Lamb DVD – January 1, 2003

“Mankind, I suppose, is designed to run on – to be motivated by – temptation. If progress is a virtue then this is our greatest gift. (For what is curiosity if not intellectual temptation? And what progress is there without curiosity?) On the other hand, can you call such a profound weakness a gift, or is it a design flaw? Is temptation itself at fault for man’s woes, or is it simply the lack of judgment in response to temptation? In other words, who is to blame? Mankind, or a bad designer?”I’m not going too far if I say, Lamb by Christopher Moore is probably my most favourite book ever. I think it was recommended to me around 2009 – I remember bringing it with me to my first UK trip ever in 2010 and by that time I’ve read it at least once – and I instantly fell in love. In the past 10 years I’ve read it at least half a dozen times. And I still find it damn hilarious every time I decide to reread it. Though I’ve been mostly reading in English for the better part of the last 8 or so years, I think this is the first time that I read Lamb in that language. I have a well worn Hungarian paperback which I love to pieces – and which have a much better cover IMO – and a lot of memories dragging it halfway around the world. And since I have a pretty strong link with the Hungarian version, I was a bit afraid whether the enjoyment would be the same. Translations can be tricky and in recent years I’ve not been happy at how some books were translated into my language. I’m happy to report, that in this case our translator did a damn good job. The original version really lives up to my Hungarian memories.Have you ever wondered who Jesus really was? About what happened to him during that 30 years the Bible doesn’t bother explaining? I can assure you, many scholars researched the topic, but probably none of them were as amusing as Christopher Moore‘s book. In Lamb we follow Jesus’ or rather Joshua’s life from the time he is six until his death. We watch him grow up, try his hands in miracles which later made him famous, learn how to be a Messiah. We follow him across half of the known world at the time until he returns to his home in Nasareth to be the man he was destined to be. But he wouldn’t be able to manage all that without his most trusted companion, Levi who is called Biff. Joshua – as he was called in Aramaic – , is depicted as a serious, emphatic, sensitive child who grows up into the man we more or less know from the Bible. Biff is his complete opposite, he is crafty, cunning and doesn’t say no to a little trouble making. But most of all, he is loyal to a fault.“The Law says that two must go with the flock to keep an abomination from happening. I can spot an abomination from fifty paces.’ Maggie smiled. ‘And did you prevent any abominations?’ ‘Oh yes, I kept all of the abominations at bay while Kaliel played with his favorite sheep behind the bushes.’ ‘Biff,’ Joshua said gravely, ‘that was the abomination you were supposed to prevent.’”They complement each other well, and in truth they are more brothers than friends. He also has a sense of humor which highlights the events all through the book. Because, when your best friend is the son of God, you have to suffer the companionship of the stupidest angel and you find yourself in impossible situations – like dealing with a yak, or getting your best friend out of a bag among other things), your only chance to stay sane is to develop a great sense of humor. And a healthy dose of common sense. The connection Josh and Biff have is really awesome and I have a soft spot for books which depict brotherhood such as theirs.“Little Joshua spun on his heel. ‘My name is not Joshua bar Biff, and it is not Joshua bar Joseph either. It’s Joshua bar Jehovah!’ I looked around, hoping that no one had heard him. I didn’t want my only son (I planned to sell Judah and James into slavery) to be stoned to death for uttering the name of God in vain. ‘Don’t say that again, Josh. I won’t marry your mother.’ ‘No, you won’t.’ ‘I’m sorry.’ ‘I forgive you.’ ‘She will make an excellent concubine.’ Don’t let anyone tell you that the Prince of Peace never struck anyone. In those early days, before he had become who he would be, Joshua smote me in the nose more than once. That was the first time.”As Joshua tries to figure out what it means to be Messiah and how can he become one, together they set off to find the three Magicans who visited Joshua upon his birth. Their adventure lead them to Balthasar in Kabul, Gaspar in China and Melchior in India. In all three places they learn about the teachings of famous philosophies and ideas which later shines through his teachings. Out of the three destinations they visited, my favorite was Kabul and Balthasar’s home with the seven Chinese concubines and the mysterious iron door. Gaspar and the monostor was a fun one too, where Joshua and Biff has to learn to ju-do. The parts about India, while were interesting, felt a bit rushed and we didn’t spend as much time there to be able to properly immerse ourselves in it.“Rumi had expressed my sentiments exactly, but I would be damned if I was going to let my last words be ‘Eek, a tiger,’ so I listened quietly as urine filled my shoes.”The last part of the book retells the story we know better from the Bible – how Joshua becomes the teacher people look up at, how he performs miracles and gets on the wrong side of the Sadducees and Pharisees. Even though you well damn know what is going to happen, you can’t help but sit on the edge of your seat as you read and feel ALL the emotions. I swear I have a lump in my throat every time I near the end.“Since I could remember, my friendship with Joshua had been my anchor, my reason for being, my life; now it, he, was running toward destruction like a storm-driven ship to a reef, and I couldn’t think of a thing to do but panic.”Lamb is, to put it simply a masterpiece. It has the right balance of adventure, humor, serious topics, mystery, history. I loved all the little Easter eggs Moore put into this book referring to historical events, people (a guy from Turin takes a cloth from Joshua after he cleans his face with it!!), etc. Not talking about how much research he must have put in to give back the atmosphere of the era, the traditions of Jews and the stories we know from the Bible. But thourough research and exquisite writing wouldn’t have been enough to have a near perfect book. What makes Lamb exceptional is the humor and the characters that Moore brought to life. No matter how many times I read it, I just can’t help laughing out loud or be sad or excited for them to succeed in their quest.You absolutely have to read this book if you like Moore‘s books, love humor, want an alternative history about who Jesus was, enjoy reading about adventure, drama and prefer a character driven story. In short: READ THIS BOOK!

