The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ

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The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ (Canongate Myths #16)

3.28 of 5 stars 3.28 · rating details · 4,809 ratings · 848 reviews

In this ingenious and spellbinding retelling of the life of Jesus, Philip Pullman reimagines the most influential story ever told. Charged with mystery, compassion and great power, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ says something new about who Jesus was and asks questions that will resonate long after the book has been read.

The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Ch...more

245 pages

Published April 1st 2010 (first published December 4th 2009)

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Baba Yaga Laid an Egg by Dubravka Ugrešić

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Mar 01, 2013 Manny rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Manny by: Yllacaspia

Shelves: linguistics-and-philosophy, well-i-think-its-funny

The night after his book was published, Philip dreamed that he met Jesus. He was dressed all in white, sitting at a table on which there was a bottle of wine, two glasses and a copy of Philip's novel.

"Please explain it to me," said Jesus politely.

"Well," stammered Philip, "The idea is simple. I pretend that you had a twin brother called Christ, who is working together with a shadowy figure who may be the Devil. Together, they are responsible for distorting people's recollections of what you did....more

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Jun 16, 2011 Stephen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks, historical-fantasy, audiobook, religion-spirituality, 2006-2010

.....

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Open Mind...Hey Big C, what's up?

Controversy: I’ve got another book review to do and this one could be a MAJOR PROBLEMO so I was really hoping you could help me out and be there when I post it.

Open Mind: Of course, you know I’m always glad to assist if my being present will help people get through one of your reviews.

Controversy: Believe me OM, without you there, this review is doomsville before it begins. Without you, we would have Inflammatory Rhetoric

showing up, with or witho...more

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Nov 23, 2011 Elizabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, books-about-books, gods-myths-heroes, in-by-of-england, reviewed

I didn't know that Philip Pullman was an agonistic atheist when I read his His Dark Materials books several years ago. What struck me was the depth of understanding of the history of the medieval church and the cleverness of his critical analysis and I was impressed at how he created a vivid, compelling idea about what beliefs could be like. I thought, he has to be a recovering catholic; someone angry at what the worst behavior of the church can do to people, but still inspired by its best aspec...more

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Jul 28, 2012 Riku Sayuj rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well played, Pullman.

Philip Pullman meets Alyosha and tells him his story.

Alyosha flushed. ‘But... that’s absurd!' he cried. 'Your poem is in praise of Jesus, not in blame of Him — as you meant it to be. And who will believe you about freedom? Is that the way to understand it? That’s not the idea of it in the Orthodox Church.... That’s Rome, and not even the whole of Rome, it’s false - those are the worst of the Catholics, the Inquisitors, the Jesuits!..'

Later Ivan came storming into Pullman's f...more

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May 26, 2010 Tom Doggett rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook

I liked this book far more than I thought I would, and after I was finished couldn't help but say the same thing I said after finishing the "His Dark Materials" trilogy upon the recommendation of a friend: was I *supposed* to like this?

The book is, of course, a retelling of the familiar Gospel story of Jesus of Nazareth but told from a modern perspective, understanding and commenting on everything good and especially bad that Christianity has become. Setting aside, for the moment, the question o...more I liked this book far more than I thought I would, and after I was finished couldn't help but say the same thing I said after finishing the "His Dark Materials" trilogy upon the recommendation of a friend: was I *supposed* to like this?

The book is, of course, a retelling of the familiar Gospel story of Jesus of Nazareth but told from a modern perspective, understanding and commenting on everything good and especially bad that Christianity has become. Setting aside, for the moment, the question of whether or not Jesus himself would recognize modern Christian organizations I think we can safely agree that at least the writers of the four canonical Gospels had no idea what would eventually arise from their small movement. Something similar to this book might have been their reaction to everything that Christianity has become through the intervening millennia from them to our modern day.

The story is simple: Pullman takes the familiar canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and weaves what is probably the first harmony to also employ other famous early Christian gospels such as the Gospel of Thomas (in a small way) and the Protoevangelium of James (which he uses nearly unchanged to begin the book). However, in the midst of this unusual gospel harmony Pullman employs an even more unusual twist: instead of being the story of Jesus Christ instead we have the birth and life of twin boys, Jesus and his brother Christ. Pullman is able to separate the prophetic and apocalyptic nature of Jesus's ancient teachings into the character of Jesus and the authoritarian, structured organization of modern Christianity into the character of Christ. This twisting and dividing provides Pullman an excellent pulpit from which he can preach his own gospel, giving his approval to some ideas and teachings from the New Testament while denouncing and disrupting the things he hates. Of course, it's about far more than that, but on the whole the book presents the reader with the battling paradox of a relationship with God: while religion is ordered and structured through other people, devotion to God is a private and sometimes lonely affair. The two have always had difficulty mixing and have never really been friends.

Even for those who are turned off by Pullman's obvious and, to be honest, unsubtle distaste for modern Christianity the book provides a lot of food for thought as to how we personally approach God in our own private worship, how we treat others, and how fully we follow (or ignore) the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament for those of us who claim to be Christians.

And, on a final note, I cannot refrain from mentioning how much study Pullman must have done in preparing this book. The mere use of such ancient, non-biblical traditions as the Protoevanglium was a joy to read and discover. Even the central conceit of the book, that Jesus had a twin brother, is present in some early Christian documents like the Acts of Thomas. Together with the modern viewpoint, these serve to make the book a fascinating, if occasionally aggravating, read for students of early Christianity.(less)

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Jul 26, 2011 Rita rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: in-my-home-library, 2011, alternate-history, my-reviews, fiction, 3-stars, atheism

Initially I wanted to give this little novel 2 stars, for I wasn’t overly impressed by it. I have to be fair though. My expectations were definitely far off target and outside the author’s intention.

I expected to read an ironic and sarcastic retelling of the New Testament, which of course, after reading it, I realized was not the case. Because of my unfulfilled expectations I liked this book (probably) less than I would have otherwise. Still, I have chosen to give this book 3 stars, because I r...more

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Jun 15, 2010 Kim rated it 3 of 5 stars

The concept behind this book is that Jesus was actually a twin - that there was one baby named Jesus and one named Christ. It is a 4 star concept, but panned out to be only a three star book. Jesus is the twin who goes out and preaches and tries to help people and Christ is the one who is more interested in establishing a religion/church. I thought the author did a nice job using familiar bible stories and retelling them in a different way -- showing how Jesus saw things versus how his brother C...more

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Jul 27, 2011 Anirudh Parthasarathy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-owned

(Note : I've not read the Bible, I'm also not a Christian. I'm treating this book as any other story and not as an altered version of the Bible.)

The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ is a book written by the British author Philip Pullman, famous for his “His Dark Materials Trilogy”. The author is also said to be one of the most outspoken atheists in his field. The book was released in 2010 and has drawn in quite a few controversies.

Mary, gives birth to twins, boys, namely, Jesus and Chris...more (Note : I've not read the Bible, I'm also not a Christian. I'm treating this book as any other story and not as an altered version of the Bible.)

The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ is a book written by the British author Philip Pullman, famous for his “His Dark Materials Trilogy”. The author is also said to be one of the most outspoken atheists in his field. The book was released in 2010 and has drawn in quite a few controversies.

Mary, gives birth to twins, boys, namely, Jesus and Christ. During their childhood, Jesus was a mischievous, troublesome kid and Christ had to save him on more than a couple of occasions from getting into trouble. On the other hand, Christ was more calculative person and was obedient towards his parents and was more responsible. He was also well read and was highly knowledgeable. Despite the thoughts of the others, Christ always believed that Jesus was a good man and true to his beliefs, there was a sudden change in Jesus' personality, inspired by John the Baptist. Eventually, Jesus left his family and didn't care about his brother Christ.

Jesus started going from place to place, giving lectures and healing people, with no instrument but faith. Naturally, people from the synagogue did not like him and tried to test him every time. When Jesus gave his Sermon on the Mount, he promised the people that the “Kingdom of God” is coming soon, where the meek will inherit the earth, sinners won't be permitted.

On the other hand, Christ also had a very important task. A stranger, whom Christ believes is an angel, gives him the task of noting down every speech of Jesus, without his knowledge, thereby, becoming The Kingdom of God's historian. Eventually, the task of Christ becomes much more complicated and the story is about him trying to accomplish the tasks given by the stranger.

Do not judge a book by its title, that is what I've got to say about this book. It was a well narrated story. There was nothing so special about the language of the book but I liked the simplicity in his writing, thereby, enabling people from any age group being able to read this book. I think people who have read the Bible maybe able to give a better opinion about the book but this is all that I've got to say about this.(less)

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Apr 26, 2013 James Barrett rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

I'd love to know how many people would help burn Philip Pullman at the stake for this story. This is an interesting exploration of who the real Jesus may have been and how the church developed afterwards. For all the discussion of Truth and history I thought Pontius Pilate could have played a more interesting role since the the famous question "What is Truth?" is attributed to him. The afterward was pretty interesting also.

