Lamb
The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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4.6 • 89 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Everyone knows about the immaculate conception and the crucifixion. But what happened to Jesus between the manger and the Sermon on the Mount? In this hilarious and bold novel, the acclaimed Christopher Moore shares the greatest story never told: the life of Christ as seen by his boyhood pal, Biff.
Just what was Jesus doing during the many years that have gone unrecorded in the Bible? Biff was there at his side, and now after two thousand years, he shares those good, bad, ugly, and miraculous times. Screamingly funny, audaciously fresh, Lamb rivals the best of Tom Robbins and Carl Hiaasen, and is sure to please this gifted writer’s fans and win him legions more.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A childhood pal of the savior is brought back from the dead to fill in the missing 30-year "gap" in the Gospels in Moore's latest, an over-the-top festival of sophomoric humor that stretches a very thin though entertaining conceit far past the breaking point. The action starts in modern America, specifically in a room at the Hyatt in St. Louis, where the angel who shepherds "Levi who is called Biff" has to put Christ's outrageous sidekick under de facto house arrest to get him to complete his task. Moore (Bloodsucking Fiends) gets style points for his wild imagination as Biff recalls his journey with Jesus dubbed Joshua here according to the Greek translation into and out of the clutches of Balthasar, then into a Buddhist monastery in China and finally off to India, where they dabble in the spiritual and erotic aspects of Hinduism. The author gets more serious in his climax, offering a relatively straightforward, heartfelt account of the Passion and Christ's final days that includes an intriguing spin on how the Resurrection might have happened. The Buddhist and Hindu subplots seem designed to point out the absurdity and excesses of religious customs, but none of the characters are especially memorable, and eventually both plot and characters give way to Biff's nightclub patter. As imaginative as some of this material is, the sacrilegious aspects are far less offensive than Moore's inability to rein in his relentless desire to titillate, and his penchant for ribald, frat-boy humor becomes more annoying as the book progresses. Moore has tapped into organized religion for laughs before, but this isn't one of his better efforts.
Customer Reviews
Not Everyone's Cup of Tea, But a Great Read
I picked up this book after having it recommend to my by a coworker. He warned me that it may be a bit offensive if I was religious at all, I said I wasn't so I'd give it a try.
The second I picked up this book I was sucked in. I was brought up catholic so I already knew the basis in which the story was based on, which made it even funnier. It weaves "fact" in with fiction really well, making the time line and story believable.
I was laughing the whole way thought the book. The author is a amazing writer and I would definitely recommend this book for friends and family.
I wouldn't suggest this book to anyone who is really religious. Although this book isn't mocking the bible, it does have quiet a bit go swearing and some graphic descriptions.
Yeah!!!
I have read this book more a few times and will read it a few more. Even if this is the only book you ever read by Moore you will enjoy every page and chapter. But another great Moore book is practical demon keeping!!
Best book ever
This is the only book in my life that I've enjoyed reading more than once