Rating: 
Summary: Irreverent Reverence
Review: Having read all of Christopher Moore's other books, I wondered how he would treat the "missing" years in the life of Christ. Not to worry. Levi known as Biff is the irreverent one in this fictional account of those years from age 6 to age 30. Moore's thorough research into some of the world's oldest religious movements shows through and allows an educated reader to see some of the commonalities among them. And he treats Jesus (Joshua) with respect while presenting him as a human young man struggling with his divinity. Literalists may find some offensive elements in the book, but my own personal faith is strong enough to believe that God has a sense of humor (he did create the platypus, after all). Yes, the reader must suspend disbelief in order to approach this novel, but he must suspend disbelief in order to read most fictional works. Christopher Moore is a craftsman when it comes to creating images that stick with us and there are a number of moving scenes, especially when he gets into Joshua's ministry. Mr. Moore has a section of notes following the story that increase his credibility in explaining living conditions 2000 years ago. If you skip these, you are missing a critical part of the book.
Rating:
Summary: Hilarious , educational and a good read
Review: Christopher Moore, humorist and author, must have some sort-of death wish - writing about Jesus' first 30 years - the years after his miraculous birth but before the Bible picks up again through to his untimely death. Either way, this book was well worth the damnation of his eternal soul. The central character, Levi, but his friends call him Biff, is raised from the dead by the not-so swift Angel Raziel, in order to write a new testament to the bible discussing Joshua's, or Jesus as he is known to most, early years. Biff meets and consequently becomes the "messiah's" best friend when Biff comes across Josh "resurrecting" a frog that his little brother keeps bashing in the head with a rock. Lamb covers the many trials and tribulations of Biff and Josh's escapades - they meet (and subsequently fall in love with) Mary Magdalene (or Maggie), they go on a quest to find the three magi who came to see Jesus' birth and learn some interesting and different things from these wise men and the reader learns how Josh recruits his disciples all while flashing back to Biff in current times trying to sneak a look at the bible (to learn what has happened to his friends) hidden in the hotel's bedside table without arousing the arch-angel Raziel's wrath. Moore takes pleasure in relating the "human-ness" of Josh - he acts like a boy not a savior while trying to accept his fate as the savior of mankind and teach others "the way". The interesting thing that Moore does with this book is show the boys learning about other religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism and yoga and to see how these fit into Christianity as it is taught today - it is interesting to see that the religion is made up of parts of each of the other main religions at the time of Jesus. This book is very well written - in a style that only Moore could get away with - his trademark wit and wisdom can be found sprinkled throughout Lamb. After reading this book, one wonders why no one thought to write something like this before.
Rating: 
Summary: Touching Subject
Review: All the praises the author receives for writing a well researched, biblically informed book can't hide that fact the book was down right entertaining. I really appreciated the fact that while the book was humorous and didn't hesitate to poke fun at some of the aspects of life and society at the time of Jesus it never belittled Jesus or his faithful followers. Now, it is true I don't offend easily so saying I wasn't offended won't mean much but I don't enjoy the mean-spirited and this book was anything but that. It was bound together by affection, the affection of the author for his subjects and the affection of Biff for his best friend - Jesus H. Christ.
Rating:
Summary: Technically flawed, but gloriously entertaining.
Review: The surprising part of Christopher Moore's "Lamb" is not that it's riotously funny. That much should be made clear from the book's cheeky subtitle. No, the big revelation of Moore's book is how touching and (dare I say it) faithful the book is-- if not to stuffy, rigid Christian dogma, then to the spirit and ideals of Jesus himself. The mercifully small subset of Christians who see religion as an excuse to stop thinking for themselves will doubtlessly be outraged by any story in which the Son of God learns kung fu, gets roaring drunk on miracle wine, hangs out with the Abominable Snowman, and plays good-natured practical jokes on his apostles. Hopefully, most Christians and secular readers alike will instead appreciate that Moore plays fair with Jesus; he's a kind, loving, truly heroic figure, both human and divine, who struggles with his destiny but never denies it. His guileless, down-to-earth interactions with Biff, Maggie and the apostles are laugh-out-loud funny, as are Biff's wry insights into how Judo got its name, or the favorite cuisine of his chosen people when celebrating Jesus' birthday. (Moore fans will also thrill to a welcome cameo appearance by the main character of one of his previous books.) The wheels on "Lamb" start to come off as the Crucifixion approaches; the plotting gets murky and mechanical, and the book's deflated climax plays out like a bad Hollywood ending. But the book as a whole is triumphantly funny and enlightening. "Lamb" will heartily entertain even non-religious readers (like myself), and may even kindle a deeper respect and admiration for Jesus and the convictions for which he died.
Rating:
Summary: Well Researched!
Review: I can only imagine how long this guy spent reading the Bible and researching societal conditions and historical happenings of the time. This was my first Christopher Moore novel, and I have to say, his knowledge is impressive. Mixing fiction and religion is dangerous stuff ... and Moore did a careful job of making sure no one could call him a heretic. The entire novel is humorous, yes, but he does nothing to subtract from "the glory of Christ." Biff provides most of the humor, lies where necessary, and teaches Jesus about sex. These two kids have a most extraordinary journey, (Christopher Moore's storytelling abilities are amazing), and it's all told from the eyes of Biff. There are quite a few laugh-out-loud sections, and the adventure will have you turning pages. (It's a two or three day read.) It makes Christianity and God, (but usually not Jesus, mind you), seem much more lighthearted. There's no blasphemy here, and Jesus is just as wonderful and loving as you thought he was, though, during childhood, his games with Biff make him all the more human. It's a pretty good read, and it's pretty funny. The subject was a difficult task, and Christopher more accomplished it well. Go ahead, read it.
