Help ID this nonreligious Jesus book

July 29, 2008 7:28 AM

Play more name-that-book! Young Jesus adjusting to role as Messiah.

I heard about this book recently on NPR, I believe. It has something to do with a young Jesus coming to terms with what it means to be the Messiah. I'm pretty sure it's a new book - recently or soon to be published, and written by a famous female author. The sense I got was that it's not a religious book (a la any book you find when searching for "Jesus" or "Messiah" on Amazon), but simply a fictionalized literary work about a religious figure.

I can't find anything on Amazon or independent book store sites, Google, or through searching contemporary female writers. Did I just make this up?

posted by jk252b to writing & language (11 comments total)

sounds like Last Temptaion of Christ by nikos kazantzakis. but apparently it's not.
posted by MNDZ at 7:37 AM on July 29

I think The Gospel According to the Son by Norman Mailer is somewhat similar to this in theme, though it has been years since I read it. Which is to say it's not new or written by a female - but it's all that comes to mind immediately.
posted by ecab at 7:37 AM on July 29

Could it have been Anne Rice's "Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana"?

It was recently on NPR.
posted by sjuhawk31 at 7:39 AM on July 29

Christopher Moore (yes, a man, I know) wrote "Lamb" which was a story of Jesus's first 30 years.
posted by Penelope at 7:46 AM on July 29

Since sjuhawk31 points out that Anne Rice's "Christ the Lord..." was on OnPoint recently (a show I listen to frequently), it was just published in March and Rice is pretty dang famous, I'm going to say that's the one.

These other ones sound interesting too. Thanks for adding to my to-read list.
posted by jk252b at 7:59 AM on July 29

FYI Lamb is a comedy, and absolutely hilarious (laugh out loud on the subway hilarious), so if you're looking for religious/coming of age serious-type books, you might not enjoy that one.
posted by Grither at 8:03 AM on July 29 [1 favorite]

And by might not enjoy, of course, I mean it might not be what you're looking for. I can't imagine anyone NOT enjoying the book.
posted by Grither at 8:04 AM on July 29

Looks like the Anne Rice novel is a sequel to Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt.
posted by not that girl at 12:47 PM on July 29

How about Lamb: the Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, by Christopher Moore ?
posted by feelinggood at 1:25 PM on July 29

Christopher Moore is damn funny, if you're looking for something else to add to your list anything from him might be worth a shot even if it wasn't what you came here looking for.
posted by caution live frogs at 2:06 PM on July 29

BTW - yes, it is that Anne Rice, who became a Christian a few years ago, and decided to stop writing about vampires
posted by jpdoane at 10:54 AM on August 4