This is a re-read for me . . . and "Lamb" holds up extremely well . . . which is not easy for a comedy to do.Christopher Moore's "Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal," is a reasonably gentle re-imagining of the life of Jesus Christ. "Gentle" is not a synonym for "bland," as Christopher Moore both brings the funny (be careful reading this book in public unless you're comfortable laughing out loud in front of strangers) or for "vague." Moore has done a lot of research into the life and teachings of Jesus and has some thought-provoking observations and questions about arguably the most important figure in world history.With "Lamb," Moore tries to fill in the multi-year gap in the Bible's telling of Jesus's life . . . as measured by years, the Bible literally ignores most of the years of his existence. So Moore tries to fill in the gaps, and he does so by creating an entirely new Gospel - as written by Levi, called Biff, who is reincarnated by the stupidest angel in modern-day America for this very purpose.If you've read some of Moore's other novels, you'll recognize Biff instantly - a beta personality, with a quick wit (he invented sarcasm, we learn) and an eye for the ladies. He meets Jesus when they are both children and knew instantly that Jesus (called Joshua, or Josh in most of the book) is someone special because he's resurrecting lizards for the enjoyment of his younger brother James, who likes to bash lizards with a rock. Biff, while smitten with Josh's mother Mary, quickly becomes Josh's boon companion and trusty sidekick.Moore handles Josh with exquisite care - he knows he is the Son of God, but does not know exactly what he is supposed to do. After a key plot twist, Josh and Biff decide as teenagers to head East, searching for the Three Wise Men who came to Josh's birth. Perhaps, they think, the Three Wise Men might have some insights they could share.While most of "Lamb" focuses on the parts of Christ's life where we know virtually nothing, the novel builds to the Big Stuff, up to and including the Passion. So this book is not for the faint of heart. The vast majority of the book is hilarious, but the final chapters are of course grim. But Moore handles the Passion with acute sensitivity and gravity, and to do this in what is ultimately a comedy is a triumph.I've encountered a few Christians who refuse to read "Lamb," but I'd have to say that on balance, "Lamb" is a reverential book when it comes to Josh/Jesus. While Moore does not spare either religion or Josh for being the focus of jokes, most of the humor directly involving Josh either focuses on his innate goodness (which can be annoyingly inconvenient to Biff), his need to understand sin without being able to commit sin himself, or other rather innocuous jokes. (I consider the drafting of the Sermon on the Mount to be a particular high point.) Eastern religious practices, such as the Cult of Kali, come off rather bad, as do those who persecute Jesus as part of the Passion, but those are hardly new observations.I'm a huge fan of Moore's work, and Biff, Josh and Maggie (no spoilers here) are among his greatest creations. "Lamb" is a stand-alone book, but fans will see a couple of cross-over characters from other novels. Highest recommendation - truly hilarious, insightful, and occasionally poignant.

Love this book, great imagination! I would recommend it to everyone of any denomination. It is a fantasy story of what it might be like to grow up with Jesus. I love all the historical places and people that are actually in the Bible blended into this fictional story. Love, pretending I was with Jesus as a child on an adventure.

This book was recommended by a close friend. I enjoyed it thoroughly. It is funny with a great story. The language can be a bit earthy, but it was relevant to the story.

the book i ordered arrived quickly and in great condition.

Very funny in places. The story is good enough to keep you entertained between the funny bits. I'll be reading more Christopher Moore now.

This filled in many blanks for me I've taken it all as gospel. Really looking forward to reading more Moore.

Guaranteed laughter!

I loved this story from start to finish, Thanks heaps.

Very, very amusing and clever.