Title: Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff
Author: Christopher Moore
Genre: Historical: Other
If I try to explain this book, I kind of sound like I'm on something rather exceptional, but this book really rocked my world. If you ask me about it in person, I'll gesture with my hands and make Good Book Noise™ and try to explain how much this book changed the way I view things. I converted from Episcopalianism to Judaism 13 years ago, but this book, which I read about 12 years ago, made me appreciate my former faith and culture, my current faith and culture, and, most importantly, the way in which thinking of Christ as a person instead of as a mythic figure can change the way one understands the various interpretations of Christ.
The basic premise is that the angels resurrect Levi, known as Biff, who was Christ's best friend during the missing years of the gospel – better known as Jesus' adolescence. The angels stick Biff in a hotel room and ask him to write down his gospel, and the story found in the missing years of the gospel is hilarious, sad, and at times eyebrow-raising in the absurdity. If you like absurd humor (of which Moore is a master) and you are open to having your view of Christ reshaped a good bit, this book might blow your mind like it has mine. If nothing else, you'll understand why Jews eat Chinese food on Christmas.
It's $1.99 at Amazon, BN, and at the iBookstore.
This is one of my most favorite non-romance novels. I love this book. I hope you'll give it a try.
The birth of Jesus has been well chronicled, as have his glorious teachings, acts, and divine sacrifice after his thirtieth birthday. But no one knows about the early life of the Son of God, the missing years — except Biff, the Messiah's best bud, who has been resurrected to tell the story in the divinely hilarious yet heartfelt work “reminiscent of Vonnegut and Douglas Adams” (Philadelphia Inquirer).
Verily, the story Biff has to tell is a miraculous one, filled with remarkable journeys, magic, healings, kung fu, corpse reanimations, demons, and hot babes. Even the considerable wiles and devotion of the Savior's pal may not be enough to divert Joshua from his tragic destiny. But there's no one who loves Josh more — except maybe “Maggie,” Mary of Magdala — and Biff isn't about to let his extraordinary pal suffer and ascend without a fight.
I love, love, LOVE this book! It’s one of my favorite non-romance novels too! I already own it in paperback, but I am seriously considering shelling out $2 for a digital copy so that I can always have it with me.
Wow, I thought you were Jewish from birth. No idea you had converted to Judaism. I definitely won’t read it. Religion is not my cup of tea.
http://sveta-randomblog.blogsp…
This book is so great, I laughed out loud so many times while reading! It made me wish I’d paid more attention in Sunday school back in the day, so I could catch even more of the “inside jokes.” I am not a religious person at all, but I was made to go to church as a kid. While I know many who would be offended by the irreverent nature of this story, I absolutely loved it.
Another excellent one if you enjoyed Lamb is Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Hilarious book about the end times.
Ahhhh I want to buy it (I was sold as soon as it said reminiscent of Douglas Adams and Kurt Vonnegut) but it’s not available on NZ ibooks (andI have credit, so can’t change to the US store) and it’s like $9 on Amazon for me :c I loathe the stupid country differences. I can understand with actual paper copies, but ebooks makes no sense! Is there such thing as a nook app for iphone? I can’t seem to find one…
I’ve got the Nook app on my iphone. I got it from the App store on my phone, search using ‘Nook’.
I adore Christopher Moore, ‘specially Bloodsucking Fiends which has accompanied me on every commercial flight I’ve taken since the mid-90’s when I first read it. I’m not sure how it became a good luck talisman, but I don’t fly without it. I’m on my 4th copy coz I keep leaving them on the plane.
I just got shot over to this site from a friend after we had been mocking a trashy romance novel. And this is the first post I found.
I read Lamb about 8 years ago, I think. I grew up on the gospel according to Jesus Christ, Superstar, so my religious upbringing has been curious to say the least. With stops along the way in a variety of Christ-centric religions, I’ve never quite fit in.
This book was the most profoundly moving, hysterically funny, sad, amazing thing I’ve ever read. I’m not the least bit ashamed to say I cried at the end of it.
So thanks for writing an awesome review. I love Christopher Moore, but he was truly inspired with Lamb.
I describe myself as a pagan atheist and I loved Lamb.
Christopher Moore is genius. This book has a permanent spot on our bookshelf.
My favorite Christopher Moore and the most wonderful interpretation of the life of Jesus. Believer or not, you kind of long for this guy to be real.
Best Book Ever!!!! Especially for those of us who are Christians but don’t see why we should have to ingest patriarchal shenanigans along with the Host.
Cbeta, if you don’t read this book, it’s your loss. I dare you not to break a lung laughing at the baptism scene.
Good Omens is also a brilliant book, but my favorite what-religion-is book is Terry Pratchett’s “Small Gods”. It should be required reading for children (along with Jingo, The Truth and Interesting Times)
Bah! This book is $11.99 on the Canadian version of Kobo, plus it won’t let me use any promo codes 🙁
The Fairy Godmother: Another Pratchett book I’d add, would be Carpe Jugulum.
And Small Gods
I adore this book. I picked it up on a whim when I was browsing in a bookstore one day, looking for something a little different. Boy, did I find it! As a Jew, this book touched me in the way it tells a great story and explains some customs, like the whole Chinese food on Christmas thing. As a writer, it showed me that you can be absolutely hilarious, even when dealing with serious topics AND you can do it with class and respect for both the subject matter and your readers. I often recommend LAMB to friends and have always heard back that it was thoroughly enjoyed.
Both my husband and I loved this book. Thanks for the reminder – I think I’ll read it again.
What’s it actually called? I’ve tried on mine and can’t find it!!