Meaningful and Hilarious
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Now, I'm not a religious man. But that hardly matters in this case. Notwithstanding the subject matter, this is a novel that you can leave you beliefs at the door and get sucked in to magnificent writing. It's somewhat unfortunate that Heller will be best remembered for Catch-22 when the rest of his body of work is so outstanding. Nowhere else is this more evident than in God Knows. The story of David, from David's point of view, is viciously dark and humorous, perhaps even more so than in Catch-22. Other reviewers have said that it may be a good idea to read the Old Testament before trying this book and they may be right, but I didn't and still I giggled and chuckled all the way through.
It's a great story about David's relationship with his wife, his son and his God. It's deep and reflective, but also brings out a character as befits a King of Israel - harsh, aggressive, sarcastic, practical, funny. And as such, it remains a novel for the modern man too as we have all the same family problems, if not ones of running a Kingdom. In short, it's a worthy addition to Heller's portfolio, and as such, is a must read, whether you're religious or not.
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If you like the Old Testament, you'll love this (probably)
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A witty take on the Old Testament events which occurred around the time of King David. Heller has taken each of the characters and added a new dimension of his own, presumably using a good deal of literary license along the way. I say `presumably' because I don't know the OT all that well, which means that I didn't get the full benefit and quite honestly found it tough going most of the time. Which makes me think what a limited audience would appreciate it; since much of it is irreverent to say the least, the book must be targeted at people who are very familiar with the OT but who aren't terribly religious. The story is told by King David himself, speaking at the time when the book was written, a long time after his death obviously. Much self-effacing humour, many sexual reference which are an awful lot more explicit than you'd find in the Bible, lots of people getting smitten under the 5th rib (Heller seems to like that), but the most amusing bits relate to the treatment of Solomon, who is continually portrayed as the buffoon of the peice, giving the lie to his renowned wisdom. A good read, but suggest you read the OT first to get the best out of it!
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Heller Knows
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This book really crept up on me as a true classic. Concerning everything from the mystery of faith to rebellious children (fantastically so, in actually attempting to kill one's father) Heller pulls off an original, insightful and emotionally involving re-telling of a millenium old story.
Having read, and re-read, "Catch-22" and "Something Happened" before laying a finger on "God Knows" I was already a true Hellerite but this book surprised and delighted me. There are certain similarities with "Something Happened" which was writen a decade earlier (coincidently it is stil a brilliant read) - the character's fatherly concern for his children, the sometimes uncomfortably base description of his libido and the outpour of regrets over lost love. Both books are written from the character's point of view but so skillfully that it feels entirely genuine; some paragraphs that seem to be repeated are in fact careful embellishments on previous discolsures that allow real insight for the reader.
I think this is still my second favorite Heller but it is a majestic masterpiece as much as Catch-22. However much you know about the story of King David this book will make you feel like you've known him all his life. An extremely rewarding read and Heller's most sensitively written and subtle work. I recommend it to anyone.
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Your God or mine?
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I love Joseph Heller, and when I came across a reference for this novel in something I read by Kurt Vonnegut, I raced out to find it. And let me tell you it was most definitely worth the wait to get it imported from the states.
King David tells all in this, Heller's most overtly entertaining novel. Laced with near-blasphemous puns and some pointedly different takes on the events of the Books of Samuel and Kings, David, flawed, unapologetic and ultimately filled with a rare pathos, relives his life as a young shepherd, as a giant-killer, and as the father of Solomon, his workman-like but definitely not wise son and heir.
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Heller's finest!
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Grab the nearest copy of the bible, read Samuel 1 and 2 and Kings, and then pick up this book. The story of King David, how it deserves to be told. My favourite of his books and without doubt one of the cleverest, witty and thoughoutful books i've read.
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