The Gospel According to Jesus Christ

Rating:
Summary: The opinion of a 16 year-old boy from Portugal
Review: The book "The Gospel According to Jesus Christ" was just fantastic, as the others I've already read from José Saramago. I'm portuguese, which means I read the original version. I don't know, but I'm assuming the translations are good, because Saramago's writing style is already hard in portuguese, so... Anyway, the book focus on a very delicate point, and the way Saramago expressed his feelings caused him the excomunnion. He didn't really matter, as we can see he's not a religious person... But I just think he worked hard to achieve his Nobel, and this book has lots of historical references, many of them absolutely true, and just tells the history of that magnificent man that our society will never really know. I advise anyone to read the book.

Rating:
Summary: A new version for an old story
Review: A great book, both for open minded believers and non-believers. It tells the story of Jesus life in a prosaic way. It is a story about life, death and fate. According to the author Jesus is more a man then a God and, like any other man, many times doesn't understand God's reasons but, although he tries, he can't oppose to God's will. There is a long dialog among Jesus, God and the Devil, the three of them on a boat surrounded by mist, which is very intense. In many parts it is strongly ironical and very witty. Some description are really accurate and full of details. It is a book that, after being read, leaves the reader with something to think about.

Rating:
Summary: Why Not?
Review: What a provocative and powerful book! Jesus may have been the son of God, but he was also merely a man and this book delves into what life may have been like for the man who was the son of God. If you are deeply religious or dogmatic, you may find certain passages in the book blasphemous, but if you can accept the book as a work of fiction, an exceptional one at that, I think you'll find yourself enthralled and unable to stop reading. My own beliefs and attitudes about God and religion are continually evolving, as such, interpretations of the accepted dogma and fables always intrigue me. Saramongo's writing is poetic and mysterious. It's clear that Saramongo researched the bible, Jewish history, and the origins of Christianity. Even though you know how the story will end before you start reading, each page and section of the book is like a revelation. A 5 star book if there ever was one.

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Summary: Maravilhosa simplicidade
Review: It`s the third Saramago I read, and it`s the best. He exposes his ideas in the simplest way, although difficult to read, and they are all true, as anyone who sees the news around the world can notice. The formlessness in this book is one of its most attractive features. One has to pay much attention to follow the dialogues. The very long sentences give me the impression that the man is talking directly to me, in a casual conversation. I had the occasion to hear him in my town, and he gave exactly the same impression of simplicity. He had received the Nobel prize not long before and was absolutely tired with all the conferences and meetings that ensued. For me this quick conference had a special value, because it was funny when someone had to "translate" Portuguese Portuguese to Brazilian Portuguese. It added so much interest. (the review is for the Brazilian edition)

Rating:
Summary: perturbador
Review: Este libro es perturbador, pero asi deben ser los libros escritos cuandon buscan indagar un tema hasta el fondo y en este caso el autor aunque fantasea a veces, nos presenta lo que podria haber pasado a grandes rasgos en la vida de jesus de la cual tenemos poca informacion a no ser la que esta en la biblia que lo muestra sin cara o rostro, desprovisto de descripcion corporal, y con solo unos años de su vida al descubierto. Esta novela, nos muestra a jesus sintiendo miedo, dudas, en incluso en conflicto con sus hermanos, engañado por dios y por el diablo que rigen nuestros destinos y nos tienen como marionetas de su juego, cada uno necesitando del otro para poder subsistir. es un buen libro, aunque no se como lo tomara la comunidad cristiana, no es para nada blasfemo. Muestra a un hombre como Saramago, usando hasta el limite su libre albedrio para hayar las respuestas o si no al menos para indagar hasta el fondo de ellas. Es un libro escrito en una bella prosa, imitacion de la biblia y del lenguaje poetico, un poco barroco a veces, pero siempre ameno e interesante