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May 15, 2013 Anton rated it 3 of 5 stars

In “The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ”, author Philip Pullman re-imagines the Gospels with one major change: Jesus has a twin brother named Christ who records, embellishes, and on occasion completely changes his sibling’s teachings. This change allows Pullman to play with familiar events of Jesus’ life (and death). For example, Christ plays the role of Satan in the desert, tempting Jesus with promises of a worldwide organization devoted to his beliefs if he’ll just throw in some miracl...more

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Jan 04, 2013 Alyssa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, literature, mythology-fairytales-and-folklore, reviewed, religion, four-stars

"The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ" is part of the "Myths" collection, which sets out to have various authors rewrite (or fill out) popular tales from mythology, this one taking on the story of Jesus.
The book itself is written somewhat in the style of the bible, in that the writing is simplistic, there's lots of dialogue (lots which is directly taken from the bible and then integrated into the work)and not much extra imagery, which works given the subject matter and intent.
The ideas on...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Katrina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Read in the space of a day as the type is very large and the chapters well spread out. Pullman writes for the Cannongate Myths Series a retelling of Jesus' life. In Pullman's version Jesus is a twin, his brother Christ writes and reshapes Jesus' actions and teachings creating the modern church.
As a non-religious person this is an interesting take on the story, the sparse language reflecting the gospels and Pullman's own discussion of how and why he wrote this book an added bonus, however I'm sur...more

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Sep 02, 2012 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

As the back jacket says, "This is a story." Yes, a story, much like The Penelopiad, Margaret Atwood's retelling of the Odyssey from the women's perspective. A story. These are myths in the highest sense, pushing us to question what is means to be human, and not trying to offer fact or history.

Having said that, sure, the story is an offense to many traditions of Christianity--if they are held only for belief in some historical literalism or certainty in the Canon being God-breathed. But if the g...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Rob rated it 3 of 5 stars

Philip Pullman is a master storyteller, and one who has little truck with religion in general and the church in particular, so I suppose it makes sense for him to revisit one of the greatest, most influential stories ever told and add his own slant. That slant is faintly mischievous yet at the same time surprisingly reverent to the source material, the crucial difference being that Jesus and Christ were almost identical twins born in a Bethlehem stable. While one became a reactionary prophet pre...more Philip Pullman is a master storyteller, and one who has little truck with religion in general and the church in particular, so I suppose it makes sense for him to revisit one of the greatest, most influential stories ever told and add his own slant. That slant is faintly mischievous yet at the same time surprisingly reverent to the source material, the crucial difference being that Jesus and Christ were almost identical twins born in a Bethlehem stable. While one became a reactionary prophet preaching love, understanding and faith the other took it upon himself to document his brother’s life and turn it into something bigger, more formal than one man’s idealism. In short, it’s the story of how a unifying belief in peace was corrupted into dogma.

One of the most surprising things in this novel was the way it presents the story of Jesus (and) Christ in the flat, simplistic style of the gospels to the point where it feels like this was simply a missing book. It’s a little off-putting at first but, once you’re in the rhythm, it makes for an easy, oddly familiar, read. The familiarity comes from the way Pullman puts the story’s lens just that little bit further from the action than anticipated, so we see not only what Jesus does, but how Christ reacts and reports it. This is, of course, the crux of things as we are witness to Christ’s manipulation of events, sacrificing what actually happened for ‘the truth’. It’s also the source of some dry humour, as we get to hear unedited sermons; I’m pretty sure Jesus never said ‘yakkety-yak’ when describing the Pharisees in my old Good News Bible.

Pullman received death threats from Christians as a result of this mucking about with the gospels. I suspect few of them actually read it, though, as this is still surprisingly reverent to the original texts. Miracles do seem to happen inexplicably, Jesus is still a profoundly good man and loving thy neighbour is a central tenet. I suppose some might take umbrage at the ambiguity of the virgin birth here (essentially: ‘well, he said he was an angel’) and the resurrection is fairly soundly deconstructed, but they make sense in the context of what Pullman’s trying to say.

The intended audience is perhaps the most confusing aspect of this book: the more familiar you are with these stories, the more you’ll get from Pullman’s retelling; if you’re an atheist you’re likely to be annoyed that there’s still space left for a God. The overall message is not particularly anti-Christian, simply anti-church and anti-doctrine. Yet ultimately this is a book written for people who know the bible back to front; someone like me who only dimly recalls the stories is unlikely to get so much from the often fairly subtle differences between the original and alternative versions.
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Jul 25, 2012 Kay Hart rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am a fan of Philip Pullman's Dark Materials trilogy hence when I noticed this book on the shelf at my local library I decided to have a read. It is a somewhat controversial take, on the story of Jesus the man and the Son of God, written in as simple and very easy to read story.
However it is not really a simple story at all. Is Pullman a man of strong belief who has become somewhat chagrined at the church and it's failures. The Dark Materials trilogy certainly doesn't paint a pretty picture of...more I am a fan of Philip Pullman's Dark Materials trilogy hence when I noticed this book on the shelf at my local library I decided to have a read. It is a somewhat controversial take, on the story of Jesus the man and the Son of God, written in as simple and very easy to read story.
However it is not really a simple story at all. Is Pullman a man of strong belief who has become somewhat chagrined at the church and it's failures. The Dark Materials trilogy certainly doesn't paint a pretty picture of the church, it's political nature, and it's digression from the simple role of encouraging the faithful, loving the poor and welcoming children.

