What do you think?
Rate this book
The Interview
What would you do if you had the chance to hang out with Jesus Christ for twenty-four hours in the present day? What questions would you ask him? The meaning of life? What happens after you die? Was your mom really a virgin? That's the situation the narrator of The Interview found himself in. Christ comes back to earth for twenty-four hours to be interviewed so that he can 'set the record straight' about all the loopy stuff that has gone on in his name over the past two thousand years. Compelling, controversial and at times hilarious, the narrator, Rog, interviews Christ about the big questions in life. At various times during the interview he is transported back to first-century Palestine so that Christ can show him what really happened back in the day. The result is a wild ride into the very mind of God. In the spirit of Christopher Moore ( The Gospel According Biff), C.S. Lewis ( The Screwtape Letters ), and Nikos Kazantzakis ( The Last Temptation of Christ ), The Interview presents Christ as human, compassionate, funny and curious as he struggles with his own human foibles, frailties and doubts, trying to spread his message of the Kingdom of God to a 21 st century audience.
256 pages, Paperback
Published January 7, 2020
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 18, 2018
I just finished reading the book The Interview. For the first time since I search the truth about my religion I finally got the answers about Jesus. I love the way he talks about him as a real human person. It is a great book...
The fact that Jesus was born from a woman like me make so much sense. And the message he left is so clear in this book..Love is the answer for everything... This book made me feel better. As a human I accept Jesus as a brother..
The fact that Jesus was born from a woman like me make so much sense. And the message he left is so clear in this book..Love is the answer for everything... This book made me feel better. As a human I accept Jesus as a brother..
October 23, 2018
derekorm2010@icloud.com
I must admit to being skeptical when I first read the description of this book. I’m not a big fan of fiction and I’m not religious, but I have to admit the idea of interviewing Jesus Christ in the present day caught my attention. I’m glad it did. This novel has its faults, but overall it kept my attention throughout and, more importantly, made me think about some of the ‘big questions’ in life.
The Christ figure is presented as completely human. His thoughts and beliefs, as seen through the author’s eyes, are a mixture of research and conjecture. The conjecture is the fun part. The author has a unique voice – he drew me into the story and most of the dialogue sounded believable. It made me think what I would do if I really had the chance to interview Jesus Christ (who the narrator calls ‘Joshua’ for reasons he describes early on in the book). The first meeting between the narrator and the Christ figure is hilarious. As their relationship develops, it becomes evident that the narrator’s life is changing as a result of ‘hanging out’ with Christ. It really is a personal transformation story that anyone can relate to and learn from.
Most Christians I know personally may not like this novel. It really pokes fun at sacred cows, not only in the Christian tradition but all religions. Christ is not a big fan of religion. The narrator asks him all the ‘big’ questions: What is the meaning of life? What’s God really like? Was Christ tempted by attractive women? Was he mom really a virgin? Spielmann handles some delicate issues with humor and wonder. The back cover of The Interview tells the reader that he has a B.A. in biblical Literature, knows Greek, and was once an Evangelical Christian. It shows. While he uses vulgar language throughout the novel, it’s not gratuitous and actually makes the dialogue more real, at least to me.
The Interview has both interview questions/responses and also time travel scenes where Christ decides to take the narrator back to first century Palestine so that he can show him what really happened rather than merely telling him about it. Pretty fun stuff. There is a lot of humor in this novel and some subtle references to pop culture (TV shows, literature, movies, and celebrity personalities). During the interview itself Christ takes on topics such as the Bible, gay marriage, women, the afterlife, the meaning of life, what God is really like, and so on.
I recommend this book to people who are wondering about who this guy Jesus really was. If you can get past the idea that he drinks beer, smokes pot, struggles with temptation, has doubts and prejudices (kind of like all of us...), then you’ll probably really like this novel. Reading it was both fun and thought-provoking. It’s probably not for everyone, but you’ll have to decide that for yourself.
I must admit to being skeptical when I first read the description of this book. I’m not a big fan of fiction and I’m not religious, but I have to admit the idea of interviewing Jesus Christ in the present day caught my attention. I’m glad it did. This novel has its faults, but overall it kept my attention throughout and, more importantly, made me think about some of the ‘big questions’ in life.
The Christ figure is presented as completely human. His thoughts and beliefs, as seen through the author’s eyes, are a mixture of research and conjecture. The conjecture is the fun part. The author has a unique voice – he drew me into the story and most of the dialogue sounded believable. It made me think what I would do if I really had the chance to interview Jesus Christ (who the narrator calls ‘Joshua’ for reasons he describes early on in the book). The first meeting between the narrator and the Christ figure is hilarious. As their relationship develops, it becomes evident that the narrator’s life is changing as a result of ‘hanging out’ with Christ. It really is a personal transformation story that anyone can relate to and learn from.
Most Christians I know personally may not like this novel. It really pokes fun at sacred cows, not only in the Christian tradition but all religions. Christ is not a big fan of religion. The narrator asks him all the ‘big’ questions: What is the meaning of life? What’s God really like? Was Christ tempted by attractive women? Was he mom really a virgin? Spielmann handles some delicate issues with humor and wonder. The back cover of The Interview tells the reader that he has a B.A. in biblical Literature, knows Greek, and was once an Evangelical Christian. It shows. While he uses vulgar language throughout the novel, it’s not gratuitous and actually makes the dialogue more real, at least to me.
The Interview has both interview questions/responses and also time travel scenes where Christ decides to take the narrator back to first century Palestine so that he can show him what really happened rather than merely telling him about it. Pretty fun stuff. There is a lot of humor in this novel and some subtle references to pop culture (TV shows, literature, movies, and celebrity personalities). During the interview itself Christ takes on topics such as the Bible, gay marriage, women, the afterlife, the meaning of life, what God is really like, and so on.
I recommend this book to people who are wondering about who this guy Jesus really was. If you can get past the idea that he drinks beer, smokes pot, struggles with temptation, has doubts and prejudices (kind of like all of us...), then you’ll probably really like this novel. Reading it was both fun and thought-provoking. It’s probably not for everyone, but you’ll have to decide that for yourself.
November 21, 2018
This is unlike any novel I’ve ever read! I was instantly intrigued after reading the back cover description of The Interview. I asked myself, ‘What questions would I ask Jesus Christ?’ And, believe me, I have lots of questions for him! Spielmann does a really good job of interviewing Christ and asks him all the ‘big questions’: What is the meaning of life? What happens after you die? What is God really like? I loved the time travel sequences, too. Christ take the narrator back to first century Palestine to show him what happened on the first Easter morning and his confrontation with the Apostle Paul, who Christ believes distorted his message of the Kingdom of God. There’s lots of humor and hijinks during those time travel experiences. The novel ends with the author foreshadowing a possible sequel. I hope there is a sequel! While he does poke fun at sacred cows, especially Christian cows, he makes Jesus Christ come alive as a human being with his own doubts and insecurities (something I can relate to!).
Recommend this book highly. It’s not a heavy-duty read ( I read it in three hours), and it really made me think about why I believe what I believe. The Interview inspires me to really reflect on life as a daily adventure. I hope to see more from this author.
Recommend this book highly. It’s not a heavy-duty read ( I read it in three hours), and it really made me think about why I believe what I believe. The Interview inspires me to really reflect on life as a daily adventure. I hope to see more from this author.
June 8, 2020
This story offered some insight into what a supreme being might really be thinking, rather than all gloom and doom, sinning, heaven and hell, etc. I found that to be uplifting, because that's more my way of thinking, as well as I am always questioning organized religion and what Jesus the prophet was really all about. I did not find it at all offensive. I'd probably give this a 3.5-star rating.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews