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Summary: Great Books are not often Easy Reads
Review: The Last Temption of Christ may be the greatest theological exploration of the 20th century. The topics it deals with are deep and complex, so to expect that this book is going to be an easy read is wishful thinking. That said, it is a very worthwhile read for anyone who struggles with issues of religion and the indentity of the divine.I should say that I am not a Christian, so the the central drama of the book, the apparent contradiction of Jesus being both totaly human and totaly divine is not as emotional to me as it is for others. That said, many Christians I know have described this book as central to their ability to embrace their faith. Why? Kazantzakis explore Jesus' humanity in a way to make us feel the character and understand his joys and sorrows. At the same time, he shows the terror that would acomplish being so completely in touch with the divine. Most important of all, he shows us the pain of Jesus decision to sacrifice himself on the cross and helps us understand it. Many people find this book very threatening. That is understandable. People who believe faith is blind are often troubled by those who dare to look too close. I have often thought that reading this gave me my best understanding of the passion with which my christian friends view Jesus. For that reason alone, this is a wonderful and worthwhile read.
Rating: 
Summary: An important novel that demands re-reading
Review: I will certainly agree with many of the other reviewers who find this excellent novel ponderous and hard going in many, many places. I also believe too that with all translations there is much lost in terms of rhythym, imagery and cultural frame of reference. That said, The Last Temptation of Christ demands not only attention, but re-reading as well- always the mark of a good book. Kazantzakis never intended his novel to be taken as gospel. He simply is attempting to bring into focus the humanity at the center of the mystery of Christ. Christ, in my mind is the living God and Kazantzakis, through a work of fiction, brings Him as a character closer to my own experience. Again, no one is to take this novel as Truth in a religious sense- although Kazantzakis is not blasphemus as many of this novel's attackers insist- it simply is an exploration of the sin and heartache that all human's encounter. By making Christ more human for the sake of narrative, Kazantzakis brings the price of our salvation even closer to reality. The pain of sin and blood of cleansing is even more critical and necessary to every one of us. Satan's tempting of Christ in this novel is so vividly powerful that we do indeed see our selves manifested. The book has demanded I (and all readers) re-examine and closely evaluate our faith. This does not mean we reject it- no- it actually makes our faith stronger. Kazantzakis had the courage to step out of Plato's cave with this novel. I strongly urge all readers to tackle the difficult prose and wrestle with this novel. It is a meaningful journey one can (and needs to!) take repeatedly.
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Summary: Behold the Man!
Review: Kazanzakis portrays a Jesus with whom we can relate. Most people know that the stories from the New Testament, while beautiful and consoling, were written 40 to 60 years after the events described. They are quite selective, adding up to only a few days. And no one thinks Jesus went around addressing himself in the third person or especially that he proclaimed himself "God's son". The idea of God fathering a human child was a Greek concept and was considered blasphemous by Jews.
The book almost shimmers as one is transported back to that ancient age. It is a time machine in every sense of the word and the Jesus we meet here is a normal man with brothers and sisters and a mother. But he is troubled with visions. The realization that something great is afoot comes to him slowly, in flashes, as if a puzzle were slowly being revealed. More than anything this Jesus is a man, not a God. Yet he seems connected to the divine spark and in particular to the God of the Israelites. We view his journeys, his love for Mary, his teachings which seem to emerge almost spontaneously, then that last epic week we know as the Passion. The "last temptation" occurs on the cross in which Jesus is given a vision of the life he might could have. He marries, makes love, fathers children, works as a carpenter and lives happily. But he rejects that vision and suddenly raises his head realizing he is still high in the air, nailed to the cross. He did not flinch from his mission nor did he take the easy way out. Theologically speaking it was condemened as heresy and banned by the Greek Orthodox church. It was not meant as an official biography of "Jesus Christ" (many consider that his last name) but as what might have been. And for that reason it deserves great kudos.
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Summary: Jesus had real feelings? No way!
Review: About 95% of the people I know, including family, would all agree that this book is blasphemous. Which is sad, being that they have never actually read it themselves, plus the fact that it is an insightful, thought-provoking story about the human side of Jesus Christ. I suppose most Christians like to imagine their savior as this perfect, emotionally stable, ever peace-at-mind character, never struggling with doubt, lust, and anxiety. I'm sure the Jews at that time were expecting someone like this, too. But on with the review. Sorry, I would've liked to just review Last Temptation while ignoring the controversy surrounding it. But I can't. When I began reading this about a year ago, I knew full well it would cause a stir if anyone knew. As I mentioned before, this is a very thought-provoking depiction of Jesus. The story attempts to answer the question, "What happened to Christ from age 12-30?" and plenty others. Facts don't matter, however. What Last Temptation is really about is the emotions Christ experienced when he realized who He was and how he struggled with the human desires that told him he should get married, settle down, and lead a normal life. In these moments, we glimpse a side of Jesus we've never seen before. His relationship with Mary Magdeleine, Judas Iscariot, and his mother is put in new light, with interesting results. One complaint: The book is tedious at times, dwelling on priests and other characters when it should simply concentrate on Jesus. Other than that, Last Temptation is a great read, especially for the open-minded Christian who likes to be challenged. Ultimately, I think all readers will find this tale to be inspiring. Tears came to my eyes as the book closed with Jesus declaring "It is finished," and then the author stating, "It was if he was saying 'It has begun.'"
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Summary: 4.5 - An excellent fictional account on the life of Jesus
Review: The Last Temptation of Christ is a fictional exploration of the life of one of history's most intriguing figures, Jesus Christ. This is not revisionist history, merely an author's viewpoint on how the Son of the Carpenter may have lived his life. It should be taken as a novel, and not a reinterpretation of the scriptures. Nikos Kazantzakis presents Jesus as very human, a man struggling to ignore the voice of God while making the crosses that the Romans use for crucifiction execution. The people around him think he is mad, and at first the story is frustrating as the reader wants the character to show some guts and follow his destiny. Of course, what a destiny this turned out to be. How many of us could have done what he was purported to have done? That is the question, and as Jesus accepts that he is the Messiah, the story really gets moving. This is not an easy read, both in its prose and its ideas. There is a lot here to challenge people from all religious backgrounds. Jesus is shown as a human, with human emotions and frailties, but it is this that makes for an interesting character arc in the presenation of the novel and the creation of a truly dynamic character. Kazantzakis also provides beautiful description of the land of Jesus' birth and places we've read about in the Bible and heard of in the news. Nazareth, Judea, Galilee, Samaria and Jerusalem come alive in these pages, full of Jews, Romans, Pharisees, Scribes and ragamuffins. The character of Judas Iscariot is also interesting, a militant religious zealot who wants the Romans out of Israel. In this story, he is the one follower that remains completely true to Jesus, and must accept the most difficult task given to him by Jesus. The other apostles are shown as weak and ready to desert Jesus at the earliest threat of danger to their lives. A challenging aspect of this book is the visions, and one is never quite sure if what a character is seeing is real, imagined or a vision from God. A lot of strange things happen, and sections are full of Biblical symbolism so you might need to read sections twice or consult with the Gospels for clarity.
The scenes dealing with Satan are particularly bizarre, especially the period where Jesus is fasting in the desert. Another interesting character is Mary Magdelene, a prostitute that scorns Jesus, then becomes one of his most ardent followers. She figures in the last temptation, but more important are the sisters of Lazarus, Martha and Mary. As Christ ascends the Cross, he experiences this last temptation and there is an interesting twist on temptations. To me, this section was not nearly so blasphemous as "religious" folks have made it out to be. They probably didn't actually read the book. Here are a couple of my favorite passages: "What are dreams, Rabbi?" she asked him softly. "What are they made of? Who sends them?"
"They are neither angels nor devils," Jesus answered her. "When Lucifer started his revolt against God, dreams could not make up their minds which side to take. They remained between devils and angels, and God hurled them down into the inferno of sleep..." Another "A prophet is the one who, when everyone else despairs, hopes. And when everyone else hopes, he despairs. You'll ask me why. It's because he has mastered the Great Secret: that the Wheel turns." The only major problem I had with the writing was that there was a lot of point of view shifting within scenes, so it sometimes became confusing whose head we were in during the scene. One minute we're with Jesus, the next with John, then Peter, and so on. I don't mind multiple points of view, but I prefer to stay with one character throughout the duration of a scene. I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who wants to examine their beliefs from an alternate point of view other than the one taught by organized religion.
Rating: 
Summary: Typical
Review: This book is quite typical of the extremely skewed view of Jesus the Christ and his relationship with his wife, Mary Magdelene. This book does NOT even come close to touching, even remotely, the REAL truth!!!