This novel raises age-old queries: did Joseph and Mary have children other than the Christ child?; did Jesus living as a man remain absolutely pure or did he exhibit human frailties as we all do?; what was his relationship with Mary Magdalene?; was he a political activist? or only a prophet? or really the Son of God in human form; was there an immaculate conception?; did he really die on the cross or was he still living when removed to the tomb?; and so on.

The structure of the story of twin brothers and the recounting of their relationship and approach to life is an interesting device to explore the contention of divinity and humanity.

On visiting Pullman's website I discover he is in atheist. In writing this novel I can't help but wonder if readers might actually be prompted to read the Biblical gospels for themselves perhaps to revisit Sunday school stories of childhood memory for instance or to satisfy curiosity about what the scriptures have to say in order to make a comparison.

Pullman is either brave or foolhardy to tackle this subject in this way, but it is in the end a work that has merely sought to tell a story. The Bible is a great source of stories. It is the reader who indeed will place an interpretation of the intention behind the content. As the scriptures loosely translated say - the seeker after God will find Him in the most unexpected places.

Whatever controversy this novel raises, Pullman is an interesting writer who tells a story very well.
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Jun 14, 2012 Kate rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

For somebody who had obviously done his homework on religious literature for The Amber Spyglass, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ is an incredibly simplistic retelling, and I say this as somebody with a pretty limited Sunday School grasp of the Biblical stories, plus whatever you pick up in English Lit class along the way. I wasn’t offended by it in a religious sense, but I really thought it smacked of a kind of adolescent storytelling – ‘Wouldn’t it blow everybody’s minds if Jesus wa...more

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Jun 11, 2012 J. rated it 2 of 5 stars

I heard this book described a bunch of times as "subversive," but it was a major letdown on that count. About 60% of it is quoted verbatim from the gospels, which I've read. The remaining changes are mostly of the bizarre, rather than insightful, kind, like having Jesus rebuke Martha instead of Mary--what's the significance? The major plot twist, of course, is that Jesus is a pair of twins, Jesus and Christ. Jesus is the human, passionate, provocative, spiritual half while Christ is the intellig...more

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Jun 10, 2012 Susannah J. Bell rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I thought this was possibly one of the most brilliant books I've ever read, in that it reveals that Phillip Pullman is not the atheist he so strongly likes to claim, but in fact is someone who believes in the existence of God....though most certainly doesn't hold with the doctrines and structure of the Christian (and other) church: something I quite utterly understand. It's quite a relief to find someone who seems to think the way I do, though my thinking has long since gone beyond anything anyo...more I thought this was possibly one of the most brilliant books I've ever read, in that it reveals that Phillip Pullman is not the atheist he so strongly likes to claim, but in fact is someone who believes in the existence of God....though most certainly doesn't hold with the doctrines and structure of the Christian (and other) church: something I quite utterly understand. It's quite a relief to find someone who seems to think the way I do, though my thinking has long since gone beyond anything anyone else can understand. This book forms an excellent foundation layer of a similar book I plan to write myself, but one even more controversial (though unintentionally so.) By splitting Jesus Christ into two characters, a most powerful argument against the church, against the destructive force of religion, and the storification of history is beautifully portrayed. There are some wonderful twists of the Bible story - I don't necessarily agree with these twists, but then I don't agree with the Bible's story either....yet I still go to church, not for the doctrines, but from faith.
I tried to explain this book to my daughter and had immense difficulty. The story is deceptively simple but it's ideas are complex. I find none of them shocking but then I don't suppose that it is designed to shock. Just as The Da Vinci Code was probably meant to be controversial, it failed to move me as I am willing to view any other version, knowing that no version can be as wild as my own interpretation.
I imagine this book would upset some people. My heart does not bleed. It inspired me to rush out and begin my own adventure at once, though I must do several years research first, so will restrain myself!
I wouldn't recommend this to anyone because I know so many (a) couldn't be arsed with anything to do with Jesus Christ and (b) the rest would be too narrow-minded to recognise what this story is really about.
I loved this book. I am not a Phillip Pullman fan. I loathed the Dark Materials trilogy. No one is more surprised than I am to find myself giving this five stars. It's a slight book. It moved me greatly. Tomorrow, I suspect, I will have forgotten it, but it doesn't matter because for a while, at least, my viewpoint shifted, and that's more than I can for most garbage churned out these days.(less)

