Following Yonder Star in Ask Martin Gibbs

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Dec 19, 2012 Richard rated it really liked it

Shelves: reviewed, christianity, 2013, america, by-gr-x-friends, collaborated-on-it, ebooks-other, biblical-fiction

Review copy kindly provided by author and GR friend, Martin Gibbs, whose works on Voltaire I have read with delight.

In Robertson Davies' novel The Rebel Angels, Yerko, the Romani uncle of Maria, goes to New York and sees a Nativity play which features, among other things, the Adoration of the Magi. Unexpectedly impressed and touched to the heart by this, he comes home and sets up a creche of his own, explaining to visitors that the Wise Men brought to the "Bebby Jesus" gifts of "gold, frank inn Review copy kindly provided by author and GR friend, Martin Gibbs, whose works on Voltaire I have read with delight.

In Robertson Davies' novel The Rebel Angels, Yerko, the Romani uncle of Maria, goes to New York and sees a Nativity play which features, among other things, the Adoration of the Magi. Unexpectedly impressed and touched to the heart by this, he comes home and sets up a creche of his own, explaining to visitors that the Wise Men brought to the "Bebby Jesus" gifts of "gold, frank innocence and mirth."

"Sancta simplicitas," said Darcourt, [a visitor who is also an Anglican priest and a professor of New Testament Greek] raising his eyes to mine. "If only there were more Mirth in the message He has left to us. We miss it sadly, in the world we have made. And Frank Innocence. Oh, Yerko, you dear man."

And although Yerko's version is technically a bit off, he shows that he has managed nonetheless to extract something of value from the traditional story.

On beginning Martin Gibbs' version of this story, I was not quite sure what to expect. I had read some farcical stories of his before, so I knew he had a well-developed sense of humour. And I had picked up some information about the book. But it was something of an adventure--perhaps a continuation of "the year of reading dangerously"?

What Gibbs presents here is not a dry retelling of the Scriptural account. Nor is it a bizarre recasting of the characters so as to warp (or time-warp) them out of all recognition. He follows, and imaginatively reworks a medieval account of the story by John of Hildesheim. And along the way, he tries to lift the Magi off the stained-glass windows and make them into believable people. He has been largely successful in this; the kings emerge as human beings with real quirks and vulnerabilities. Their confrontations with the forces of evil not only remind me of the Gospel account of the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, but also of the miraculous and strange events recounted in New Testament apocryphal stories of the infancy of Christ. In this way, Gibbs is true both to the Scriptures and to his secondary medieval source.

He tells us where they are from, how they meet and become friends, and the way in which they discover the portentous star and set off on their journey to discover where, or to Whom, it leads. Along the way they face dangers, hardships and temptations.

If anything, perhaps the kings rule in too benevolent a way even before their encounter with Christ. However, these details were possibly put in to heighten the contrast between the wise men and the unenlightened despot Herod.

A surprising amount of research went into this book, as you will see if you read the back matter. And Martin's humour, while not irreverent, is definitely present.

But he does not presume to give us a definite statement as to the exact identity or eventual fate of his heroes. What he does is to make us think more deeply about the story. Like Davies' Yerko, but perhaps with a little more insight, we are meant to extract deeper lessons about seeking after Truth and Light.
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Nov 23, 2012 Miriam rated it liked it

Shelves: first-reads

An interesting and creative look at the three wise men and their journey. I received this as a goodreads giveaway.

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