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Book Review
Jesus’s best friend Biff has been raised from the dead to tell the messiah’s story. After all, the Bible only talks about his birth and then jumps into his thirties. There was plenty of adventure to be had before then! Join Biff in his hilarious retelling of their travels and the various characters they meet along the way. From learning how to bring the dead back to life (it took a while to get it right), to Jesus vicariously learning about sin through Biff’s actions.
When my book club asked if anyone had suggestions for a holiday book, I immediately suggested Lamb. While it isn’t directly related to the holidays, it’s a satirical story about Jesus’ life up until his crucifixion. Now that seems like it should be a hefty read, but trust me, it is hilarious, even for those who aren’t particularly religious like myself.
Christopher Moore uses sarcasm as his centerpiece for humor and makes Biff the wisecracking sidekick. Whereas Joshua is the down-to-earth person who experiences extraordinary circumstances because he is the Messiah. While Joshua remains on the path to righteousness, Biff for sure indulges a bit too much. And when situations begin to grow out of control due to one thing or another, Joshua will slip in with a cracking one liner that will make readers burst out laughing.
I enjoyed how Christopher Moore incorporated Joshua learning about different religions and the crazy antics Biff stirred up in each new situation. Though this is a work of fiction, adding in different cultural viewpoints on the same subject provided a fascinating read. And while this is a satirical book, there is an underlying good humored approach to the writing. Biff is constantly cracking jokes, but he and Joshua do all they can to help those around them and to learn how to be better individuals. Their approaches are both vastly different, but it wouldn’t be half as entertaining if Biff wasn’t constantly getting into trouble.
I would not recommend this to anyone who is easily offended, but in all honesty, Moore's purpose isn't to offend. There is no outright discrimination against any belief, and instead takes the approach of Joshua putting the pieces together and figuring out how various cultures and religions work in relation to his own beliefs. If you’re a reader who enjoys sarcastic humor pick up a copy of Lamb.
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