Camino A Cana: El Mesias = Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana

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Camino A Cana: El Mesias = Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana (Christ the Lord #2)

by Anne Rice

3.76 · rating details · 2,229 ratings · 373 reviews

Los rumores en relación al milagro de la Anunciación a la Virgen María y el nacimiento de Jesucristo rodeado de valiosas ofrendas de los Reyes Magos, circulan como una leyenda frecuentemente comentada en Nazareth. Jeshua bar Joseph (Jesucristo) es apodado por muchos como El no pecador, sin embargo nadie puede confirmar que posea un don especial. Requerido por muchos, e inc...more

Hardcover, 281 pages

Published November 19th 2008 by Ediciones B (first published November 1st 2005)

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Dec 27, 2008

Ruth rated it

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The Road to Cana is a novel and does not pretend to be otherwise. It is the story of about a year in Jesus' life, and ends at the wedding at Cana.

Some of the characters are known from scripture; others are creations of Ms. Rice. Jesus is portrayed as being a somewhat strange, but very loving member of a large extended family. James is named as his brother, but it is noted that he was Joseph's son by his first wife, not by Mary. Further the book, which is written in the first person a...moreThe Road to Cana is a novel and does not pretend to be otherwise. It is the story of about a year in Jesus' life, and ends at the wedding at Cana.

Some of the characters are known from scripture; others are creations of Ms. Rice. Jesus is portrayed as being a somewhat strange, but very loving member of a large extended family. James is named as his brother, but it is noted that he was Joseph's son by his first wife, not by Mary. Further the book, which is written in the first person and told from Jesus' point of view, describes his kinship relationship to several people and then notes "they are my sisters and my brothers". A main character in the book is the bride at the wedding at Cana--Jesus loves her but realizes that marrying her is not his vocation.

Throughout the book Jesus speaks of feeling like something was just beyond where he was. Finally, after his baptism, when He is in the desert, the book says "The dawn came. And the dawn came again, and again. I lay in a heap as the sand blew over me. And the voice of the Lord was not in the wind; and it was not in the sand; and itw as not in the sun; and it was not in the stars. It was inside me. I'd always known who I really was. I was God. And I'd chosen not to know it. Well, now I knew just what it meant to be the man who knew he was God." Next, Rice does a great job of fleshing out the story of the three temptations in the desert.

I think a very real temptation in writing a novel about Jesus is to make Him in your image; rather than to allow Him to remake you in His. However, I think Rice does a good job of expanding on the Biblical Christ rather than remaking Him. The scene between Mary and Him at the wedding was almost funny. He didn't want to "go public" but she knew it was time.

If anyone is hesitant about reading this book because of the content of Ms. Rice's vampire books (or some others I'll not mention)I have read that at the the time she wrote the vampire books, she was an atheist and/or agnostic. Since that time she has reverted to her Catholic faith and written these two books about Jesus. Her latest book is about her reversion, and it is on my to be read list.
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Jun 16, 2008

Clif Hostetler rated it

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Shelves: religion, novel

This is a first person autobiographic narrative by the person known to history as Jesus of Nazareth. This book covers the period of time of several months leading into the beginning of his ministry. Since it is a novel it can cover a lot of details that are left out of the Gospel accounts. Thus this book can describe many details of events that are not covered in the New Testament. For example, this book explains how the valuable gifts brought by the wise men at the time of Jesus' birth ende...more

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Jun 09, 2008

Cindy rated it

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I would NEVER in a million years have predicted that I would even read this book - much less like it. I've picked up a couple of Anne Rice novels in the past and simply couldn't get into them. This, of course, was back in her "vampire" days, and that topic never has really turned me on. I even tried as a child to like Dark Shadows, but it just didn't work for me.

A couple of months ago, though, I heard a review of this book on NPR. I vaguely recalled that Rice had had ...moreI would NEVER in a million years have predicted that I would even read this book - much less like it. I've picked up a couple of Anne Rice novels in the past and simply couldn't get into them. This, of course, was back in her "vampire" days, and that topic never has really turned me on. I even tried as a child to like Dark Shadows, but it just didn't work for me.

A couple of months ago, though, I heard a review of this book on NPR. I vaguely recalled that Rice had had some sort of conversion experience, but I was somewhat skeptical and hadn't given it much thought time. The reviewer, however, caused my ears to perk up. My curiosity was amply piqued, and I began to think I might like to give dear old Anne one more chance. I wouldn't risk buying it, but I'd certainly check it out from the public library.

The reviewer's comment that provided the impetus for my change of heart was (and I'm paraphrasing - so apologies to the reviewer) that many writers of religious fiction attempt to tap into the "human" side of Jesus, and thus diminish the "divine." Conversely, others attempt to protect the "divine" aspects of Christ, and are never able to help the reader realize him as "human." Rice somehow manages to tap into both sides of Jesus' character, without diminishing either side in any way. He was right. I'm not sure how she did it - but it is a testament to both her long touted brilliance as a writer, as well as the depth of her conversion experience. Jesus is portrayed during that time of which we know little of his life - just before he started his ministry - as a man with emotions, needs, humor, daily concerns, questions. He is approachable and someone to whom you can relate. Yet one never questions the divinity that lurks beneath the surface. And the fact that we vividly witness him experiencing all that we in our humanity experience, makes it all the more plausible that he truly can (as divine) empathize, not just pity us in, our joys and pains.

It's a quick read, and she's done her history research, so the historical fabric that weaves it all together adds a further measure realism to the story. Biblical scholars may shun the fact that a few miracles appear "out of order" - and some Marianites will appreciate the Mary's virginity remains intact. But as historical/biblical novels go, she really makes it work. I may read the first of the series, AND I may actually go out and buy my own copy . . .(less)

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Mar 24, 2008

Jason added it · review of another edition

Anyone audacious enough to attempt to write a narrative version of the life of Christ is bound to get themselves into hot water. Anne Rice, of "Vampire Chonricles" fame is certainly no exception. When word broke that her goal was to write the life of Christ before her death, I'm sure that some diehard fans of her series were hoping for a New Agey, controversial, latter day "Last Temptation of Christ", replete with Jesus and Mary Magdalene sex scenes, and the proverbial Pie in...moreAnyone audacious enough to attempt to write a narrative version of the life of Christ is bound to get themselves into hot water. Anne Rice, of "Vampire Chonricles" fame is certainly no exception. When word broke that her goal was to write the life of Christ before her death, I'm sure that some diehard fans of her series were hoping for a New Agey, controversial, latter day "Last Temptation of Christ", replete with Jesus and Mary Magdalene sex scenes, and the proverbial Pie in the Face to traditionalists. Well, no such luck here, as Rice has experienced a conversion experience, and the former self professed atheist (or perhaps agnostic?) has returned to the Catholic Church of her youth. Likely some of her longtime readers feel betrayed or that she's simply gone nuts. But it is what it is, and fans seem to forget that the writer doesn't really owe us anything, that no one ever forced them to pay for her books in the first place, and that if it bothers you, hey, it's a free country, so just walk away.

All that being said, Rice's sophmore effort in "Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana" picks up several years after the first installment, subtitled "Our of Egypt" ended, just before the beginnin of Christ's public ministry.

I didn't enjoy this book as much as I did the first, perhaps in part because I expected the first one to be no good, frankly, and was pleasantly surprised.

One of the problems with this book (and mind, you I did enjoy it) is that unlike the first book, which was mostly the invention of the author, this book starts depicting those New Testament stories that we all know so well, and delves into Christ's mind as an adult.

Believers and non-believers alike have some idea in their head as to who and what Christ was, how he must have felt and what he must have thought in certain situations. What those people need to remember when reading a book like this is that it's not meant to be a theological treatise, but rather one author's interpretation and depiction of those stories. No doubt some purists and fundamentalists will get their vestments in a bunch because Rice does "change" a couple of things, but nothing I would stone anyone over. But any of those changes serve the story she is trying to tell and not rewrite doctrines.

The story seems to concentrate a lot on the town of Nazareth itself at first, depicting it's citizens as backward, bloodthirsty and judgemental, likely paving the way for Christ's message of "judge not, lest ye be judged" in future books. The book opens with the stoning deaths of two little boys accused of "abomination" (use your imagination) and introduces the character of Abigail, a kinswoman of Christ's family who is also shamed and disgraced by equally ignorant "mob mentality" rashness. Jesus takes it on himself to save this girl from the town by arrainging a marraige for her ... and we soon realize that she must be the bridge at the famous wedding of Cana.