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Jun 05, 2012 Peter rated it 4 of 5 stars

Pullman is a fantastic storyteller. And this is a good, quick read with snappy pacing and thought provoking dialogue. But of course the elephant in the room is that this is, after all, the story of Christ, or a story of Christ, or a story about the story of Christ. The dust jacket claims that Pullman's retelling of the Christ story is "plausible" and delivered with "unstinting authority." Well. I preferred his own words on the back jacket, that this is "a story about how stories become stories."...more Pullman is a fantastic storyteller. And this is a good, quick read with snappy pacing and thought provoking dialogue. But of course the elephant in the room is that this is, after all, the story of Christ, or a story of Christ, or a story about the story of Christ. The dust jacket claims that Pullman's retelling of the Christ story is "plausible" and delivered with "unstinting authority." Well. I preferred his own words on the back jacket, that this is "a story about how stories become stories." And that is straightforward enough.

The thing about Pullman's rhetoric is that he's a cheater. He's an atheist, I get it, but his approach both here and in His Dark Materials is to swap out one myth for another, in both cases to take the canonized Christ story to task. In His Dark Materials it gets replaced with some fantastic universe construction of angels and harpies and the like that is enough of an analogue for what he's replacing that I just couldn't decide what sort of world his characters actually inhabited. Here there is Jesus's pained realization that he is praying to a God of the silences, and yet...and yet there's enough that is miraculous or at least mysterious in the otherwise very straight telling that you feel confused yet. There are apparent miracles, there is apparently the voice of God when John baptizes him, and then there is the mysterious stranger who seems to orchestrate the whole affair.

So Pullman is a writer who compels me to look a little deeper into what it is he means. And that's a compliment to his facility. Although he takes on religion here and in His Dark Materials where I end up is not with a truly viable critique of Christian mythology but rather a wariness of its institutions. The Church of His Dark Materials was a terribly corrupt mafia. Is the real Church like that? Well, surely sometimes yes, of course, we have pedophilia scandals and the like now. But in most people's common experience I think maybe not. It is merely a human institution. And the warning is thus always useful.(less)

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May 19, 2012 Wee Gee rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: small-things

I came to The good man Jesus and the scoundrel Christ having read the His dark materials trilogy but found none of the withering thought provoking criticism of the power afforded to organised religion in those works here. Pulman’s retelling of the story of Christ felt a little juvenile and little lazy. It added nothing salient to the weary debate about the value and nature of religion, and at times felt like little more than an unnecessary and cheap point scoring exercise.

Of course Philip Pulman...more

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May 15, 2012 Hannah Carey rated it 3 of 5 stars

As a huge fan of Pullman’s previous work I was excited to read “The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ” and subsequently a little disappointed in the end. I gave the book three stars because stylistically this is an impressive novel, written to mimic the tone and writing style of the gospels, and once again an interesting and unique interpretation from Pullman. However, I hate preachy fiction almost as much as I hate preachy non-fiction.

Pullman kind of digs a hole in his own point about Ch...more

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May 14, 2012 Rebekka K. Steg rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, christianity, fiction, history, philosophy, religion

I have to say I really quite enjoyed this book. But I'll also have to admit straight away that it is definitely not for everyone. Those who are devoutly religious (from a Christian point of view), might find it offensive. I however (from a Christian background) found it thought-provoking, inspirational and eye-opening.

Basically, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ, is the story of Jesus Christ rewritten. Only, Mary did not have only one son, she had two. Twin brothers. Jesus and Christ....more

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Apr 10, 2012 Nicole Sweeney rated it 3 of 5 stars

There is no way for me to get around mentioning HDM when I review this book, so I'm not going to try:

The controversy surrounding HDM continues to annoy me, because as far as I'm concerned, anyone who took anything offensive away from that series was looking for it.

