Comments on: A Review of Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt by Anne Rice

By: Joshua

Joshua — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:33:34 +0000

I’ve never read this book, and I’ve only read a large portion of the second, while looking around a bookstore. You may want to at least read the verbal fight between Satan and Yeshua. It was fun to read.

While I do understand what you mean sometimes, I do have a theory as to why some ‘miracles’ are exercised when ‘He’ desired it and why some did not happen.

Perhaps if we consider that because Jesus is God the Son and thus deferential to God the Father, so even ‘His’ desires had to be in line with the Father’s will, just as our prayers have to be before they are answered affirmatively.

That may explain the above supposed contradiction, though some may disagree. Of course, that is just a thought, that’s all.

By: Wendy

Wendy — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 23:32:52 +0000

I believe this a work of fiction. I too, had a difficult time with the thought of Jesus being so fearful and then becoming ill. I found it funny that he killed his bully. The idea that He did not fully understand who He was is very believable. This is a work of fiction. With each miracle I got excited and anxious for the next. I did not view Jesus as a liar. I appreciate her desire to embrace an area of Jesus’ life that we have only wondered about and imagined. It makes it tangible and real and I appreciate that, all the while knowing it is fiction. I bet her future works will only get better. I suggest you give it a try!!

By: Berry Valentine

Berry Valentine — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 07:36:51 +0000

I don’t think this review is suitable or helpful.
You [author of the review] did not grasp the gist of the novel at all.
There are a few items that you mentioned which I agree with, but other than that, this review was rather awkward.
Do you honestly believe that “the adult Jesus is narrating”? Rice’s idea was to have Jesus narrate as a seven year old. That explains the limited and simplistic approach to the vocabulary and sentence structure of the story.
This story was made to make Jesus look human. All humans sin. Jesus could therefore not by fully human if he did not make some mistakes, which explains the incidents occurring related to the bully. Jesus was young and unable to foresee the wrongness of his actions, such as wishing the bully were dead or lying to Mary about how hurt he was. Even then, however, his intentions were good. Self-denfence and sheltering others from harsh realities are not immorral sins!
Your review was through, so good job for that!
But I really don’t think you quite understood the idea/concept behind this novel.

By: Leah

Leah — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 21:25:25 +0000

Thanks for this review. It was very helpful. You mentioned in your review, “…if you are looking for a well-written story along with an accurate portrayal of Jesus, you will have to look somewhere else.” For an excellent story that is both biblically sound and spiritually uplifting, I would recommend Walter Wangerin’s novel, Jesus. It was my lenten reading last year. I’ve never experienced a Resurrection Sunday like that ever! Because of the story, which is a narrative version of the Gospel of John (the story is told interchangeably by John and Mary) and very true to Scripture, I had a more complete and nuanced understanding of Jesus’ humanity and divinity. The book helped me to fully sppreciate the meaning of the sacrifice he made.

By: Ann

Ann — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 01:23:53 +0000

Thank you for the review. I listened to this book while driving to and back from work. It was ok but I just didn’t buy it for a minute that Jesus would have been such child as was protrayed-nightmares and fears, in a way a nervous child. (I do believe He suffered like the rest of us with illnesses, hurt feelings, confusion but not to the degree that is protrayed in the book. He was God made man but is it right for us to speculate about what He was like in the first place?)

I never even considered that Mary and Joseph wouldn’t tell him about his conception and birth. I always just “believed” that they spoke of those facts. Afterall, they believed He was the promised Messiah. Why wouldn’t there be rejoicing?

I read a book recently called The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary as “seen” by Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich. While it barely touched on the child Jesus, it really gave me an overall good feeling about Mary’s strength, her families knowledge that she would be the one to bear the Messiah. Plus, despite Joseph’s initial shock and hesitancy to follow through with his marriage to Mary, Joseph is also protrayed (in Emmerich’s book) as a man determined to do God’s will and to protect Mary and Jesus.

I just have trouble with the concept that Jesue was afraid; He would kill someone in anger; yet, He would be saddened by the desecration of the Temple as a child and also the deaths of the innocent babies but not be hysterical. But somehow, my own sense of who He is gaves me the assurance that He “knew” all along who He was…..

Is it right for us to speculate what He was like in the first place?