Rice's Jesus is well written, human and divine enough for most believers. A traditionalist herself, Rice doesn't have Jesus experimenting with his sexuality as a young man but doesn't shy away from it either.

In this book we meet John the Baptist, see the tempting by Satan in the desert, and culminate with the beginning of Christ's public life.

The one criticism of the book I would have is the subtle transformation of Jesus from Jesus the Carpenter of Nazareth to Jesus the Messiah. One day, he doesn't know what the future holds for him, but knows it's special, to the next moment, he can read minds and seems to have the "mind of God". There wasn't a singular moment of revelation and this transformation happens virtually "off camera" for the reader, even though we never leave Christ, who's our narrator.

All in all, this is a good book and I will definitely read the next installments, of which I would assume there would be only one but she could probably squeeze two out of them, if she wanted to. She averts the boredom of merely rereading rehashed bible stories by integrating interesting, real characters and filling the gaps left by biblical narratives with interesting and fascinating theories. (less)

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Mar 29, 2008

Graham rated it

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Shelves: novels, religion

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Jul 10, 2008

Julia rated it

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I would describe Christ The Lord, The Road To Cana by Anne
Rice as a drama, beautifully written, narrated in the first person by Jesus Of Nazareth whom is called at this biblcal
time Yeshua bar Joseph.
Yeshua(Jesus)draws you into the events of his life
articulating his final year before and afer his life changing Baptism at the Jordan,a face-off with Satan,and a stunning description of The Wedding at Cana.
In conversational prose Yeshua depicts his life amongs...more

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Nov 07, 2011

Zeek rated it

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Wow. Not only has she done her historical research, she’s done her Biblical research! (She put in a reference to the Sons of Zadok for crying out loud, most people have no clue who they are! AND she used them accurately!)

Cynical beast that I am, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I had hope. She didn’t disappoint. I can’t help but wonder what some of her old Le Stat fans will think, because this is a purely Christian novel.

She writes the story in first person from Jesus’s ...more

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Feb 03, 2010

Sam rated it

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I was surprised when I saw this book on the shelves of my local library. Surely this couldn't be the same Anne Rice that wrote the Vampire Chronicles, I thought. But a look at the photo and the blurb on the dust jacket told me that it was indeed her and I just had to read it. It was fascinating. She is known for the great depth of character she brought to the vampires she wrote about - in fact to all her characters no matter who or what she's writing about. In this book, she has applied style to...more

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Jul 15, 2009

Dad rated it

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This is a sequel to Christ the Lord Ourt of Egypt and covers the time Christ is about 31 to the time of the miracle at the Marriage of Cana.

The family is back in Nazarath and Jesus is being hassled by friends and family about not being married. In fact, he dreams of marrying a beautiful cousin and struggles with this - knowing this is not his destiny yet he struggles with his feelings for her. The concept here is that as both God and man he has the obvious characteristics of a ...more

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Apr 15, 2009

htanzil rated it

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Tidak seorangpun mampu menuliskan biografi lengkap tentang Yesus. Kita tidak memiliki catatan sejarah tentang tiga puluh tahun pertama kehidupan-Nya. Banyak orang beranggapan bahwa keempat kitab Injil (Matius, Markus, Lukas, Yohanes) memberikan biografi komplit tentang Yesus. Kenyataannya tidaklah demikian. Markus baru memulai kisah Yesus ketika Ia berumur tiga puluh tahun. Matius dan Lukas menambahkan kisah-kisah seputar kelahiran-Nya, dan berbagai pengajaran dari Yesus. Sama seperti kitab Mark...more

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Oct 02, 2009

Mark rated it

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I'm glad I read this book - giving a glimpse of a human Jesus and some of the sorts of issues and situations that could have arisen at those times. However, I must confess to being disappointed that it used only the most popular bible stories from selected gospels and did not take into account acknowleged biblical scholarship which has demonstrated where many stories either are a type of parable or have to be viewed in the context of Jewish custom at the time and the beliefs of the time.

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Aug 20, 2009

Ivy rated it

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Recommends it for: Anyone interested in Jesus of Nazareth.

"The Road to Cana" begins with a 30 year-old Jesus (Yeshua Bar Joseph) on the brink of beginning his ministry. He finds himself in the middle of a life and death conflict where two young men are about to be stoned, accused of committing unspeakable acts. The rabbi of Nazareth is present and attempts to mediate, but the angry mob calls for blood and will not listen to reason.