This is not quite like that. However, I will say this: it is similar in that there is much to be said for how you choose to read this book. I don't think that there is any way around the fact that this book is derogatory about organize...more

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Feb 11, 2012 Stephen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Something of a private pleasure. I grew up with the Biblical stories of Jesus and admire the clever way Pullman has reworked them, providing in many cases a historically plausible kernel from which the gospel version might have developed. Pullman sees, as others before him also have, two different sides to the portrayal of Jesus in the gospels: one side has little use for political and social organization, including the family; and the other is aware that only organization and structure can assu...more

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Feb 04, 2012 Zoli rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A somewhat provoking, somewhat new, somewhat predictable, somewhat old, but interesting nonetheless story about the foundation of the biggest religious group, organised Christianity. In Philip Pullman's version there's two main characters, Jesus the prophet who gathers more and more followers teaching them love, remorse and forgiveness, and his twin brother Christ who sees the potential in Jesus' teachings and wants to establish a strong church on this foundation. To achieve this goal, the somew...more

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Oct 12, 2011 Lakis Fourouklas rated it 2 of 5 stars

Ok, here it goes! I really looked forward to reading this book and when I finally did I felt nothing more than disappointed; almost cheated. I don’t know; maybe I got carried away by the title and expected too much, but in whatever way you put it I didn’t expect so little. There’s one thing that I know for sure: this is the worst work by the author that I’ve ever read. That’s maybe because it was an order-to-write kind of book, or perhaps because he didn’t bother to work too hard for it, or just...more Ok, here it goes! I really looked forward to reading this book and when I finally did I felt nothing more than disappointed; almost cheated. I don’t know; maybe I got carried away by the title and expected too much, but in whatever way you put it I didn’t expect so little. There’s one thing that I know for sure: this is the worst work by the author that I’ve ever read. That’s maybe because it was an order-to-write kind of book, or perhaps because he didn’t bother to work too hard for it, or just maybe because it’s a bit too mild for my taste.
When I’ve first read the title and some of the reviews in the British press I thought: this sounds fun. It really did, and it kind of is, but there’s nothing more to it. If someone picks up this book thinking that he or she’s about to read a heretical version of the Bible, he or she will be disappointed. Pullman just picks bits and pieces of the scriptures and rewrites them in his own way; making them somewhat more easy to understand for the reader. It starts with a bang (This is the story of Jesus and his brother Christ), but there’s nothing much to follow that grand opening. The author writes briefly about the birth and the early years of the twins and points out that Christ, the intellectual, used to get Jesus out of trouble every now and then, simply by quoting the Old Testament. He also says that Jesus was the prodigal son of the story, before taking a short dive into his miraculous but controversial life. As it looks the guy wasn’t so popular in Nazareth because he had the nerve to go and perform miracles… elsewhere, while his relation with the priests was not exactly the best as he tended to liken them with the fool in the psalms. By the way, just in case you were wondering, it was Christ and not Jesus who met Mary Magdalene, so maybe her soul is condemned to rot in hell after all. With this and that, time just flies by, it really does, and soon enough Jesus is arrested, put to trial, condemned, crucified and comes back to life again. And that’s about it.
I don’t know whether the good author had a word count limit, as the book belongs to a re-imagined myths series, but I can’t shake the feeling that this work is far from complete; or to say it boldly, it gives me the impression of a one-night-stand. If any of you would like to read some really subversive or even provocative versions of the Gospels you should look elsewhere; at the work of the great Greek writer Nikos Kazantzakis, of the recently deceased Jose Saramago (read the splendid Cain), and Robert Graves. There you can find all the knowledge and the philosophy behind the popcorn literature of the likes of Dan Brown and much more.
It’s such a pity that a writer of Pullman’s caliber couldn’t make things work in this one but, thank Caiaphas and no matter what, we can just keep enjoying his fabulous forays into the worlds of fantasy.
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Sep 26, 2011 Sam rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, favourites, library, myth, religion, christianity

This retelling of the story of Jesus' life is part of the Myth series that gave us Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood and Jeanette Winterson's Atlas. I chose it because I love Philip Pullman, and will read anything that he writes. I know that it is controversial for some Christians (who Pullman had already annoyed with the His Dark Materials trilogy), but I read it without any pre-judgement.

The key difference between Pullman's story and the one you will find in the Bible is that he has split Jesus in...more This retelling of the story of Jesus' life is part of the Myth series that gave us Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood and Jeanette Winterson's Atlas. I chose it because I love Philip Pullman, and will read anything that he writes. I know that it is controversial for some Christians (who Pullman had already annoyed with the His Dark Materials trilogy), but I read it without any pre-judgement.

The key difference between Pullman's story and the one you will find in the Bible is that he has split Jesus into two twin brothers - Jesus and Christ. Jesus is passionate, friendly, loving, inspirational and firmly rooted in the Jewish traditions. Christ is more detached, logical, cynical and philosophical. As children, Jesus is the free-spirited one and it's often down to Christ to get him out of various fixes. As adults Jesus starts to preach and gather followers whilst Christ is left trying to understand and interpret his message.