By: R Evans

R Evans — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 02:46:30 +0000

I have read Ms. Rice’s other works and excitedly picked this one up to read. I have put it down several times. I am glad to be relieved of the burden of it once and for all. Thank you

By: K-son

K-son — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 01:26:47 +0000

I disagree with the fact that your assumptions with how Jesus as a 7 year old would feel.

At such a young age, he will even be more confused with God’s plan for him. Even when he was older, he prayed in the Garden of Gethsamane and he had doubts about whether he can take on the plan for him.

This for me proves that while he is the Son of God, he is also a Son of man; open and vulnerable to feelings.

By: D. Dillingham

D. Dillingham — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 18:59:04 +0000

I dont know if i really agree with your review, although you have made some interesting points. True, if the adult jesus was narrator you would expect more insight but who is to say this is an adult jesus speaking? Could he not be 14 or 15, and still figuring out his path while telling this story to some Pharisee or priest. Maybe he is just 10 years old and telling a group of friends around him about the truth of himself. We forget that much of jesus’ life is unaccounted for between his childhood and his crucifixtion so there could be a lot of possibilities. As for his fear and crying, i thought it was very realistic of how a real child would react to such super natural abilities. Would you not be afraid if you suddenly struck a friend dead without knowing how you did, and then wished him alive? At 7 years old could you at all comprehend these abilities? And he did not make a mistake, if god has aplan for all of us, then that part was simply jesus’ unique way of exploring his abilities and finding out who he is. Yes, he is the son of god, but he is still on earth, living and breathing which makes him very much a simple man like the rest of us. He is not flying around on wings spouting off great wisdom at age 7. Why must we assume the son of god should be all-knowing from the moment he is born? How would you feel closing your eyes and seeing angels and demons coming to you in dreams? I believe any person, adult or child, male or female would be horrified at the revolt in the temple and seeing fellow jews killed by roman guards? This, in the most holy of holy places for the jews? Because he IS Jesus, he is much much more tuned in to the violence and suffering of those around him. The death of those around him would have weighed heavily on such a divine soul so of course this would be terrifying, in fact i believe god himself would have been terrified by the actions of his “children” if you will. also i dont think its THAT unusual that his family would have kept the secret from him. people in alexandria already accused him of being possessed by a demon and other orthodox jews would not have immediately professed to believe in some “god-boy” and they could even of considered it blasphemy to consider the idea. Jews today are still jews for the simple fact they dont believe in Jesus’ complete divinity, because a divine figure would NEVER be crucified. That is the mark of a man cursed by god, not the mark of a man who is god himself. If his future was known by him or his family they certainly would not have revealed these parts to anyone let alone jesus himself. Growing up adhering to strict jewish law, how could he have considered himself divine knowing he was to be sacrificed in such a way? Also, his birth was responsible for the deaths of hundereds, if not thousands, of infants, as ordered by King Herod. Many people may hvae seen his birth as a curse not as a gift from above. King Herod only knew of the brith because he sought out a soothsayer, and they are not to be believed or sought out by jews in the first place, so who would have accepted this as truth? I certianly agree with you that this is not a book for Orthodox christians and this certianly shouldn’t be considered scholarly. However, i think the entire point of the novel was to present just an idea of what jesus may have felt and encountered on his path to understand who, or what, he really was. It is a comforting feeling to know that jesus is not that different from the rest of humanity in that he is at times confused and struggling to come to terms with who is, much as we all are. He is afraid, and scared, and he even wants or desires things, and much like the rest of us, these wants and desires do not ALWAYS come to be. I did enjoy your review though, it was very insightful, my apologies for writing so much on my end, i just had some thoughts of my owns, thought it might encourage some disscussion.

By: D. Loomis

D. Loomis — Sat, 18 Mar 2006 01:41:16 +0000

Thank you for an outstanding review! Just the structure and style of your review is ten times better than that of Anne Rice in her “well-researched” novel about Our Lord! Many of your comments were exactly what I was thinking as I read just the first three chapters of the book. The book reads as though it had been written by a fourth grader. Thanks for sparing me the pain of finishing the book in hopes that it might get better!

By: R. Dolt

R. Dolt — Tue, 27 Dec 2005 19:53:00 +0000

Thanks for such an informative review.I was looking to purchase this book but your review has chanded my mind.Thanks again.