Rating:
Summary: Laugh out Loud Fun
Review: This is one of the funnies books I've ever read. It is laugh-out loud kind of a book, that will get you looks on a NYC Subway. I always wondered what did Jesus do as a kid and Christopher Moore's imagination tells a great story. Since I've bought the book I've been lending it to all my friends and co-workers. If you want a fast and funny read on a gloomy day, this is the book for you.
Rating:
Summary: Fun with faith
Review: No less an authority than Ralph Waldo Emerson said one of the chief failings of contemporary Christianity was that it emphasized the myth of Christ over the actual historical figure of Jesus. Fortunately, Christopher Moore has decided to present us with his own vision of Jesus's human side, as told by his resurrected best friend, Levi bar Alphaeus who is called Biff. Moore has a well-earned reputation as a silly writer, but with "Lamb" he manages to apply his bizarre sense of humor to some more serious subject matter. "Lamb" is a sort of strange combination of adventure, religious satire, screwball comedy, and heavy philosophy. At turns it's funny, at other turns it's plaintive, and sometimes it's just odd, but it's always a fun read. After meeting as kids in Galilee, Biff and Jesus (or Joshua, as he's known in this narrative) embark on an epic journey that takes them all over Asia and back again. Joshua struggles to figure out how to fill his role as the Messiah, learning along the way from wise men and Buddhist monks.
Moore, as one could imagine from a writer with his imagination, has a lot of fun constructing his own version of Jesus's world as it existed two thousand years ago. He fills his narrative with innumerable humorous details of everyday life (the kids playing a game of "stone the adulteress" is one especially hilarious moment), and it's amusing to hear Biff tell how he and Joshua brought the world such inventions as sarcasm, cafe latte, and Judo. Silly as it can be, "Lamb" is surprisingly thoughtful, even touching, at some moments. Even though he's the son of God, it's still easy to symphathize with Joshua's struggle to find his way in life. Moore also makes "Lamb" a tale of friendship, capturing the complexities of the relationship between Joshua, Biff, and Mary Magdalene (Biff loves Mary, Mary loves Joshua, Joshua can't know woman, so you get the idea). Really, though, it's the philosophy and theology that make this book. As presented by Moore, Joshua has a completely inclusive view of religion, heavily indebted to Eastern thought (especially Buddhism). Against the skepticism of those who know him, even the Apostles, Joshua sets out to save the souls of all people, not just the Jews who have been "chosen" by God. I was a history major in college, and I can say with reasonable certainty that the world would've been a better place if more people subscribed to the tolerant view of religion set forth in "Lamb." It's too bad that many of those who call themselves religious don't know or care enough about the teachings of Jesus, but "Lamb" is a good reminder of what he stood for, especially if you want a laugh.
Rating:
Summary: Christopher Moore at his best
Review: No need for a long winded review. A great book. This is Christopher Moore at his best. It's a book about friendship, love, faith and of course humor. Been needing a great book to read? Well, this is it.
Rating:
Summary: If you ever need a laugh about religion....
Review: This book was one of the best I've read in a loooong time. It started off as a hysterical tale about Jesus and his pal, Biff. It ended with a more serious tone. It couldn't put it down and was saddened when I finished. Moore doesn't besmirch the accepted legacy of Jesus, instead he offers some ideas about the early life of Christ. We all know he wasn't born 30 years old, but what did he do? Where did he go? The records of his life were wiped out when the Library of Alexandria was burned to the ground. He certainly fills in the holes admirably as there is no doubt in my mind that he visited the orient and coopted Buddhist and Hindu philosophies into his teachings. But the star of this book was Biff. He is the loveable, loyal pal everyone should have. The author makes him so good-hearted and so flawed that you wish he was your friend. He is a non-stop riot. Moore's portrayal of Mary Magdalene (Maggie) was fantastic. It's a fresh perspective on a woman who I've always felt has gotten short-changed in her role in history. The adventures our heroes experience are fun, irreverant and exciting. In the end, Moore comes back to the story of Christ's last days and respects the standard Gospels. Because of this there's no way to keep the laughs going all the way to the end, but he comes pretty close. The last chapters are serious and because we know what's coming there's an ominous feel to them. There's plenty of everything throughout the story though, including sex, humor and insight into our lives. It's a book you will enjoy reading and probably come back to read again.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Impulse Buy -- I'll Admit It!
Review: This book turned out to be one of the best impulse buys of my life. It is a hilarious look at how the first 30 years of Jesus' life might have happened. The three main characters, Joshua (Jesus), Biff, and Maggie (Mary Magdelene) are very well thought out and presented to us in a way that is both laugh-out-loud hysterical and believable at the same time. Many have said that faithful Christians might have a hard time accepting this book. Many of us do have open minds though. As one of those faithful Christians I believe that Christopher Moore did a wonderful job of presenting Jesus' human side without belittling his divinity at all. I only have a few minor complaints. Moore spends the first two thirds of the book building out a relationship between Biff and the angel, Raziel. Then in the last third no more is mentioned of this relationship. Secondly, I don't think that having Joshua curse at times in the book helped out any. I think he could have been just as effective and funny without the language. Besides, Biff cursed enough for the two of them. Finally, the ending was much more bittersweet and serious than the rest of the book. I suppose this isn't a problem though because as much as it bothered me It has made it impossible for me to get the book out of my mind. Something tells me that is exactly what Christopher Moore intended. Buy this book! You'll trully enjoy it. I'd also like to recommend another Amazon quick pick: The Losers' Club by Richard Perez
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