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A review by snehalees
Damascus by Christos Tsiolkas
5.0
Just finished this insane undertaking of a book. It is an overwhelming book; in the way it captures the violence and inhumanity of the time and space within which Saul lived and moved; in the way Tsiolkas inhabits the characters and conveys their helplessness, their strength, their regret, their pain – oh the immense pain – and their hope.
I really appreciated Tsiolkas’ unique but informed take on the early Christians and how he explores homosexuality, depression, doubt, suicide, infanticide - things that the New Testament or the church doesn’t really dwell on. And I love how the cover art [Converstion on the Way to Damascus by Caravaggio (1601)] mirrors the breathtaking movement between light and shade/darkness in the book.
I wept as I read this. My hand was on my chest as I read this. And I honestly feel like something in me changed as I read. At the moment, I am full of gratitude for this book and I will be thinking about it for a very long time.
Having said that, I set out to read it purely as a work of fiction and have not critiqued it from a historical/theological point of view, nor do I want to. I understand that people might take issue with aspects of the narrative but those things don't bother me as I was interested in the story regardless of how much "truth" it holds.
I really appreciated Tsiolkas’ unique but informed take on the early Christians and how he explores homosexuality, depression, doubt, suicide, infanticide - things that the New Testament or the church doesn’t really dwell on. And I love how the cover art [Converstion on the Way to Damascus by Caravaggio (1601)] mirrors the breathtaking movement between light and shade/darkness in the book.
I wept as I read this. My hand was on my chest as I read this. And I honestly feel like something in me changed as I read. At the moment, I am full of gratitude for this book and I will be thinking about it for a very long time.
Having said that, I set out to read it purely as a work of fiction and have not critiqued it from a historical/theological point of view, nor do I want to. I understand that people might take issue with aspects of the narrative but those things don't bother me as I was interested in the story regardless of how much "truth" it holds.