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Author Topic:   LAMB the gospel according to Biff
custard
Inactive Member


Message 1 of 6 (188635)
02-26-2005 2:53 AM


Just finished Christopher Moore's Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal.
It's a humorous account of the 'missing thirty years' of Jesus' (Joshua in this novel) life told by Joshua's childhood buddy 'Levi who was called Biff.'
The story recounts Joshua's efforts to discover himself and to learn what his role the Messiah really is. A good portion of the book follows Joshua and Biff on their sojourns as they seek the three Magi in the Far East, before their inevitable return to Judea.
Pretty well written and amusing - I laughed out a loud several times - the humor is somewhere between Monty Python's Life of Brian and a Dave Barry piece; that is, there is a lot of fairly off-color Pythonesque lampooning of Christianity and Judaism, but sometimes the jokes were a bit too cute - e.g. Biff's invention of the martial art "Jew-do" during his and Joshua's stay in a monastery.
A couple quick examples of the humor:
Lamb:The Gospel According to Biff writes:
"Josh, faking demonic possession is like a mustard seed." I said.
"How is it like a mustard seed?"
"You don't know, do you? Doesn't seem at all like a mustard seed, does it? Now you see how we all feel when you liken things unto a mustard seed? Huh?"
and
ibid writes:
"Well most of what we learned from the rabbis is not exactly accurate. For instance, you know that part right after Lot's wife gets turned to stone and then his daughters get drunk and fornicate with him?"
"Right," said Joshua, "after Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed."
"Well, that's not as bad as it sounds."
"But fornication is a sin, and fornication with your daughters, well, that's a, I don't know, that's a double-dog sin."
"Yeah, but if you put that aside for a second, and you just focus on the two young girls aspect of it, it's not nearly as bad as it sounds initially."
But possibly my favorite part was when Joshua heals two blind men, Abel and Crustus, on the outskirts of the Judean desert:
ibid writes:
The old guys sort of looked around, saying nothing.
"Tell me what you see," Joshua said.
The blind men looked at each other.
"Something wrong?" Joshua asked. "You can see can't you?"
"Well yeah," said Abel, "but I thought there'd be more color."
"Yeah," said Crustus, "it's kind of dull."
I stepped up. "You're on the edge of the Judean desert, one of the most lifeless, desolate, hostile places on earth, what did you expect?"
"I don't know." Crustus shrugged. "More."
"Yeah, more," said Abel. "What's color is that?"
"That's brown."
"How about that one?"
"That would be brown as well."
"That color over there? Right there?"
"Brown."
"You're sure that's not mauve?"
"Nope, brown."
"And-"
"Brown," I said.
This message has been edited by custard, 02-26-2005 02:55 AM
This message has been edited by custard, 02-26-2005 02:58 AM

Replies to this message:
 Message 2 by jar, posted 02-26-2005 5:39 PM custard has replied
 Message 6 by Lithodid-Man, posted 04-07-2007 9:32 PM custard has not replied

  
jar
Member (Idle past 94 days)
Posts: 34140
From: Texas!!
Joined: 04-20-2004


Message 2 of 6 (188757)
02-26-2005 5:39 PM
Reply to: Message 1 by custard
02-26-2005 2:53 AM


Sounds interesting. I'll have to look for it.
One question though combining this with another thread. Have you also read the different Infancy Gospels like those of James and Thomas?

Aslan is not a Tame Lion

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by custard, posted 02-26-2005 2:53 AM custard has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 3 by custard, posted 02-26-2005 5:49 PM jar has not replied

  
custard
Inactive Member


Message 3 of 6 (188762)
02-26-2005 5:49 PM
Reply to: Message 2 by jar
02-26-2005 5:39 PM


I have not. Actually my knowledge of the NT is quite minimal so I'm certain I didn't get some of the more obscure references/jokes - if there were any.
Thanks for the links Jar. I'll check them out.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 2 by jar, posted 02-26-2005 5:39 PM jar has not replied

  
clpMINI
Member (Idle past 5420 days)
Posts: 116
From: Richmond, VA, USA
Joined: 03-22-2005


Message 4 of 6 (338730)
08-09-2006 2:28 PM


Just finished reading Lamb
Since this was a fairly old thread, I didn't want to reply to anyone specific. I just finished read this book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is very well written and very funny.
I am working my way through all of Chris Moore's books and have not been dissapointed yet. I strongly recommend him.

I mean, this is America. Everybody loves seeing lesbians go at it, as long as they are both hot and not in a monogamous, legally sanctioned relationship.

  
Heathen
Member (Idle past 1538 days)
Posts: 1067
From: Brizzle
Joined: 09-20-2005


Message 5 of 6 (389388)
03-13-2007 10:45 AM


Just coming towards the end of this book, and I love it.
very funny, and endearing.
there is more than a hint of "life of Brian" though
totally recommended as a cheer-me-up read.

  
Lithodid-Man
Member (Idle past 3186 days)
Posts: 504
From: Juneau, Alaska, USA
Joined: 03-22-2004


Message 6 of 6 (393851)
04-07-2007 9:32 PM
Reply to: Message 1 by custard
02-26-2005 2:53 AM


Thanks Custard!
I bought this after seeing your recommendation and loved it. Great read, lots of fun! I have only read one other of his, Fluke. I really liked the beginning then it just kind of fell apart for me. But Lamb was great all of the way through. Thanks for the recommend.

Doctor Bashir: "Of all the stories you told me, which were true and which weren't?"
Elim Garak: "My dear Doctor, they're all true"
Doctor Bashir: "Even the lies?"
Elim Garak: "Especially the lies"

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by custard, posted 02-26-2005 2:53 AM custard has not replied

  
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