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Summary: Jesus with Flaws
Review: So Jesus finally reads what Matthew has been writing about him for the last several months and is flabbergasted. "This isn't the truth," he says. "These are lies! I was not born in Bethlehem. I've never set foot in Egypt in my life. I don't remember any magi! And the dove did not say, 'This is my son,' while I was being baptized!" Matthew tells him he knows this, but nevertheless he has been writing what he has been told to write by an angel, who visits him in the evening. Matthew himself questioned this truth, but the angel told him that he knew nothing of the truth. The angel told him there were many truths, the truths of men, which are many, and the truth of God, which is one. Matthew was to record the truth of God. And he did. The truth. Yes, indeed, the truth. It can make one uncomfortable on occasion, and Mr. Kazantzakis' version of the truth can certainly be said to do that. His Jesus is quite a bit different than the one we've come to know and love from catechism class and from the Bible. His Jesus only performs a few of the miracles recounted in the Bible. There is no mention of the crippled man lowered through the roof. There is no Sermon on the Mount. No wedding at Cana. The walking on water story was a dream of Peter. But he does recite some parables, heal the centurion's daughter, and raise Lazarus from the dead. He agonizes over his fate, is often unsure of his divinity, and rails at God, whose hold on him is described as ten claws gripping his skull. He preaches the doctrine of love, but is somewhat vague as to how to put it into practice. He goes to Jerusalem and screams at the Pharisees and the high priests, stating he will smash the temple to pieces. He claims that all must repent, for the baptism he provides will be fire, not water, and will burn the four corners of the earth. His disciples are weak and vacillating, except for Judas, who is a fervent anti-Roman revolutionary. Magdalene becomes a prostitute after her love for him is spurned. Joseph is stricken and paralyzed the day Jesus is born, and remains that way for the rest of his life. His mother Mary is a miserable wretch as Jesus fails to do any of the normal things that a mother wishes her son to do. No, this is not your typical Bible story. Nor should it be. It is fiction after all. But as the story is of Jesus, it is fiction which must be held to higher scrutiny. The question is, does it work? To a large degree it does. The fact is, Jesus was a man. At one time in his life he was a baby, a ten-year old, a teenager, an adult. At which point during these times of his life did he finally realize he was the son of God? The Bible itself gives us many examples of his humanity: he shows love, anger, strength--and fear. Even on the eve of his death, he cries out to God to spare him from his fate: "Let this cup passeth over me." Mr. Kazantzakis gives us an interesting interpretation of this life, and one which to some degree is in conformity with Biblical events. It is a fascinating piece of work and one which displays a great deal of passion and imagination. It is clearly written by a man with a burning, spiritual yearning. But if there is a flaw it is that it fails to capture the true greatness of Jesus. Whether you believe in his divinity or not, it can not be denied that his influence on humanity was as great or greater than any person who ever lived. He began a religion two-thousand years ago which to this day continues to be practiced by millions of people on every continent of the earth. His teachings formed the basis of the greatest institutions that mankind has created; institutions based on freedom, equality and justice. He must have had, to say the very least, a remarkable personality. And this is where it stretches credulity. For Kazantzakis' Jesus is perhaps just a little too human: too weak, too unsure of himself, sometimes too timid and sometimes too shrill. It is often a little hard to believe from this novel that he inspired the faith of his own disciples, much less the millions who followed. But to be fair, who is to say what the truth is? Mr. Kazantzakis, after all, is simply recording the truth of man. One man. One of many. He must be commended, for by doing so he maybe came a little closer--and perhaps brought his readers a little closer--to the truth of God.
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Summary: cant believe how quick it came
Review: getting ready to read,fast service used like new.....ashram
Rating:
Summary: WOW
Review: This book was awesome. Absolutely Breathtaking. It really made me think about Jesus Christ as a struggling, suffering human being that dealt with issues just like the rest of us. Words cannot describe what I felt as I was reading this book, I couldn't put down.
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Summary: New Testament for Dummies
Review: I have heard Bible stories all my life in bits and pieces. My mother was not successful in getting me to Bible school or attending church. I do not consider myself a Christian, haven't been baptized, although I have read more Eastern philosophy. I was inspired to read this book after reading Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. It was great to have all the parables and the Biblical stories fall into chronological space in a book that was written well. Reading this didn't make me want to be born again, either, but reinforced the universal ideas of seeing the Sacred in everyday things, everyday experiences. There are many parallels between Buddha and Jesus. Both approached an ascetic approach and rejected it. Both approached a monastic approach and rejected it to mingle with common people and spread their teachings. I would recommend this to readers in a similar plight as my own...relatively unschooled in the story of the New Testament.
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