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anton_chigurh's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
kcrouth's review against another edition
4.0
This is an excellent story, or rather, myth. I loved the creativity and the issues that it raised.
A few of the many moving and insightful quotes that i liked:
"make history the handmaid of posterity and not its governor"- p.99
"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 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?" - p.199
This is a worthy read, i recommend it!
A few of the many moving and insightful quotes that i liked:
"make history the handmaid of posterity and not its governor"- p.99
"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 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?" - p.199
This is a worthy read, i recommend it!
brownsugar39's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lexisunshine's review against another edition
fast-paced
4.0
Loved: the premise of Jesus and Christ being twins as opposed to a singular child and how it explores how the word of the Lord is so easily twisted to fit an ideal and agenda.
Didn’t love: that I kept mixing up Jesus and Christ lol
Didn’t love: that I kept mixing up Jesus and Christ lol
libellum_aphrodite's review against another edition
2.0
While a fast and interesting read (I read it in one short go on a plane from Chicago to Paris), I felt like, unlike the book jacket claimed, this isn't really "plausible" since some mysterious angel/man/we-aren't-sure figure comes and visits Jesus' twin brother Christ telling him what he should do. That character left much to be desired, to say the least. While I agree with Pullman's stance on how the Church corrupted and manipulated for it's own purposes what Jesus did and that the Bible isn't 100% true, but written in many ways to satisfy the needs of the early Church, Pullman beats the reader over the head a bit too much with this message. He gets the same idea across in His Dark Materials with much more subtlety and grace and sounding much more like a compelling story then a overly lesson-laced parable. He's approximately as guilty of story manipulation as he accuses Christ of being.
I did enjoy the bit where the "angel of God" comes to Mary and says (my paraphrase), "Don't worry, I'm an angel, not a man; this isn't a sin, it's the will of God."
I did enjoy the bit where the "angel of God" comes to Mary and says (my paraphrase), "Don't worry, I'm an angel, not a man; this isn't a sin, it's the will of God."
boodrow's review against another edition
As a literary exercise, I just don’t get it. But then again, I’m absolutely not the target reader. In my view, the quest to find a ‘historical Jesus’ is an effort to legitimise a fantasy, a way to add mass to something that is, by its nature, intangible.
blushingbearsandbees's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
radomu's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting re-telling of the Gospels with quite significant differences from the original. Not Pullman's best work for sure, but still enjoyable enough to finish.
hana_ko's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jamessmith82's review against another edition
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0