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Jan 06, 2008

Alice rated it:

An illustrator turned writer's first novel and a very good one. God and Lucifer make a wager over a young boy's life (Joby). Laced heavily with Christian and Arthurian themes, this is an intelligent novel. Not that you need to be intelligent to read it (the book is extremely accessable), but the ideas are mature and more developed than I'd expected. Not your typical cheesy fantasy novel at all. Its not a Christian novel, but if you've been trying the Jesus lifestyle, you'll wonder when you read More...

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Apr 24, 2008

Katiebe rated it:

What an entertaining read! The basic premise of the book is that God and the Devil make a wager ("the same stupid bet") at which a little boy named Joby is the center. This time, however, the stakes are higher. Ferrarri tells Joby's story from about age 9 until 40. It is a long book. Yet, while not a particularly difficult read, it is one of my favorites. The reason I gave it four stars and not five is that the ending was a little uneven for me; there was such a dramatic and emot More...

2 comments like (3 people liked it)

Nov 27, 2008

Margaret rated it:

I totally enjoyed this book. It was quite entertaining, not the typical book I would pick up to read, but sure glad I did! The story begins with the age old wager between God and Lucifer. The object of their wager is a young boy named Joby. It has angels, demons, magic, love, mild violence and fantasy. I would rate it 4.5 stars if I could. This is one I will read again just to be sure I did not miss anything the first time.

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Oct 17, 2011

Stephan rated it:

As you would expect from a book titled The Book of Joby, this standalone novel is based on the biblical book of Job. The story of Job is about a bet between God and the devil. Victim of this bet is Job, who sees all that he loves taken by the devil. He loses his family, his money and his health, to prove his loyalty to God. If Job damns God, the devil has won the bet.

With a twist
The book of Joby tells this story… with a twist. Again, the subject is a bet between God and Lucifer. M More...

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Jul 26, 2011

Vd rated it:

This book is marvelously ambitious. It seeks to give us a glimpse into the mind of God Himself! It deals with questions that are perhaps not answerable. What is the purpose of our existence? Why do we suffer? What is good? What is evil?
'The Book of Joby' centers around a man who is caught in a wager between the Creator and Lucifer. Joby is a hapless player in a game he only dimly understands, pitted against an adversary he cannot even hope to overcome. In this epic story, God comes across a More...

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Mar 13, 2011

Michael rated it:

From: BarronWilderness

God and Lucifer once again enter into a bet in which the devil tries to sway a pure soul to join him. Their “contender” is Joby Peterson, a boy who must grow up with all the forces of hell bent on corrupting him.

* The Book of Joby is a sweeping first novel, that covers everything from The Bible to Arthurian legends to flaws in the public school system.
* The cast of characters includes demons, angels, wizards and school children. Whil More...

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Jul 12, 2010

Anthony rated it:

As a literature major in college, I am intensely passionate about reading. As a liberal agnostic, I don't generally find preachy books to be good. Thankfully, the Book of Joby was NOT preachy.

This was one of the best novels I have ever read...and I have read many, many novels. I found myself weeping overly at parts, and at other parts, laughing uncontrollably. It was an intensely emotion- and thought-provoking novel.

God and Lucifer make a wager they've made before, and n More...

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Aug 28, 2009

Amanda rated it:

This book, despite it being a little long, is a really great read. There's a hefty dose of Arthurian legend and Biblical principles, as well as modern controversial beliefs. What's great about this book is how it all boils down to what I believe is the basic tenet of life:being good.

The book spans the life of Joby Peterson, the unknowing participant in a bet between God and Lucifer. As a child, Joby idolizes Arthur and the Roundtable and aspires to be just like him. As he grows, Luci More...

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Feb 12, 2010

Karlo rated it:

I had this sitting on hold in my library queue for the last 14 months; the hold expired so I finally read it. I don't know what drew me to this title (a positive review most likely), or why I kept putting it off, but at its conclusion I'm glad I read it.

Somewhere in my list of favourite books rest "Good Omens" and "Job: A Comedy of Justice". Both are great reads. Growing up I always loved reading both Greek Mythology (for the intimate manner in which Gods interac More...

