Biff embod...more

5 likes · like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
This I have GOT to read!	102	555	May 18, 2013 08:18am
Apocalypse Whenever: Lamb $1.99	2	19	Apr 13, 2013 05:52pm

combine
Other Editions (41)

More editions...

Genres

Humor

1,130 users

Historical Fiction

342 users

Religion

307 users

Fantasy

299 users

Humor > Comedy

242 users

Book Club

209 users

Adult

69 users

Novels

64 users

Adult Fiction

62 users

Contemporary

41 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Christopher Moore

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Christopher Moore (born 1957 in Toledo, Ohio) is an American writer of absurdist fiction. He grew up in Mansfield, OH, and attended Ohio State University and Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, CA.

Moore's novels typically involve conflicted everyman characters...more

More about Christopher Moore...

Books by Christopher Moore

The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Lamb: The Gospel ...

27 trivia questions

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from Lamb: The Gospel Accor...

“Nobody's perfect. Well, there was this one guy, but we killed him....” — 634 people liked it

“Children see magic because they look for it.” — 435 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
avg rating	preview: Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal Goodreads rating: 4.28 (69668 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28881.Lamb?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1331419009l/28881.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28881.Lamb?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore[/url]

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website