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kiki124's review against another edition
2.0
Faber pisses me
off, wallowing in hateful
men doing dull things.
off, wallowing in hateful
men doing dull things.
anneliesb's review against another edition
2.0
Myths generally have a quality that lifts you up to a state of 'willing suspension of disbelief'. This particular work does that and then drops you like a sack of potatoes into the 'real' world of Amazon reviews.
What follows is some halfhearted start of a thriller, which is bluntly cut off. It feels like the second half of a novel is missing.
What follows is some halfhearted start of a thriller, which is bluntly cut off. It feels like the second half of a novel is missing.
laboulaing's review against another edition
4.0
full review! http://wp.me/p42FJU-88
Michel Faber's slim novella The Fire Gospel is part of a collection of novellas called The Canongate Myth Series, featuring modern retellings of ancient myths. The Fire Gospel is inspired by the Greek Titan Prometheus, who introduced humankind to fire and lived to regret it. The subtitle of this work reminded me instantly of Frankenstein, and I was wary of Faber trying to outdo that text or become overly influenced by it, but this concern was unfounded because these stories have no relation to each other. Frankenstein is a tragedy through and through while Faber's The Fire Gospel is a romp; this story turns everything into a parody, from the publishing industry and the media, to similar stories and even the Prometheus myth itself.
Meet middle-aged Theo Griepenkerl, the world's foremost Aramaic scholar. He has just been dumped by his girlfriend and quickly jumps a plane into the heart of war-torn Iraq to negotiate exhibition rights with the curator of the Mosul museum. While he's there, predictably, a bomb goes off, ravaging the museum and destroying some major artifacts. After the initial shock of the blast, Theo notices the pregnant belly of an ancient statue has been broken open, and inside lay perfectly-preserved scrolls written in Aramaic, scrolls written by a man who witnessed the life and death of Jesus.
I describe the plot as contrived contrivance because everything happens so perfectly, as Faber meant it to. The premise of the novel satirizes the overnight sensation of The Da Vinci Code, and parodies the plot of the dashing professor whose discoveries rewrite history and incense millions of Christians. If you can't guess already, that's exactly what happens to Theo Griepenkerl.
Upon translating the scrolls, written by a man named Malchus, Theo finds that the Bible's version of New Testament events do not tally with Malchus's eyewitness account. Malchus, with the aid of Theo, unknowingly debunks several miracles included in the Bible. For example, Malchus is identified as the man whose ear was cut off by a Roman soldier, but in his account, it never grew back--it just got infected and then healed like a normal wound. More shocking discoveries include Jesus's "real" last words: not the Biblical "It is finished" that reflects courage and godliness, but a human plea for death, "Please, somebody, please finish me." And the most shocking discovery is that Jesus was never buried at all, and his so-called Resurrection was the result of the twelve disciples experiencing collective hallucinations while on drugs.
Needless to say, the book becomes an instant bestseller. It outrages millions of Christians who find it impossible to tally their beliefs with what is allegedly historical truth. In this manner, Faber criticizes organized religion, but not belief in God. Those who are able to accept Jesus's humanity and still believe he was God incarnate are applauded, while those who burn Theo in effigy or lose their faith altogether as a result of the text are roundly criticized. Faber suggests that faith in human courage is more important than faith in a perfect God, whether or not you choose to believe in God.
But back to the Prometheus myth. As you probably know, Prometheus gave humanity the gift of fire against the express command of Zeus. As punishment, Prometheus is chained to a rock for all eternity while every day buzzards feast on his liver, and every night it grows back--forever. Theo gets his divine comeuppance, though in a rather more ridiculous way. At a book signing, two thugs kidnap Theo and hold him hostage, forcing him to record a video announcing that he made the entire thing up. The video is aired as Theo is released by one of his captors after sustaining a serious gunshot wound. The narrative ends as Theo nears death, and passersby are responsible for getting him to a hospital before he dies.
Thus Theo becomes a modern Prometheus, responsible for bringing mankind "fire" in the form of religious truth. However, his gift is not as enlightening as Prometheus's was. He finds in mankind an unwillingness for the truth and a stubborn preference for the familiarity and comfort of religion. Theo is also not the magnanimous Prometheus helping humanity; he's a self-serving, arrogant, grumpy atheist who cares more about his own well-being than that of humanity. These details turn the Prometheus myth on its head and definitely makes for funny reading.
It's a weird little book. I read this slim novel in four hours, racing through the text and leaving myself little time to ruminate on the story. I found it ridiculous (albeit endearing) when I was reading and it was only on reflection that I realized its many layers. I don't know if I'll read it again, but it definitely made me think about religion versus faith, and human nature. This was the first book I read by Michel Faber after The Crimson Petal and the White enchanted me a few years ago.
