Rating: 
Summary: Blasphemy at its most hilarous and biting
Review: Although I would not say that this book is entirely on the level of Heller's first three books (all masterpieces), as it does not, perhaps, resonate with the vibrancy and poignancy of everyday life as those works do, God Knows is nevertheless an entertaining, blasphemous, and laugh-out-loud hilarous Bibilical parody. Many an author has turned their skills to the task of setting a famous Bibilical character into the universe of modern literature and re-telling their story that way, but few have done it with the intelligence, wit, and sheer knowledge of Heller. This is the work of a man that, though perhaps a Jewish atheist (I'm not too sure of what Heller's religious views were), nevertheless clearly had a vast and perhaps encyclopedic knowledge of the Bible - or the Old Testament, at any rate. Here, we have the story of King David ("the best story in The Bible", as the narrarator himself repeatedly tells us), told through Heller's first-person satiric lens, casting the famous and mythical character straight into the pantheon of modern literature. Many may well consider this book blasphemous (although I am glad, and pleasantly surprised, indeed, to see in some of the other reviews here that members of the clergy have read and enjoyed it), it is all in good fun, and quite an entertaining read - as well as also hitting home at several points. Although there are several laugh-out-loud segments, Heller, beneath the farce, is also asking existential questions, as well as tackling some complex moral issues: God's apparent inclination towards punishing the innocent for the crimes of the guilty is given a good bit of attention here. Although this book may well have some sort of a built-in audience due to it's Bibilical leanings, it probably does not have a more or less universal audience as his first three books did - being steeped heavily, as it is, in its subject matter. I think that you will enjoy the book a lot more, and will certainly find it funnier, if you are familar with The Bible - or at least the parts that it deals with. Indeed, if you are highly steeped in Bibilical subject matter, you may well consider this Heller's best book. I reccommend it regardles, however: even if you are not knowledgable with its inherent subject matter, you will still find the book enjoyable, especially if you are a fan of Heller's particular style and liked his other writings.
Rating:
Summary: 4.5 stars. One of the funniest "religious" books out there
Review: Heller is masterful breathing life into the well-known story of King David. Clearly, Heller has a scholar's knowledge of the Old Testament adding wit, sex, drama, and laughs to David's life. Those familiar with the stories in the bible will get the most out of this retelling of a biblical classic.
Rating:
Summary: 4.5 stars. One of the funniest "religious" books out there
Review: Heller is masterful breathing life into the well-known story of King David. Clearly, Heller has a scholar's knowledge of the Old Testament adding wit, sex, drama, and laughs to David's life. Those familiar with the stories in the bible will get the most out of this retelling of a biblical classic.
Rating:
Summary: More Entertaining Than Catch 22
Review: If Heller had written Catch 22 with the same kind of easy style he exhibits in God Knows, then I might too be among those rabid Yosarian fans who claim it one of the best books in the damn universe. But it wasn't, and anyway, this review is about God Knows. There are many novels out there that make me smile and/or chuckle, but God Knows is one of the few that made me laugh out loud in several places. Read it if only for the passage with the lisps. You'll know what I mean when you get there. And I like the original treatment of Kind David, making him more human than divine. I normally avoid speculating on what the author was thinking or trying to do with a character, but given Heller's treatment of David's sense of time and the way David constantly claims credit for contemporary work, I kept thinking of him as a paranoid/neurotic in a mental ward somewhere imagining himself as David. Next time I'm at a seance I'll ask Heller if that was the case. But mental patient or not, the style still worked for me. Now some petty critiques: for such a build up regarding Solomon and his brother, the pay off was small to non-existent. The reader knows all along what happened with Solomon, and the expected fireworks never appeared. Fizzled even. And Heller (or a competent editor) could have or should have cut out about forty pages worth of redundancy. But there's so much entertainment here that, unless you're an easily offended pious type who can't take a little good natured blasphemy (stay away from that not helpful button, you) I enthusiastically recommend the book.
Rating:
Summary: Pull Out Your Bible and GIGGLE!!
Review: In what can only be called the shear GENIUS of Joseph Heller, God Knows crosses the line between biblical irony and just plain FUN!! As a member of the clergy I found this book a refreshing and oftentimes TOO POIGNANT look at one of the greatest biblical heroes! Heller breathes life and REALITY into a character of mythical proportions. . . just in time to remind us that we are all HUMANS and a part of God's work. I am sorry for those Catch-22 fans that cannot let go of their IDOL WORSHIP for Joseph Heller. They are missing out on good writing and some downhome chuckles. . . GO FIGURE!!
Rating: 
Summary: God Knows How Great This Book Is
Review: Joseph Heller has once again shown his mastery of irony and the absurd. His portrayal of King David is both hillarious and blasphemes. It is not often that I laugh out loud while reading a book. By breathing life into the Old Testament charachters, Heller is able to add flesh and bones to a somewhat boring Biblical account. But God Knows is something more than just a risque telling of Kings, it is also a story about aging, love and religion. He ponders great questions on the fallacy of a God that allows the innocent to die. All in all, a great read.
Rating:
Summary: God Knows How Great This Book Is
Review: Joseph Heller has once again shown his mastery of irony and the absurd. His portrayal of King David is both hillarious and blasphemes. It is not often that I laugh out loud while reading a book. By breathing life into the Old Testament charachters, Heller is able to add flesh and bones to a somewhat boring Biblical account. But God Knows is something more than just a risque telling of Kings, it is also a story about aging, love and religion. He ponders great questions on the fallacy of a God that allows the innocent to die. All in all, a great read.
Rating:
Summary: The Old Testament Through Joseph Heller's Eyes
Review: Joseph Heller was one of two writers who ALWAYS made me laugh out loud (Mark Twain was the other one). This is a very funny look at the Old Testament, as told by King David. Only Heller could turn the wise King Solomon into Shlomo, the idiot. As David tells it, the famous story where Solomon suggested cutting the baby in half to find out who it's real mother was had been twisted around. According to David, Shlomo was an idiot and actually wanted to cut the baby in half!Some fundamentalist people will be offended by this book, but if God has a sense of humor I'm sure He got a kick out of this book. This was one of Heller's best books. If you've ever read anything by him and laughed, don't hesitate to pick this one up.
Rating:
Summary: The Old Testament Through Joseph Heller's Eyes
Review: Joseph Heller was one of two writers who ALWAYS made me laugh out loud (Mark Twain was the other one). This is a very funny look at the Old Testament, as told by King David. Only Heller could turn the wise King Solomon into Shlomo, the idiot. As David tells it, the famous story where Solomon suggested cutting the baby in half to find out who it's real mother was had been twisted around. According to David, Shlomo was an idiot and actually wanted to cut the baby in half! Some fundamentalist people will be offended by this book, but if God has a sense of humor I'm sure He got a kick out of this book. This was one of Heller's best books. If you've ever read anything by him and laughed, don't hesitate to pick this one up.
Rating:
Summary: King David: new perspectives
Review: Joseph Heller's funny, lively retelling of King David's autobiography gives us recognizeably the same character as the hero of I and II Samuel: passionate, powerful, crafty and with an incredible blind spot when it came to managing his family. I thought readers interested in learning about alternative recent historical understandings of King David could try Silberman and Finkelstein's "The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts." David was a real person, but according to this work, not the ruler of a united kingdom. Or, to use the language of Heller's book, he did not even turn a kingdom the size of Vermont into an empire the size of Maine.
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