I finished reading Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Jesus' Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore.
Wow. I expected this to be lighthearted fare; it isn't. To be fair, there is much dry humor, several laugh-out-loud moments and it certainly doesn't qualify as super-serious. But this there is a real depth to this book that I was not expecting.
Biff, true to the title, was the best friend of Jesus from the age of 6 through his death. The book begins with the angel Raziel resurrecting Biff in the present time in order to have him write his own account of Jesus' life -- locking him in a hotel room with pen and paper until it's done. There's a minor story arc around Biff and Raziel in the present, but 95% of the story is what Biff writes.
Biff's gospel attempts to answer the question "What was Jesus doing all those years?" And all the nagging questions that those of us who endured Catholic upbringing constantly wondered about: did he always know he was the Messiah? How did he learn how to be a Messiah? What was it like to be a kid who could perform miracles? Did he ever goof off? Was he a hormonal teenager like the rest of us?
Biff is one of us -- a normal kid, trying to get through life in a strict Jewish community under Roman occupation. Screw up, and either the Pharisees try to have you stoned, or the Romans crucify you. He buddies up with Jesus, and things are never the same. And oh by the way, he has a crush on Mary, Jesus's mom.
We get to see Jesus through Biff's eyes as the two of them grow up and struggle to find and understand Jesus' higher calling. We follow along as they go in search of the three wise men and learn important lessons. And we get to see Jesus learn to preach his message.
Moore writes in the afterword that while he researched heavily for this book (he did, and it really shows) it is JUST A STORY. He is not claiming, nor is anyone else claiming, that it happened the way Biff writes it.
I found this book entrancing, and incredibly difficult to put down (even though I knew what would happen in the end). It was not at al the book I thought it would be; it was much, much better, and I highly recommend it.
I haven't picked a next book yet, mainly because I can't figure out what would be appropriate reading after Lamb. But I'll let y'all know when I do.
10:07:08 PM  ; ;
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