My own personal feeling was that if this book was anti- anything, it was anti- the organisation and structure of the Christian church rather than anti-God or anti-Jesus. The character of Jesus could be seen as the "historical Jesus"; he tells his followers to follow all of the Jewish laws, he isn't interested in appealing to Gentiles and he wants the Kingdom of God to come rather than to found a church. He doesn't perform miracles either - in the story of the multipling fish and loaves, Jesus simply encourages and inspires people to share what they had but were keeping for themselves. His message is simply of love and respect. Jesus preaches about the dangers of men taking power in the name of religion and the corruption that would grow in any Church that bore his name - the punishments for disbelief, the exploitation of the poor and the wars.

In contrast, Christ stands for the church and it's interpretation of Jesus. Whilst supposedly 'recording for history' what Jesus has said, Christ is always embellishing it, making it more appealing for the "simple minded" who he thinks need miracles to believe in something. When a solitary person waves a palm leaf as Jesus enters Jerusalem, Christ turns this into Palm Sunday. He sees his brother's life as a story, something he can change and make more appealing to converts. He is willing to commit immoral acts for the sake of this good story being the foundation of his new Church and has no concern that he is misreporting what actually happened and changing what his brother said;

"Sometimes there is a danger that people might misinterpret the words of a popular speaker. The statements need to be edited, the meanings clarified, the complexities unravelled for the simple-of-understanding.....we shall begin the work of interpretation." p74.

One of the most enjoyable parts of this book was the writing. Pullman writes simply and leaves the reader to interpret events however she/he wishes. There was one or two 'cheap shots' against religion, especially concerning the conception of Jesus but to a non-Christian like me it appeared as though Jesus' message of love was respected. I think this book would only be offensive for Christians who view the gospel as literal fact rather than a message. It's not intended to be a serious biography of Jesus or in anyway historical, it's just a literary version of it designed to make people think about the development and roots of Christianity.(less)

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Aug 05, 2011 Madhurabharatula Pranav Rohit Kasinath rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: religion, mythology, imaginative-retelling

The Goodman Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ is a work of utterly dark, disturbing and moving beauty and not as controversial as its provocative title might have you believe. The biblical world that Philip Pullman populates with his all too human characters is rich in its simplicity and heart breaking in its ability to portray one man who has influenced history and religion; in such a very human light.
The basic premise that Pullman works from is this – Jesus had a twin brother called Christ. Jesu...more The Goodman Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ is a work of utterly dark, disturbing and moving beauty and not as controversial as its provocative title might have you believe. The biblical world that Philip Pullman populates with his all too human characters is rich in its simplicity and heart breaking in its ability to portray one man who has influenced history and religion; in such a very human light.
The basic premise that Pullman works from is this – Jesus had a twin brother called Christ. Jesus, calm, strong and confident, goes on to become the carpenter and future religious leader; while Christ, the weak, sickly, mothers pet, settles for being the historian who records the doings of his brother.
This is a novel about the all surpassing power of the written word and its ability to influence history for years to come. Pullman retells the New Testament with a deft hand, mirroring the simple, language of the Bible itself while he edits and rewrites the stories from a less miraculous and a more human point of view. The Satanic questions posed to Jesus in the desert are by the more practical and ambitious person of Christ, his twin brother. Already nurturing the future reality of organized religion in his mind Christ tempts Jesus with the need for Miracles to strengthen the faith of the common man, and underlines the essential weakness of the human condition.
A theme that is visited time and again in this book. People need to believe that there is a higher force that is watching over them; people need to believe in miracles, purity the possibility that there can be a life without sin and the need to strive towards it. Hope is a powerful thing, faith is a powerful thing and when both of them are twisted by the church the roots of organized religion are formed.
This is not an inside look at the greatness of Jesus. It does not make him an ordinary human being, but it does make him a human being, in love with this world, despairing of the corruption he sees in it, attempting to singlehandedly change the course of mankind. He preaches of the coming of a Kingdom of God in the hope that people better themselves in expectation of it. The Jesus of this retelling lives a practical life and the Miracles happen but not as we expect them to. When Jesus tells his followers at a large gathering that there shall be enough food for all, one person finds some left over raisins, another some olives and from these scraps the entire gathering finds sustenance. Something believable that might have actually happened. Something that has transmogrified into the Miracle we know like a game of Chinese Whispers.
And in the background lurks the wretched figure of Christ. Ambitious and with an unspoken hunger to share in the limelight of his capable brother he obsesses over him, his following, his capacity to rouse the common man and maintains a delicate record of all that Jesus has achieved. Christ is a shrewd albeit flawed human being. He has several crises of faith as seen in his encounter with the prostitute and the beautifully written chapter about his meeting the lame man at the pool of Bethesda. He has little faith in the human condition and all these incident s prove to him the need for a church that would uplift it.
Another interesting character in this novel is the Stranger. Is he an angel, or is he Satan? Is he merely a representative of the Jewish priests manipulating Christ and his recordings for the purpose of personal gain? The truth is never entirely clear and that is as it should be. The stranger walks the thin line between reality and fantasy and adds to the skillfully layered narrative in the book.
The stranger tells Christ of the need to let “truth from beyond time illuminate the pages of history”. As the narrative progresses, he poses theological questions to Christ to counter any doubts that he might have and holds him firmly in his grip. Is he a sly reference to the snake in the Garden of Eden? Is he a man or more than a man? Whatever he may be, he works through manipulation and firmly believes that there are two truths. The actual truth and the perception of the truth. Of these, he believes the latter to be more effective and hold more power.
We all know what happens next…and we all know how this tale ends. But the differences are significant – It is Christ who betrays Jesus with the kiss, it is Christ who impersonates Jesus as proof of the resurrection and it is Christ who single handedly writes the New Testament to contain the angels, the guiding star, Jesus’ premonition of his own death and the wounds that give proof of his resurrection. All with a view to form the Church.
For me the most moving and poignant chapter in the book is the monologue of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Every sentence resonates with love for the world that he will shortly be leaving; every word resonates with respect for God’s creation. In the end he refutes God, says that a loving and benevolent father would respond to him out of the silence. He has a crisis of faith, an all too human reaction to his trials. Even today, I find myself re reading these words and even now they move me. Jesus predicts the anger, corruption and injustices that the Church will commit. The pedophilia, the inquisition, the wars and the innumerable people sacrificed at the altar of organized religion. He says that if a church is ever made in God’s name it should be – “poor, and powerless, and modest. That it should wield no authority except that of love. That it should never cast anyone out. That it should own no property and make no laws. That it should not condemn, only forgive. “
The essential tragedy underlining this work is the ultimate use of the Living legend to fuel the fires of organized religion. Christ finds himself despondent but filled with a sense of power at being able to write the annals of history and succumbs to this eventual need.
Compelling and controversial, The Goodman Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ asks more questions than it answers and sheds light on some hard truths of the human condition. This is not a book for everybody and devout Christians may find the content of this book hard to accept, but with an open mind and great respect for the man who inspired generations to acts of selfless service to humanity, this is a book about stories and how stories become stories.(less)