This conflict is linked to another family who have a struggle of their own. Abigail is a beautiful...more"The Road to Cana" begins with a 30 year-old Jesus (Yeshua Bar Joseph) on the brink of beginning his ministry. He finds himself in the middle of a life and death conflict where two young men are about to be stoned, accused of committing unspeakable acts. The rabbi of Nazareth is present and attempts to mediate, but the angry mob calls for blood and will not listen to reason.

This conflict is linked to another family who have a struggle of their own. Abigail is a beautiful young woman who should have been married long ago if it wasn't for her overbearing father, who believes that no one in Nazareth is good enough for his daughter. Abigail seeks the help of Jesus, but he struggles with his own feelings for Abigail and must bear the angry tirades of his older half-brother James who presses him to marry.

While all this is happening there is unrest in nearby Cana and many able-bodied men in Nazareth, and other surrounding villages, travel to let Pontius Pilate know that the Jews will not tolerate pagans statues in their holy cities. Their struggles do not come without reward, however, as Pilate bends to their will for fear of causing a civil war.

Anne Rice paints a very engaging story of the Jesus' life entertwined with the gospels. I approached this book with a little trepidation because it is often very difficult to write engaging stories about the holy figures (see my review of "Mary, Called Magdalene" by Margaret George)because so little is known of their background. Ms. Rice, however, displays her experience and gives us a powerful story. No longer are Jesus of Nazareth and Mary, His mother, just figures in the bible, but living, breathing, interesting individuals whom you would happily greet if they had been your neighbors. I especially loved how Mary is able to get Jesus to turn water into wine, even though he crossly tells her that his ministry has not yet begun. Her finesse, and subtle rank-pulling in good humor as she tells him not to forget the commandment of honoring your mother and father is to be marveled at. Her "O Messiah, do what your mother tells you" attitude had me laughing!

There were times when it seemed Ms. Rice did not know when to stop, as some of her passages seemed long-winded. The temptation of Jesus in the desert is one chapter I could have done without. I found myself not caring one whit what Satan said to Jesus. More interesting was how he drove the demons from Mary of Magdala after he came out of the desert and how her family tended to him when they saw his emaciated body and bedragled appearance after forty days of sparring with the devil.

A very interesting and engaging read.(less)

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May 20, 2010

Candis rated it

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I decided that I am officially an Anne Rice fan. Although I do not really get into the Twilight series, I did, many years ago, read Anne Rice's vampire books. Now I am reading her "Christ the Lord" books and have enjoyed both of them very much.
This one I read in about three days, and although much of the book is fiction, I feel the events and scenes are certainly realistic for the time period. I also feel a new or perhaps deeper love for Christ. Is this feeling simply lingering ...more

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Jul 20, 2011

Ellie rated it

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Shelves: read-fiction, read-nonfiction

(4 1/2 stars)
Oh my! What a wonderful surprise this book is! "Christian fiction" is a horrible label that usually implies some half-acted version of a fairytale in which no character is touchable, but this is not the case. The road to Cana is gritty, twisting and doesn't have a lot of signs along the way, as Anne Rice writes it. In this book, we meet a character who is coming-to-identity in much the same way as one comes of age: slowly, confusedly, passionately. Yeshua j...more (4 1/2 stars)
Oh my! What a wonderful surprise this book is! "Christian fiction" is a horrible label that usually implies some half-acted version of a fairytale in which no character is touchable, but this is not the case. The road to Cana is gritty, twisting and doesn't have a lot of signs along the way, as Anne Rice writes it. In this book, we meet a character who is coming-to-identity in much the same way as one comes of age: slowly, confusedly, passionately. Yeshua juggles sibling rivalry, romantic love and his future career, all while hearing the romantic and marvelous mysteries surrounding his birth.
As a Christian, I've never had a satisfactory imaginative experience of Christ. Ideologically and theologically, I have something substantial to wrap my hands around, but emotionally and imaginatively, I'm holding rags. Nothing in the flesh, nothing that brings to life those words, "tempted in every way, just as we are, yet He did not sin." That seems impossibly flat. Can it really be called "temptation" if it NEVER leads to sin? There are simply some weights that it seems useless to fight, and sometimes sin lays in wait, like a puddle that you step in unawares while you are minding the eye-level view. The gospels are also very hesitant to show us the emotions of Christ. How many times do we reference "Jesus wept" in order to pacify our desire to KNOW Him emotionally? Of the Heavenly Triune, Jesus has always been the least knowable for me: a distant God who sometimes displays great power, sometimes not - I can see that in the world around me. A Spirit that fills me up with determination that isn't my own? I can feel that. A fleshly God who is supposed to know life from my perspective and yet not react the way I do and not make the mistakes I make, who does everything perfectly? That sounds suspiciously like a cake that's too sweet. Don't get me wrong, I BELIEVE it, but believing and understanding are different things.
Enter The Road to Cana, in which Anne Rice swept all of those ironed-and-starched Christian images out of my head and gave me a picture of a man who truly reads like flesh and bone. A man who truly feels tempted. A man who truly is tried. A man who wrestles, waits and wonders; and a man who truly is God.(less)