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Aug 09, 2010

Scorpion12 rated it:

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Nov 29, 2008

Mellissa rated it:

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Jun 04, 2009

Susanne rated it:

This was sooo much fun. The premise was promising (God and Lucifer making a wager which could lead to the destruction of the entire creation), the execution brilliant: We experience the trials and tribulations of a normal child (later teenager, and grown man) who is the subject of a tug-of-war between Good and Evil.

Joby is one of the most likeable, sympathetic characters I've ever encountered - I found myself rooting for him from the very beginning, and feeling wretchedly sorry for More...

3 comments like (1 person liked it)

Dec 04, 2011

Ithlilian rated it:

The idea behind this book seemed interesting to me, and I thought it had potential, but it is clear within the first few pages that this book wasn't going to sit well with me. I didn't like the bickering between Lucifer and the Creator which made them seem immature. I get that this may be used to keep them relevant for the times, but it just felt silly and annoying. If it were any other character, and not necessarily a religious being, I would have felt the same way though. It's not fun to read More...

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Mar 03, 2008

Lisa rated it:

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0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 25, 2011

Jill rated it:

I kept looking at this one on the shelf at work even though no one bought any copies of it. I picked it up as an 'underdog' kind of choice from among the bestsellers. So maybe that's why I feel a little more attached to it than it maybe deserves...but I did enjoy it.
God and the devil place a bet on the life of a boy named Joby...the bet spanning 30 years of Joby's life while he is beset by demons. I don't want to give anything away, but Ferrari manages to insert Camelot, Eden, archa More...

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Jan 08, 2011

Katie rated it:

This wasn't the epic fantasy that I was expecting, as the jacket copy stated. The age-old wager between God and Lucifer begins again, this time with a young boy named Joby. The book is a detailed chronicle of Joby's life, and the hardships he faces. That's about it.

I felt like I was being banged on the head over and over again with the idea that all people face hardships - not all brought about by the Devil - but that God is always there for us if we just ask for Him and his heavenly More...

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Jan 09, 2010

Robin rated it:

I. Love. This. Book.

I don't believe that Ferrari is a Christian writer, and this book is not Christian fiction- don't be turned off by what I'm saying here.

What I'm saying is that this book says amazing things about God, wrapped in a great story that sucks you in.

The premise is that the bargain that God & Satan struck with Job is struck again and again throughout time, and Satan has until Joby is 40 to make him curse God.

We see the interactions More...

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Sep 30, 2010

Proteus rated it:

Pros: Highly interesting plot; the author successfully blends Arthurian legend with the Book of Job, all in a modern setting. Moreover this book has a message without being overly preachy, which means that anyone can read it without feeling offended. A plausible (or as plausible as fantasy is going to get) explanation for magic is given, there is a nice balance between humor and angst, and the effective prose will probably make you tear up at least a few times.

Cons: Boring middle sec More...

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Feb 01, 2012

Tracey rated it:

God and Lucifer have another wager going - whose influence will succeed in the life of young Joby Peterson, whose burning desire is to emulate King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, while living his life out in late 20th century California. I'm really enjoying the story so far: both sides have exerted just a bit of influence - nothing totally outside the boundaries of a typical kid's experience - but a small nudge here and there can be the key to Joby's fate. Reminds me a bit of Mark He More...

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Aug 16, 2011

Andrea rated it:

The age old debate between God and Satan - is humanity worth it all? God agrees to a contest - winner take all (whole earth & its existence) - God picks one remarkable boy from all humanity and Satan gets to try and destroy him (without killing him) to try and make this boy turn completely to the "dark side."

Very much like the biblical Job who seems to do everything right while all kinds of bad stuff happens to him throughout his life. Story is told from childhood through m More...

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Aug 10, 2009

Jared rated it:

I am an absolute fanatic for fiction that stretches beyond the boundaries of conventional religious belief and grasps at something supposed and assumed. The act of creating God or any other of the leading characters of the Holy Book outside of the Bible is not only difficult but a fine line to walk when writing for audiences. The author of this book does it in a style which many may not agree with but which I loved dearly.

The book is long, but it's not unnecessarily long. Traveling More...

