Rating: 
Summary: Dazzling Work of Fiction(?)
Review: One of the reasons this story is so tantalizing is that there exists rumors and semi-evidence of several "fifth" Gospels. The story had several unique features - from the reprinted "Gospel" to the political aspects (far-fetched) to the addresses by God ("We think..."). I have often thought this would make an excellent movie on the order of Sagan's "Contact" but in retrospect I can see Hollywood introducing sex, emphasize the change of locales and the chase and downplay the intellectual/religious aspects of the story. If a theater cannot show Kazanzaki's "The Last Temptation of Christ" (a soaring, beautiful work) then how could they show a tale that purports that Jesus never rose from the dead? The writing is just superb, the research impressive, and even the footnotes within the Gospel seemed to enhance instead of detract from the saga. Buy this for a snowy weekend and enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating and funny
Review: Simply put, I did not enjoy this book as much as some of the other reviewers obviously did. As it contains more that 700 pages, the book provides a virtual around-the-world-in-80-days adventure quest involving a young graduate student in search of her errant mentor, an aging theology professor financed by the University of Chicago to lay hands on a missing gospel of one of the original disciples of Jesus. Sadly, the novel's most troubled aspect is in its trite characterizations. Lucy, the grad student represents the quintessential Catholic school girl laden with Irish Catholic guilt while Paddy, the professor in his deluded quest for notarity in the academic world, soaks himself with alcohol from all points of the globe. The only character worthwhile, the Holy Spirit, speaks in asides which are insightful and mildly amusing.
However, if you can get past the rather annoying personalities of the two main characters, focus on the gospel itself that heads each of the major chapter breaks, and enjoy how its revelation awakens the protagonists to their real missions in life, then the book can be called successful.
I was recommended this book after having read the www.Amazon.com reviews of "The Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown. I must say that I was mislead; the books have little in common--Brown's style is much breezier, more in the adventure/screenplay genre--his focus is mainly on the unfolding mystery. Barnhardt's epistle deals more with the change in his characters than the actual plot--I think I would have liked more plot and less character. Barnhardt's resolution at the last chapter called "The Promised Land" mercifully comes off as campy in an otherwise seemingly serious tale of two lost souls that find their way back to an ever patient Holy Spirit.
Barnhardt's research combined with his imagination makes the book seem factual--it is his immense database of knowledge that urges the reader forward through to the end.
Recommended to those who like conspiracy theories and hidden ancient mysteries.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Premise, Tired Characters
Review: Simply put, I did not enjoy this book as much as some of the other reviewers obviously did. As it contains more that 700 pages, the book provides a virtual around-the-world-in-80-days adventure quest involving a young graduate student in search of her errant mentor, an aging theology professor financed by the University of Chicago to lay hands on a missing gospel of one of the original disciples of Jesus. Sadly, the novel's most troubled aspect is in its trite characterizations. Lucy, the grad student represents the quintessential Catholic school girl laden with Irish Catholic guilt while Paddy, the professor in his deluded quest for notarity in the academic world, soaks himself with alcohol from all points of the globe. The only character worthwhile, the Holy Spirit, speaks in asides which are insightful and mildly amusing.
However, if you can get past the rather annoying personalities of the two main characters, focus on the gospel itself that heads each of the major chapter breaks, and enjoy how its revelation awakens the protagonists to their real missions in life, then the book can be called successful.
I was recommended this book after having read the www.Amazon.com reviews of "The Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown. I must say that I was mislead; the books have little in common--Brown's style is much breezier, more in the adventure/screenplay genre--his focus is mainly on the unfolding mystery. Barnhardt's epistle deals more with the change in his characters than the actual plot--I think I would have liked more plot and less character. Barnhardt's resolution at the last chapter called "The Promised Land" mercifully comes off as campy in an otherwise seemingly serious tale of two lost souls that find their way back to an ever patient Holy Spirit.
Barnhardt's research combined with his imagination makes the book seem factual--it is his immense database of knowledge that urges the reader forward through to the end.
Recommended to those who like conspiracy theories and hidden ancient mysteries.
Rating:
Summary: An uphill read that's worth the effort
Review: This book is... bizarre. Pieces of it are good old-fashioned novel; they whiz by like beach reading. Pieces of it are irreverent to the point of offensive, which did a great job of putting that bemused "I was about to chuckle but I'm not sure it would be polite" look on my face. And the offensiveness is relevant, as it is supported by detailed footnotes about religious history that are weird enough to raise your eyebrows right off your head. The footnotes read like... well, like footnotes, slow going. You've gotta want to know. But after a few pages, you realize you *do* want to know. If Wilton Barnhardt were a career theologian, or if the book were nonfiction, I'd know how much of the footnote information to believe. As it's a work of fiction and as Barnhardt has, from all I've read, not concentrated on religion, per se, during his career, I'm left wondering how much of his background material is fact and how much is fiction. It's an important question; the book has huge emotional impact, and a lot of that impact comes from the assumption the reader naturally makes that the footnotes are factual. The thing that balances out the irreverence and the potential offensiveness of this book is the incredible warmth and heart with which Barnhardt treats his main characters. The real story of this book is the love that each flawed person deserves. The real story of this book is the feeling I came away with: that I was, in spite of my flaws, loveable. Any book that can make you feel that way is well worth buying.
Rating:
Summary: An uphill read that's worth the effort
Review: This book is... bizarre. Pieces of it are good old-fashioned novel; they whiz by like beach reading. Pieces of it are irreverent to the point of offensive, which did a great job of putting that bemused "I was about to chuckle but I'm not sure it would be polite" look on my face. And the offensiveness is relevant, as it is supported by detailed footnotes about religious history that are weird enough to raise your eyebrows right off your head. The footnotes read like... well, like footnotes, slow going. You've gotta want to know. But after a few pages, you realize you *do* want to know. If Wilton Barnhardt were a career theologian, or if the book were nonfiction, I'd know how much of the footnote information to believe. As it's a work of fiction and as Barnhardt has, from all I've read, not concentrated on religion, per se, during his career, I'm left wondering how much of his background material is fact and how much is fiction. It's an important question; the book has huge emotional impact, and a lot of that impact comes from the assumption the reader naturally makes that the footnotes are factual. The thing that balances out the irreverence and the potential offensiveness of this book is the incredible warmth and heart with which Barnhardt treats his main characters. The real story of this book is the love that each flawed person deserves. The real story of this book is the feeling I came away with: that I was, in spite of my flaws, loveable. Any book that can make you feel that way is well worth buying.
Rating:
Summary: Gospel is brilliant...
Review: This brillinat and epic book takes the reader across continents and centuries. Our guide, the ex-Jesuit Patrick O'Hanrahan is failing in the faith and in his health; both are restored in the search for the lost gospel of Matthias the thirteenth of the twelve disciples. A delighful read for anyone who enjoys history, religion, mystery and comedy all bound together in one book.
Rating:
Summary: Fun, delightful fun ... nothing more
Review: This is not a book for those who take their literature too seriously. The characters are stock - the drunken Catholic Professor without faith, the innocence graduate student who gets deflowered, the evangelistic who is a huckster... The text is loose and free-flowing - some decent editing would significantly reduce the size of the book. So why five stars? Barnhardt obviously did a great deal of research on church history, apocrypha, monastic life, linguistics, etc. One is always finding a new tidbit of information - not necessarily useful but delightful trivia. And dispite the flaws, one becomes attached to the characters and the plot as the plot meanders around England, Greece, Israel, Africa, Alabama(?) always one step behind the prize manuscript of the "missing gospel"... a wonderful lazy summer day's read.
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