Michel Faber's slim novella The Fire Gospel is part of a collection of novellas called The Canongate Myth Series, featuring modern retellings of ancient myths. The Fire Gospel is inspired by the Greek Titan Prometheus, who introduced humankind to fire and lived to regret it. The subtitle of this work reminded me instantly of Frankenstein, and I was wary of Faber trying to outdo that text or become overly influenced by it, but this concern was unfounded because these stories have no relation to each other. Frankenstein is a tragedy through and through while Faber's The Fire Gospel is a romp; this story turns everything into a parody, from the publishing industry and the media, to similar stories and even the Prometheus myth itself.
Meet middle-aged Theo Griepenkerl, the world's foremost Aramaic scholar. He has just been dumped by his girlfriend and quickly jumps a plane into the heart of war-torn Iraq to negotiate exhibition rights with the curator of the Mosul museum. While he's there, predictably, a bomb goes off, ravaging the museum and destroying some major artifacts. After the initial shock of the blast, Theo notices the pregnant belly of an ancient statue has been broken open, and inside lay perfectly-preserved scrolls written in Aramaic, scrolls written by a man who witnessed the life and death of Jesus.
I describe the plot as contrived contrivance because everything happens so perfectly, as Faber meant it to. The premise of the novel satirizes the overnight sensation of The Da Vinci Code, and parodies the plot of the dashing professor whose discoveries rewrite history and incense millions of Christians. If you can't guess already, that's exactly what happens to Theo Griepenkerl.
Upon translating the scrolls, written by a man named Malchus, Theo finds that the Bible's version of New Testament events do not tally with Malchus's eyewitness account. Malchus, with the aid of Theo, unknowingly debunks several miracles included in the Bible. For example, Malchus is identified as the man whose ear was cut off by a Roman soldier, but in his account, it never grew back--it just got infected and then healed like a normal wound. More shocking discoveries include Jesus's "real" last words: not the Biblical "It is finished" that reflects courage and godliness, but a human plea for death, "Please, somebody, please finish me." And the most shocking discovery is that Jesus was never buried at all, and his so-called Resurrection was the result of the twelve disciples experiencing collective hallucinations while on drugs.
Needless to say, the book becomes an instant bestseller. It outrages millions of Christians who find it impossible to tally their beliefs with what is allegedly historical truth. In this manner, Faber criticizes organized religion, but not belief in God. Those who are able to accept Jesus's humanity and still believe he was God incarnate are applauded, while those who burn Theo in effigy or lose their faith altogether as a result of the text are roundly criticized. Faber suggests that faith in human courage is more important than faith in a perfect God, whether or not you choose to believe in God.
But back to the Prometheus myth. As you probably know, Prometheus gave humanity the gift of fire against the express command of Zeus. As punishment, Prometheus is chained to a rock for all eternity while every day buzzards feast on his liver, and every night it grows back--forever. Theo gets his divine comeuppance, though in a rather more ridiculous way. At a book signing, two thugs kidnap Theo and hold him hostage, forcing him to record a video announcing that he made the entire thing up. The video is aired as Theo is released by one of his captors after sustaining a serious gunshot wound. The narrative ends as Theo nears death, and passersby are responsible for getting him to a hospital before he dies.
Thus Theo becomes a modern Prometheus, responsible for bringing mankind "fire" in the form of religious truth. However, his gift is not as enlightening as Prometheus's was. He finds in mankind an unwillingness for the truth and a stubborn preference for the familiarity and comfort of religion. Theo is also not the magnanimous Prometheus helping humanity; he's a self-serving, arrogant, grumpy atheist who cares more about his own well-being than that of humanity. These details turn the Prometheus myth on its head and definitely makes for funny reading.
It's a weird little book. I read this slim novel in four hours, racing through the text and leaving myself little time to ruminate on the story. I found it ridiculous (albeit endearing) when I was reading and it was only on reflection that I realized its many layers. I don't know if I'll read it again, but it definitely made me think about religion versus faith, and human nature. This was the first book I read by Michel Faber after The Crimson Petal and the White enchanted me a few years ago.
nightfalltwen's review against another edition
4.0
I went into this book with very high expectations because I simply adored Michel Faber's book The Crimson Petal and the White. This book didn't disappoint at all. It's a thin book, which is rather nice because TCPATW is such a dense and meaty read. Yet Faber's writing just pulls you right into the story from the beginning.
I highly recommend this.
I highly recommend this.
sarahreadsaverylot's review against another edition
2.0
For a book that takes so many pot shots at Dan Brown, this still somehow felt like a low-rent The Da Vinci Code. :(
I have been absolutely delighted by the The Myths project--it has showcased some amazing talent, breathed life into myths and legends the world over, introduced me to new writers, and inspired me to learn more...but this particular story made me cringe from start to finish.
I have been absolutely delighted by the The Myths project--it has showcased some amazing talent, breathed life into myths and legends the world over, introduced me to new writers, and inspired me to learn more...but this particular story made me cringe from start to finish.
bookish_ann's review against another edition
2.0
It’s been ages since I’ve read Prometheus myths. Was he an asshole? Because Theo is an asshole.
Early on there was a moment of delightful hilarity, but the book was a disappointment.
