Thoughts on Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal

So it shall be read, and so it shall be written.  I just finished Christopher Moore's "Lamb".  It was glorious, divine, and strangely erotic ;) It may sound like this book is just one big heresy waiting to happen, but it wasn't.  It was well-poised and philosophical and in no way demeaning to faith. 

Our story starts in Heaven.  Biff, Jesus (or as he is known in the book, Joshua)'s best friend from ye olde days of the bible is brought back to life to write the "true" story of Christ.  Biff is stranded on earth with his dumb angel Bodyguard, Raziel to write his gospel. And so Biff, the inventor of sarcasm and the original propagator of the prolific joke "so... two Jews walk into a bar...", starts off on Josh's childhood adventure. 

What is gained by this gospel?  It portrays Joshua as a unique, sometimes doubtful and always inquisitive young man.  Biff is the cynic (and wildly sexually promiscuous) and Josh is forever the believer (and perpetually celibate).  Yet the two harmoniously tackle magicians, emotional attachment to yeti, meditation and the study of both Yoga and Buddhism (not at the same time...).  Simultaneously, you are laughing, learning and eventually (and inevitably) cringing at Joshua's final death and rebirth. 

Honestly, I needed a good laugh, and this book is laugh-out-loud funny.  The Bible has always been portrayed to me as this weighty tome whose language and subject matter is almost impenetrable.  "Lamb" was quite the contrary.  It was completely accessible and, as I mentioned before, tread the thin line between disrespect and worship with ease. 

Oh yeah, and Joshua says Fuck a lot.  Awesome.  And eats Bacon.  Also awesome.

If you're not a big reader, but want to pick up something you know that you will enjoy and finish, I thoroughly recommend this book.  It is engaging and altogether a hilarious, saucy little caprice that will knock your socks off.  9 stars out of 10.

ET