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Nov 23, 2010

Louize rated it

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"I'd always known who I really was. I was God. And I'd chosen not to know it. Well, now I knew just what it meant to be the man who knew he was God."

I can’t seem to find the right words to describe my thoughts for this book. I am both inspired and saddened (to say the least), because regardless of how Ms. Rice fictionalized the story one thing was certain – the ending would be the same.

This story gives us a glimpse of Jesus’ humanity; a carpenter struggling on ho...more

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Apr 26, 2009

Purplycookie rated it

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Shelves: religious, book-series, biography-memoir, family-saga, historical-fiction

"I'd always known who I really was. I was God. And I'd chosen not to know it. Well, now I knew just what it meant to be the man who knew he was God."

As the novel opens, Yeshua (Jesus) struggles with a sense of restlessness of purpose and a deep love for a comely kinswoman. Waves of isolation sweep over him as he comes to understand that serving the Lord's will takes precedence over the desires of his own heart. Whereas the first novel in this series, "Christ the Lord:...more

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Mar 27, 2008

Karen rated it

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Anne Rice's Christ the Lord books are the best thing she has ever done. What drew me to Christianity was not necessarily the divine Christ but Christ the man. These books paint a wonderful picture of Jesus as a child and during the time leading up to the start of his ministry. When I think of Jesus as human, this comes close to how I picture Him.

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Mar 24, 2011

Ben Chenoweth rated it

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This is another fascinating book. While it is still obviously a work of fiction, the author has done a great job in firstly researching the historic and cultural background, and secondly in harmonising John's gospel with the Synoptics. I found her portrayal of Jesus as both human and divine convincing and moving. (Again, the use of the first person was bold, but really worked well.) The conclusion was quite powerful - I wanted to be at that wedding! And to see the pull towards being the typ...more

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Dec 23, 2010

Nichelle rated it

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I enjoyed this, the second of the Christ the Lord series more than the first, Out of Egypt. Rice has always shown great attention to detail, thoroughly researching for historical accuracy. She reconciles the conflicting ideas of Jesus as human and Jesus as divine in a way that few authors or filmmakers or artists have been able to capture. This tale, depicting Jesus in the months leading up to his baptism by John and his 40 days in the wilderness, shows the internal drama of one who is sinless b...more

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Feb 20, 2009

Sara rated it

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Shelves: religion, fiction

I just loved this book. She takes such difficult subject matter (really ballsy of her to do in my opinion!) and does an excellent job of making Jesus completely approachable in the fully human part of his manifestation. I believed his pain, his joy, and his desires, and in no way did any of those seem to detract from his holiness...and yet, she balanced all that without anything that seemed to bang you over the head with how holy and good Jesus was. I think it's quite a skill to write in such a ...more

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Feb 26, 2008

Monica rated it

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A long time ago I went through Rice's Vampire chronicles and Mayfair witch books and was entertained. This book, however, moved me . Like her earlier works, it's as if she tapped into the truth of a myth but this time via subtlety. I love her interpretation of Christ's youth and her portrait of Josepth.

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Oct 19, 2010

K.D. rated it

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Shelves: religion, retelling, gift-book

Changing anything on The Holy Scriptures is a risky move for any novelist. No matter whether that novelist is known to be great or mediocre, some people would not want their deep-seated belief to be rock by just any mortal author. Some people are curious but they almost always resist literary pieces that would challenge whatever is already written in The Holy Bible. After all, that book has been with us for thousand years, scrutinized by many scholars, translated into many languages and being h...moreChanging anything on The Holy Scriptures is a risky move for any novelist. No matter whether that novelist is known to be great or mediocre, some people would not want their deep-seated belief to be rock by just any mortal author. Some people are curious but they almost always resist literary pieces that would challenge whatever is already written in The Holy Bible. After all, that book has been with us for thousand years, scrutinized by many scholars, translated into many languages and being held sacred by one-third of the world's population (1.5 to 2.2 billion).