Early on there was a moment of delightful hilarity, but the book was a disappointment.
litdoes's review against another edition
2.0
This is a daring novel that imagines what it would be like if a new Gospel is discovered in this day and age. What kind of impact would it have on Christianity, the other religious beliefs, especially when it throws into doubt the apostles' accounts about what actually happened at Jesus's crucifixion on Golgotha, and ultimately the Resurrection.
The narrative traces how the lost scrolls by an undocumented disciple, Malchus, (formerly Capahaias' spy involved in Judas's betrayal of Jesus) is discovered by accident in a looted Iraqi museum by a Canadian academic, Theo Griepenkerl, who's something of an Aramaic scholar. What Theo eventually does with the scrolls would lead to what Faber hopes to convey as catastrophic events both for Theo, as well as the larger world. However, the effect I got from this was a little subdued.
Following rabid sales of 'The Fifth Gospel', Theo embarks on a book tour across the American cities and enjoys the glamour and adulation, which is soon undercut by the knowledge that his name is as popular as it is infamous, especially when his life is threatened.
Faber tries to weave in some plausible motivation for Theo's translating the scrolls and unleashing them on the world with these lines, a little late, I thought, in the novel:
"...he had been forced under relentless probing to uncover the illicit idealism hidden inside him: he wanted to help the human race evolve...to give them the means to break this addiction to religion, to stop worshipping the dead and start solving the problems of the living"
However, they ring hollow for this reader because there was no character build-up of Theo in the novel to lead the reader to this lofty image.
Faber is adept at name-dropping pop-culture references, and they are every bit as illuminating and entertaining as cult favourites like Chuck Palahniuk and Douglas Coupland. The customer reviews Theo finds on Amazon.com are humorous in the way they come across as authentic, ranging from the deeply effusive contributions from readers who have yet to read the book, to the scholarly dissertations on the text.
Structurally, Faber starts off titling the chapters in order of the Bible; Genesis and Exodus, then he follows it up with Malchus, and then scrambling the order with Numbers and Judges, but the biblical titles become sporadic, disappears, and reappears later. One suspects Faber had a good idea but he couldn't get it going, and ended up with what appeared to be a half-hearted attempt at creating some structure, which greatly lessened the intended impact.
I would like to think that Faber had been fulfilling a contractual obligation to 'The Myths" series published by Canongate to deliver this stopgap novel. This is nowhere near his other brilliant works like 'The Crimson Petal and the White', 'Under the Skin' and the excellent short story collection 'The Fahrenheit Twins'. However, what remains intact is Faber's delicious prose, and I look forward to a more fulfilling work next time.
The narrative traces how the lost scrolls by an undocumented disciple, Malchus, (formerly Capahaias' spy involved in Judas's betrayal of Jesus) is discovered by accident in a looted Iraqi museum by a Canadian academic, Theo Griepenkerl, who's something of an Aramaic scholar. What Theo eventually does with the scrolls would lead to what Faber hopes to convey as catastrophic events both for Theo, as well as the larger world. However, the effect I got from this was a little subdued.
Following rabid sales of 'The Fifth Gospel', Theo embarks on a book tour across the American cities and enjoys the glamour and adulation, which is soon undercut by the knowledge that his name is as popular as it is infamous, especially when his life is threatened.
Faber tries to weave in some plausible motivation for Theo's translating the scrolls and unleashing them on the world with these lines, a little late, I thought, in the novel:
"...he had been forced under relentless probing to uncover the illicit idealism hidden inside him: he wanted to help the human race evolve...to give them the means to break this addiction to religion, to stop worshipping the dead and start solving the problems of the living"
However, they ring hollow for this reader because there was no character build-up of Theo in the novel to lead the reader to this lofty image.
Faber is adept at name-dropping pop-culture references, and they are every bit as illuminating and entertaining as cult favourites like Chuck Palahniuk and Douglas Coupland. The customer reviews Theo finds on Amazon.com are humorous in the way they come across as authentic, ranging from the deeply effusive contributions from readers who have yet to read the book, to the scholarly dissertations on the text.
Structurally, Faber starts off titling the chapters in order of the Bible; Genesis and Exodus, then he follows it up with Malchus, and then scrambling the order with Numbers and Judges, but the biblical titles become sporadic, disappears, and reappears later. One suspects Faber had a good idea but he couldn't get it going, and ended up with what appeared to be a half-hearted attempt at creating some structure, which greatly lessened the intended impact.
I would like to think that Faber had been fulfilling a contractual obligation to 'The Myths" series published by Canongate to deliver this stopgap novel. This is nowhere near his other brilliant works like 'The Crimson Petal and the White', 'Under the Skin' and the excellent short story collection 'The Fahrenheit Twins'. However, what remains intact is Faber's delicious prose, and I look forward to a more fulfilling work next time.
rdebner's review against another edition
2.0
A story about a fifth gospel, one that purportedly reveals the true and human details behind Jesus's last days. Satiric (?) of the fervor that seems to surround religious-themed books (name-checks [b:The DaVinci Code|968|The Da Vinci Code|Dan Brown|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1233010738s/968.jpg|2982101], for example).
shinee666's review
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
4.0