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Jul 25, 2011 Chloe rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I don't know why... but this has come up in a foreign language...
Not to worry, I have just finished reading:
The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ - by Philip Pullman.... in English
I think I was expecting more from Philip Pullman - with all the religious controversy surrounding His Dark Materials series. But instead we get a very simple message. The story of Jesus Christ, is just a very old story. Communicated through word-of-mouth, and unreliable. He gives us, in his book, only one of the...more

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Jun 08, 2011 Kathleen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adults, historical_fiction, sci-fiction_or_fantasy, ya_and_ya-lit

Really it's 3.5 for me--enjoyed the new spin on the story of Jesus/Christ, but I'm a little put off by Philip Pullman's style. He's a little too heavy-handed for my taste, and I never see any real subtly in what he writes. Maybe I just don't have an appropriate caliber of mind to appreciate him, but nonetheless, appreciate him I do not. There are positives: The book is short, so Pullman's style doesn't outweigh the entertainment, and the story rocks along pretty well. Also, both protagonists are...more

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About Philip Pullman

from his official website:

"I was born in Norwich in 1946, and educated in England, Zimbabwe, and Australia, before my family settled in North Wales. I received my secondary education at the excellent Ysgol Ardudwy, Harlech, and then went to Exeter College, Oxford, to read English, though I never learned to read it very well.

"I found my way into the teaching profession at the age of 25, and taught...more

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Books by Philip Pullman

The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, #1)

The Subtle Knife (His Dark Materials, #2)

The Amber Spyglass (His Dark Materials, #3)

His Dark Materials (His Dark Materials #1-3)

The Ruby in the Smoke (Sally Lockhart, #1)

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“Lord, if I thought you were listening, I'd pray for this above all: that any church set up in your name should remain poor, and powerless, and modest. That it should wield no authority except that of love. That it should never cast anyone out. That it should own no property and make no laws. That it should not condemn, but only forgive. That it should be not like a palace with marble walls and polished floors, and guards standing at the door, but like a tree with its roots deep in the soil, that shelters every kind of bird and beast and gives blossom in the spring and shade in the hot sun and fruit in the season, and in time gives up its good sound wood for the carpenter; but that sheds many thousands of seeds so that new trees can grow in its place. Does the tree say to the sparrow, 'Get out, you don't belong here?' Does the tree say to the hungry man, 'This fruit is not for you?' Does the tree test the loyalty of the beasts before it allows them into the shade?” — 14 people liked it

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