Last month, I read Anne Rice's Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt. I found the characters and events that she incorporated into the fictional stage in Jesus life as a child fascinating and charming. So, I was so happy when my friend Sherish gave me this audiobook of its sequel, Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana because I wanted to know what other stuff would Rice risk to incorporate into the life of Jesus in addition to those already captured in The Holy Bible.

If Book 1 is about the child Jesus at the age of 8, this Book 2 is about the teen Jesus up to the time when he was tempted by the devil and the miracle of wine in Cana. The fictional characters in Book 1 are still here: James, the paternal half-brother of Jesus, Salome his cousin, Cleopas, his uncle, etc. But the ones played key role is Avigail the 15-y/o teenager that James would want Jesus to marry and Jason who is Jesus competition to Avigail's heart. It seems that during Jesus time, all men should marry as only the cripple and the lunatic are the ones that could or should end up as bachelor. There are many subplots like the stoning of two boys that were suspected to be homosexuals and their significance was only revealed during the 40-day temptation scene in desert. That scene is mentioned in The Holy Bible. Rice just beautifully expounded the dialogues that sounded like a Nicholas Sparks's or Hallmark card's lines. That portion is the one that I liked and made me give 3 stars ("I like it!") rating for this audiobook.

Of course, the voice of the narrator is a joy to hear especially if you are driving in the highway outside the flooded street and rainwater splashing and pouring everywhere. Last night, I was in EDSA stuck in the traffic below the flyover in front of the statue of Mother Mary. The big buses atop the flyover were splashing tons of water on my car roof and I was listening to the temptation in the desert. The dialogues just calmed me down and I just ignored the water and the heavy rain as I know the Good Lord will be there to protect me.

I guess that if a book doesn't blaspheme or distort The Holy Bible by adding or changing what is already written, then that book is okay. If that book's intent is to heighten one's belief then it is a must-to-read book. With the temptations around that could weaken our faith, we also need to strengthen it by reading something that will bring us back to God's fold or maybe just to erase our worries when faced with fear be it just because of a storm in the middle of the street in one dark starless night.

God bless you my friend, Sherish!

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Feb 16, 2011

Tracey rated it

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I'm a huge Anne Rice fan and simply must read any new book she publishes. This series however couldn't be further from the Vampire Chronicles or the Mayfair Witch stories.

Rice has meticulously researched the life of Christ, and this is the second in her series bringing to life Yeshua Bar Joseph. I found her first book in the series 'Christ the Lord Out of Egypt' difficult to get into, as it was quite heavy going. However I thoroughly enjoyed the second installation in the series, ...more

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Mar 31, 2009

Kyle rated it

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This story is marvelous. It took me a while to read, about four weeks, but I'm also reading several books at once too and working on my own as well.

Yeshua is fully human, but is also, quite divine. In The Road to Cana there is a wedding about to happen, Avigail is going to marry Reuben. There is a very interesting line running through this that I have always held in the back of my mind, that what if Jesus wanted to marry since he was fully human, but in the same token, divine. He lo...more

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Jan 24, 2010

Mark Moreland rated it

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I have long been interested in fictional accounts of Christ's internal conflict as he reconciled his divinity and humanity—aspects of his being which make all the more powerful the love of God he represents both in the literal and figurative sense. In the tradition of The Last Temptation of Christ, Anne Rice's Christ the Lord series examines Jesus through both a historical and spiritual lens. While I found Out of Egypt to be a difficult read, I was engrossed in The Road to Cana, and feel that it...more

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Apr 09, 2010

Erin rated it

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Shelves: christianity

Moving and poetic. This book wasn't exactly what I was expecting--I was thinking it would basically follow the path of the Gospels with Jesus doing his teachings. But Rice has broken down Jesus's story into much more manageable parts. This one focuses on that period where Jesus is with his family, knows he's The Christ, and yet doesn't quite know when his ministry is supposed to start until the end of the book. Rice made Jesus very human, and yet without sin. The way she wrote him, his fami...more

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Aug 17, 2008

Elaine rated it

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Recommends it for: anyone

If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would. Simple, elegant prose tells the start of Jesus' mission from His own point of view. Wonderful. It left me speechless and in tears. More than worthy follow-up to Out of Egypt.