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Nov 20, 2011

ScottK rated it:

I love Arthurian lore....always have, it started in High school when I read all of theseThe Crystal Cave and then went onto theseTaliesin. And then I had a really cool english teacher in whose classroom we would just watch movies and then have tests, there I fell in love with Camelot.When you combine Arthur, Gwen AND Lancelot in a book, along with God Lucifer "the wager" of Job, demons and Angels.....well ya never know just what you might get.

When God and Lucifer bet it al More...

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Nov 08, 2008

Rebecca rated it:

In this rewrite of the Book of Job, God and the Devil replay an age old bet regarding the morality and inherent goodness of mankind; the wager: mankind itself. Poor Joby is taken as the object of this bet, his life constantly interfered with and tortured over by the Lucifer and his minions. Intertwined with the long-loved stories of Arthur and Camelot, it is a beautifully fantastic novel, studying just how much one human soul can withstand.

It wasn’t until I got half way through this More...

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Jul 30, 2008

John rated it:

King Arthur meets the Book of Job - in a nine year old boy. By the author formerly known as the artist Mark Ferrari. (In case you don't know, the premise of the Book of Job is that Satan challenges God that the apparently pious Job, if stripped of his prosperity and his children, would turn against God.)

It's a very well-written book. The Arthurian connection is fun, the characters are believable and engaging, and I enjoyed both the Creator character and the bickering, backstabbing, More...

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Mar 11, 2010

Julia rated it:

Forgive the length of this review, but when I picked up this book, it looked like it could be interesting. I never expected to find a true gem.

It's inspired by the Biblical story of Job, who was the subject of a wager between God & Satan. Satan bet that if Job lost all his blessings he'd turn away from God. Naturally Satan lost the bet. That's the gist of that story.

OK, so Joby is a 9 year old kid who's the subject of a similar wager. He has to renounce God through a More...

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Jul 04, 2008

Judah rated it:

I have to admit that in my own knee-jerk reaction to books that may be a form of proselytizing, I passed this book by several times while wandering the shelves of our local book store...despite picking it up and looking at it time and again.

Eventually, I found myself in Half Price Books in San Antonio (the best used book store ever) while visiting my folks, and they had a copy there for $6.00..and I picked it up.

I'm glad I did. I'm not going to say it's some major More...

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May 31, 2010

Kate (VerbVixen) rated it:

The Book of Joby- Mark Ferrari

This book was magical. It is in the great vein of C.S. Lewis with clear use of The Screwtape Letters, The Chronicles of Narnia, and That Hideous Strength merged with Arthurian legend. At points the protagonist, Joby, is a little too woe is me for my tastes, but in the end it’s a heartwarming, challenging, beuatiful story. I recommend it to anyone who likes a good, long, Lewis-like read. Soundtrack song: Avril Lavigne “Keep Holding On.” Overall, A+

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Mar 18, 2010

Trudi added it

I've had my sights set on this one for quite some time. The premise seemed like something I would absolutely adore. It just took me way too long to get past the half-way mark. Once Joby grows up, I found the whole thing just kinda stalled altogether. I kept getting restless, putting the book down to read something else. After awhile I realized the desire to finish just wasn't there. So I officially cry uncle. I'm out. I didn't hate this book (so no one star), and I'm feeling too ambivalent to gi More...

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Feb 11, 2012

Gary rated it:

I loved this book. I'd put it up with John Crowley's Little, Big and the best from Tim Powers. At one level it is a retelling of the story of the book of Job from the Hebrew scriptures. But it includes the tales of King Arthur and so much more. Like the best books it goes places and makes turns I wasn't expecting and yet the way it drew together at the end was all that I could have hoped. Every twist and turn felt earned and honest. There's a lot of love in this book, but also a lot of pain and More...

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Nov 21, 2010

Mer rated it:

I will do a full review later, but while it's fresh on my mind... this book was surprisingly good. Heart-warming, definitely one of those books where you are desperately rooting for the hero (to the point of small emotional outburts while reading... haha) and very unique. Magical, epic and accessible simultaneously. And the spin this book gives to God, the Devil, magic and life itself is not only interesting, but very appealing... I wouldn't mind believing in a world like the one created in this More...

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