LUIS MENDEZ [e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: Divinely Inspired
Review: I don't think many works compare to this one on a scale of pure inspiration. Mr. Saramago has taken a beautiful story - that of the life of Jesus Christ - and has transformed it into a work of tragic poetry through a screen of realism and skepticism. The whole concept of Christianity is summed up simply in a plight for power, the devil and God represented as two sides of the same coin, and Jesus as the chosen pawn to carry out a selfish God's will. However, this is a book very much intended for the devout as much as for the non believer. Saramago touches upon some incredibly insightful points in his literary quest that are beneficial to both the religious and nonreligious. To the religious Saramago offers a challenge, a test of faith against logic. To the nonreligious, Saramago offers justification and comfort. To both Saramago offers a journey into a literary world very deserving of the Nobel prize he received.

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Summary: Jesus Christ's Life Made Real by Saramago, the Genius
Review: I was raised amid a curious religious whiplash due to experiencing both Catholicism and Protestantism because of my parents' divorces and remarriages, so I came to this book with a little bit of cynicism and a lot of hope. I wanted desparately to see Jesus Christ in a clear and loving light, not the common, goofy glow often cast by the silly modern American preachers to whom I'd been forced to listen for so many years. Saramago's novel begins with a poetic word portrait of a painting of the famous crucifixion and ends it (we all know how it ends!) with the same event retold in his own brilliant and powerful fashion. This book is the first of Saramago's I have read, and having experienced it, I will go on to read all of his novels.

The Jesus we meet in this novel is real, and it doesn't matter what one's religious background or belief, this telling is believeable and inspiring. The third person narrator, We, provides the story behind the story abridged by modern religion while renewing and creating metaphors that tell this beautiful tale with passion, humorous asides, entertaining irony and compassion. Saramago's Christ is a real person with depth and personality and heart. He is a Christ we can see as a man and a son of God--one we can imagine actually living and experiencing the horrific events we have learned about through organized religion. The difference is this: Saramago is a brilliant writer with both vision and education. His passion is his own miracle in retelling Christ's life, and he fills it with magic and thoroughly philosophical and extraordinary considerations. Jesus Christ's conversations with all of the historical characters in this book are mesmerizing.

Reading this book, I was deeply awed by this writer's talent. It is one of the finest novels I have ever read and contains passages that absolutely stunned me and which I read and reread and will reread for years to come. If you are searching for a novel that will truly blow your mind, look no further. Saramago is a genius.

Rating:
Summary: OUTSTANDING
Review: I decided to read this book in Portuguese since i didn't want to miss any nuances in the language that sometimes makes translations miss it's essence. This is truly one of the best books I have ever read! One can clearly see why Saramago was excomunicated by the Portuguese church (he had to flee to th Canary Islands). It was very brave of him to write this book. I can certainly see why he won the Nobel prize. I loved his version of the Gospel and the Good vs. Evil theory. This will be my Bible from now on...surely it makes more sense to me! What can I say? I LOVED IT! Bravo Senhor Jose Saramogo. Como uma Portuguesa tenho muito orgulho em si. E viva Portugal!

Rating:
Summary: a second look at God's omnipotence
Review: Saramago has written a lyrical work about God but his approach is far from being the traditional one. He has brought forward the theme of equality between God and the Devil. We are reminded that good cannot exist without evil. Thus the omnipotence of God is questioned. Only through the sufferings and deaths of marthyrs can God strive to reign over all. Saramago's list of sufferings seems endless yet we know that it is only an infinitessimal fraction of the actual sufferings of the world due to religious wars. Jesus meets God on a lake surrounded by thick fog in a hauntingly mysterious scene that will accompany us until the last page of the book. Saramago is a genius.

Rating:
Summary: I ONLY PUT THE BOOK DOWN TO WRITE THIS REVIEW
Review: I am in the middle of reading this novel, but I had to put it down to write this recommendation. Everyone should read this book! This is the most beautifully written text I've ever read. It is a moving, suspensful, and thought-provoking telling of a story that most of us have already heard. Saramago puts his own unique spin on the story. I can't wait to see how it ends! READ THIS BOOK!