Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal (Paperback) by Christopher Moore

rating	frequency	%
5		52%
4		31%
3		12%
2		2%
1		1%

topics	posts	views	last activity
The Next Best Boo...: What are you reading?	13080	11053	52 minutes ago
The Rory Gilmore ...: What else are you currently reading?	693	2760	1 hour, 37 min ago
College Students! : What Did You Finish Reading/What Are You Currently Reading?	1072	1393	1 hour, 50 min ago

02/28/09

... rated it:

Read in March, 2009

This is what would happen if Jay Leno was given a pretty good premise for a book, did some research on the early Jesus movement, sketched out a narrative arc, shat out some jokes with his untalented staff, had it ghost-written by a competent graduate from an MFA program where it then becomes a NYT best-seller, is optioned to be made into a movie by Ivan Reitman, who hires the same guys who wrote “Kindergarten Cop” to adapt the screenplay, Adam Sandler is signed on to play Biff, Shia Lebeouf ...more This is what would happen if Jay Leno was given a pretty good premise for a book, did some research on the early Jesus movement, sketched out a narrative arc, shat out some jokes with his untalented staff, had it ghost-written by a competent graduate from an MFA program where it then becomes a NYT best-seller, is optioned to be made into a movie by Ivan Reitman, who hires the same guys who wrote “Kindergarten Cop” to adapt the screenplay, Adam Sandler is signed on to play Biff, Shia Lebeouf plays Joshua, it scores #3 at the box office after the first week’s release (right behind the new comic-book remake of [insert fav here:] and the new Jennifer Anniston vehicle where she plays the not-quite-past-her-prime love interest of the Wilson brother without the jacked nose (this time) and they are brought together through the mutual love of a pesky little house-marmot), you watch the Sandler movie because you do not want to see another comic book ruined by Ben Afflect and your girlfriend hates that little rat-faced Jen Anniston, and the only thing that makes the movie halfway entertaining is the group of young black women in the row behind you yelling stuff at the screen like… “watch out bitch! They gonna nail you to the cross!”

…this book is like that. It gets two stars for having someone to make fun of it with me.

And on a completely unrelated note, I thought I would share something else, in order to give a comprehensive review of my experience with this Lamb. One night I dosed off while reading this book and I had a dream. Normally I do not like to be the guy that tells everyone his dreams, but I think this has some validity here. I had a dream about Neil Young. Not old, used up Neil Young, but young Neil Young -- post CSNY. The dream had the look of an old-school rockumentary shot in black and white on 35mm. But. The thing was…Neil Young was rocking out with his cock out. Naked as the day he was born, with all these close-ups and freeze frames of his peen. Only, it was not his peen, it was my peen. It was my peen on Neil Young’s body while he was playing “Stringman.” Don’t ask me how I know it was my peen. I just do. And I wish I was making this up. It was devastating.

Now I am not saying that this book made me dream about a now-aged, yet totally still cool, faux southern rocker brandishing what is, at worst, a life-like reproduction of my very own donger all over the stage, because that would be libelous (but totally true). And I am not saying that you will have the same exact dream should you try to read this book, because that would be crazy and irresponsible (but still totally true). I am just saying…seeing your genitalia portrayed in that manner is an unhealthy literary experience I would not wish on my worst enemy.

But I am still going to give it two stars, because the dream may have turned me on a little.

And. If you think “Family Guy” is funny, then you will like this book.

(less)

Like this review? yes (21 people liked it)

8 comments

01/31/08

Chris rated it:

bookshelves: fantasy, humor, top-shelf

Read in October, 2006

Knowing my friends, I don't see any reason why I should have to put a caution into this, but here it is: if you're not open to the reinterpretation of the life of Jesus, speculation on the gaps in the gospels and the possibility of pan-religious values, then you should probably not read this book. Nor should you really be using the internet - there's just too much nasty "Free Thinking" out there.
Okay, that'll weed out the wusses.