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Jan 16, 2009

A.J. rated it

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Shelves: historical-fiction

When I was a freshman in college I remember reading about half of the first novel, Out of Egypt. I stopped reading it, but I don't recall there being anything particularly wrong with the novel. I guess I just wasn't that interested in the early childhood of Christ. Some people really want to know what those early years were like; me, the only question I ever cared to see dealt with in fictional form is when and how did Jesus come to understand who he was, and what was that moment or series of mo...moreWhen I was a freshman in college I remember reading about half of the first novel, Out of Egypt. I stopped reading it, but I don't recall there being anything particularly wrong with the novel. I guess I just wasn't that interested in the early childhood of Christ. Some people really want to know what those early years were like; me, the only question I ever cared to see dealt with in fictional form is when and how did Jesus come to understand who he was, and what was that moment or series of moments like? I picked this one up having never finished the first, but I had no trouble following along. This novel deals with Christ's life in the months leading up to his baptism by his cousin John, and ends shortly after the wedding at Cana where he turns water into wine.

When I found that this was a first person account through the eyes of Jesus, my reaction was mostly mild skepticism. I mean, it is a tad presumptuous. Whether or not you believe in Jesus as he exists in the gospels or not, that's the basic premise of the story, and the direct result is that the author is going to attempt to tell the story of the most complex figure in the history of literature, not through the eyes of his followers or family, but through the eyes of the Messiah himself. The Messiah who happens to be God. No small task, I assure you.

Yet somehow, some way, Anne Rice managed to pull a book out of that waiting trap. I believe she effectively sidestepped this issue by mainly having Jesus narrate the events surrounding him. His moments of personal reflection are infrequent, and the deep haunting paradox of being a man and God at once are kept vague as they should be. There is no way to understand this mystery; theologians have tried for centuries and come up with nothing. Rice keeps things simple, day to day activities, day to day struggles. Even the prose lacks fanfare. The story is more interpersonal than personal, and it avoids trying to simplify that which has confounded brilliant men for two thousand years.

That isn't to say that the work says nothing interesting about Christ, however. The main reason I found this book to be such a quick read is this very thing. Little details. Most people never realize what a disappointment Christ was to many of his contemporaries. He could argue the law brilliantly but didn't study at Temple. His culture expected him to marry, yet in his early thirties he had not taken a wife. Everyone and their dog thought he was a Warrior King sent to deliver his people from Roman bondage by force of arms. Instead he demands them to do insane things like "take up your cross and follow me," and "love your enemies; pray for those that persecute you." Rice taps into these pressures and avoids stereotype in the character.

Is this what Christ was really like? I don't know. Maybe. That's not important. What's important is that Rice's novel erects a world based in history with a character rooted in the traditions and beliefs of his culture, and the outworking of a vision where the world is made new in ways in which no one had dreamed. Christ's humanity is laid bare in this novel, and so at the very least it's interesting to see one person's take on his extraordinary life.

"Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and myself founded empires; but what foundation did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded an empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for Him." --Napoleon Bonaparte

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Mar 04, 2009

Jane rated it

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Covers Jesus' life as it might have been during his adult years while still with his family. Contains alot of historical insight about the life of a skilled carpenter living in Nazareth. Anne puts a Roman Catholic interpretation of who his brothers and sisters were...how they are related. His relationship to Avagail is pure fiction but explores the now popular thought that Jesus would have been tempted by and loved by a beautiful young girl. I have no doubt that he would have been highly attrac...more

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Dec 16, 2008

Patricia rated it

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Shelves: anne-rice-and-stephen-king

In this book, Anne tones down her usually flashy style. Her plain prose allows for a greater picture of Yeshua, the simple carpenter, instead of Christ, the grand Savior, and for that I am thankful.

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About Anne Rice

Anne Rice is a best-selling American author of gothic, supernatural, historical, erotica, and later religious themed books. Best known for her Vampire Chronicles, her prevailing thematical focus is on love, death, immortality, existentialism, and the human condition. She was married to poet Stan Rice for 41 years until his death in 2002. Her books have sold nearly 100 million copies, making her on...more

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