Each time I read this, I love it more. ...more

Like this review? yes (14 people liked it)

add a comment

11/02/07

Shannon rated it:

bookshelves: 2008, historical-fiction, humour, religious

Read in March, 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 ...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)

Like this review? yes (11 people liked it)

4 comments

08/30/07

Aaron rated it:

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 wa...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)

Like this review? yes (9 people liked it)

2 comments

10/21/07

Amy rated it:

bookshelves: favorites

Read in January, 2005

i was a little nervous before starting this, since i fall into the "religious" category. (being a youth minister and all!) but i couldn't put it down. the narrative was great & i could tell by reading it that Moore had definitely done his homework--from Christian, Jewish and social/historical standpoints. it wasn't at all derogatory or insulting to Christians, as far as i'm concerned. Biff's the one that kept messing up, not Joshua.

what a neat idea for Christ to have a loya...more i was a little nervous before starting this, since i fall into the "religious" category. (being a youth minister and all!) but i couldn't put it down. the narrative was great & i could tell by reading it that Moore had definitely done his homework--from Christian, Jewish and social/historical standpoints. it wasn't at all derogatory or insulting to Christians, as far as i'm concerned. Biff's the one that kept messing up, not Joshua.

what a neat idea for Christ to have a loyal friend to bring him down to earth, and even unknowingly help him realize more about his mission! the two opposites played off each other fantastically. also thought it was pretty cool that they studied some of the Eastern religions too; makes sense that the Son of God for all people would learn from a variety of religions. liked how Moore linked them all together and then explained all the history in the Afterword. The band of Apostles was great too--the description probably wasn't as far off as we might think!

i agree with melydia; however crude, dishonest and/or skanky Biff was, Joshua was exactly the opposite and stayed true to the character of who Christ was & what he was about. from Biff's blunders, Joshua brings good. although through most of the last part my lip was curling and i was half expecting to hate the book by the time i finished it, the story stayed true to both Joshua & Biff's characters and i actually liked the ending. (not the epilogue though--weird!)

i might have even recommended it to my youth group if it wasn't for all the, er, gratuitious fornication. i thought some of that harlot business was really unnecessary. but i laughed my head off and the action was great, and through most of it i couldn't help thinking--smite me now--that it would make a great movie.

the copy i read was a bookring started through bookcrossing.com. it began in british columbia, canada, and went through arizona and virginia before coming to me. i sent it back to virginia and the ring continued, although the ring has stopped since and the book is MIA.(less)

Like this review? yes (9 people liked it)

1 comment

02/16/08

Kristen rated it:

Read in January, 2008

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" ab...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)

Like this review? yes (5 people liked it)

3 comments

02/23/07

smalls rated it:

Read in December, 2006

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 creativ...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)

Like this review? yes (5 people liked it)

4 comments

04/16/09

Patrick Gibson rated it:

bookshelves: humorous

Read in April, 2009

recommends it for: people who don't take it all seriously

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 ...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)

Like this review? yes (7 people liked it)

2 comments

09/17/07

Tara rated it:

bookshelves: loved-it, mybookclub

Read in November, 2008

recommends it for: Those who are not offended easily

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.
...more

Like this review? yes (4 people liked it)

10 comments

09/02/07

brian tanabe rated it:

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 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 who...more

Like this review? yes (4 people liked it)

53 comments

12/01/08

Jesse rated it:

(review of isbn 0380978407)

Read in December, 2008

This is my second Moore novel,the first being A Dirty Job; Lamb, in my opinion, is the better book. Moore takes on the life of Christ, a sensitive topic to be sure. The manner in which he approaches his subject matter is of irreverent fascination. The result is an achingly funny account of Joshua (Jesus)told by his best friend, Biff. If you cannot stomach humour in a Christ story, then stay away; stay far away. But I'll add, as Moore states, if something like this causes a shaking of your f...more

Like this review? yes (3 people liked it)

1 comment

01/06/08

Chris rated it:

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 g...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)

Like this review? yes (3 people liked it)

1 comment

06/27/07

Rob rated it:

bookshelves: missing

Read in December, 2005

recommends it for: recovering Catholics (especially recovering Catholics)

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 defin...more

Like this review? yes (3 people liked it)

4 comments

08/13/08

Hayley rated it:

bookshelves: fantasy

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

Like this review? yes (3 people liked it)

1 comment

06/17/08

Amy rated it:

bookshelves: read-in-2008

Read in December, 2008

recommended to Amy by: Kristi

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

Like this review? yes (2 people liked it)

1 comment

03/27/08

Dana rated it:

bookshelves: own-it, partially-read

Has a copy to sell/swap — Read in March, 2009

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 ever...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)

Like this review? yes (3 people liked it)

add a comment

02/24/08

Ginny rated it:

Read in March, 2008

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 ...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)

Like this review? yes (2 people liked it)

add a comment

07/12/07

Sean Montgomery rated it:

Read in July, 2007

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 Christ...more

Like this review? yes (2 people liked it)

add a comment

06/29/07

Eli rated it:

bookshelves: novels

Read in August, 2006

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 se...more

Like this review? yes (2 people liked it)

add a comment

06/07/07

Punk rated it:

bookshelves: good-more-than-once

Read in June, 2003

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...more