Jesus of ... Magdala?
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Rather like Kazantzakis' "Last Temptation of Christ", Saramago's humanist reinterpretation of the Gospels arguably has a problem of audience: it's likely to offend orthodox Christians while possibly not being quite "hardline" enough for dyed-in-the-wool atheists. It has been less discussed (and has won fewer literary prizes and the like) than Saramago's less controversial novels ("Ricardo Reis", "Balthazar & Blimunda" etc.). This is a pity, since it is Saramago at his very finest - it's my personal favourite of all his novels.
While sticking surprisingly close to its biblical sources, Saramago's novel essentially does what it says on the tin: it re-tells the familiar story from the point of view of a Jesus who is very much human rather than divine. Jehovah may or may not be his biological parent, but Joseph is unquestionably his dad. Mary receives the annunciation not from Gabriel, but from the devil - a mysterious and surprisingly gentle figure who is certainly not all bad. Mary Magdalene is quite categorically Jesus' lover rather than his disciple (indeed, in some ways, he is her disciple). Although blessed or cursed with miracle-working powers by a thoroughly unpleasant Old Testament God the Father, he views himself as human rather than divine, and his eventual crucifixion more as an act of solidarity with his father Joseph (crucified by the Roman army early in the narrative) than an expiation of human sins.
That being said, Jesus himself (despite occasional unexpected Angry Young Man features) remains in essence the familiar gentle altruist of the New Testament. Saramago's Jesus is a fascinatingly complex character, angry with God while full of compassion for suffering humanity, and having a rather troubled relationship with his mother. His meeting with the considerably older Mary Magdalene is one of Saramago's familiarly luminous love stories (indeed, Jesus subsequently describes himself as "Jesus of Magdala" since that is where they met).
Saramago's overall viewpoint is just as complex, and ultimately leaves the reader to make up his or her own mind on the big questions. As well as the obvious atheist-humanist slant, it would be quite possible to take a liberal-Christian view on the book as being very much "about" the transition from Old Testament judgemental God the Father to New Testament God of Love. Is Jesus ultimately just a victim, or does he actually succeed in escaping or subverting the fate wished on him by Jehovah? Or indeed are both viewpoints true at the same time?
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A gospel for human beings
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`TGATJC' is Saramago's retelling of the story of Jesus. It is broadly based on the gospels of the New Testament of the Christian bible, but Saramago invents new scenes and re-interprets existing ones. In the book, the characters of the New Testament are presented as being ordinary human beings caught in extraordinary events. Christian tradition teaches that Joseph, Jesus and Mary were all people, but they are usually portrayed as having the aspects of saints and saviours. `TGATJC' asks the question: what would the events of the gospels look like if told by, and about, human beings. The book concentrates largely on Jesus' relationship with his family, and his parents in particular.
Saramago doesn't set out to shock, and despite the opportunity for contraversialism, actually paints a relatively respectful picture of Jesus' family. Their human aspects are emphasised though, and the book begins with an earthy description of Joseph urinating before having sex with Mary, and her birth pains are graphically described. Jesus too is portrayed as having a very human nature: fallible, often confused and sexually active. I didn't find it remotely shocking, and actually thought it to be a touching and realistic portrait of a family. What may be more controversial is Saramago's portrait of God, who is portrayed very much as he appears in the Old Testament (i.e. how people of Jesus' time would have conceived of God). Saramago's God is jealous and power hungry. His battle isn't with the Devil, but with other Gods over the belief of mankind. Jesus' death is part of his quest for power and the devil, rather than an enemy, is an uneasy ally, because one cannot exist without the other. This God is very much the pre-Christian conceptualisation of God, one which the people of Jesus' era would have recognised. Again Saramago asks the question: if Jesus was a man, what would God have looked like to him?
`TGATJC' made a story that I have heard a thousand times seem utterly new. It will undoubtedly upset many people, but if you are prepared to accept the central point, (that of its protagonists' humanity) then it will make you look at the bible story in an entirely new way. It is a skilful piece of writing and, despite the large blocks of unbroken text, easy to read. `TGATJC' is thought-provoking and eye-opening, and anyone wanting a different perspective on the stories in the gospels should read it.
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What a wonderful read!
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Despite being slightly put off by the title, I was pleasantly surprised with Saramago's fascinating twist on the life of Jesus Christ. Not only is the book written in a poetic and graceful style which makes the reader glued to each page, but his interpretation of Jesus' life forces one to think and rethink their own values. Whether or not you are religious is irrelevant when reading this book as it is a wonderful read - due to Saramago's excellence in story telling and painting a picture through words. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to readers looking for a wonderfully written book about a subject that may not have previously interested readers.
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wonderful
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I started to read "baltasar and blimunda" when I was at school (here in portugal is a book we learn about at school) and I found it to be totally boring. Seven years later I decided to give saramago another chance and I decided to read "the gospel"... and it has become one the best books I've read in years! It changed me a lot and because of it I've read more 3 books of him (neither was "baltasar and blimunda", though). Two years after reading this book, he won the Nobel... and I wasn't surprised at all. In fact Saramago made me feel very proud for beeing portuguese. This book is magnificent; if you don't have it yet, you should run and read it.
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Masterpiece
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This is a magnificent novel, worthy of comparison with that other great Jesus novel, Kazantzakis' "The Last Temptation". Saramago's theme is fairly common, one that has worried theologians for centuries: how can a loving god permit so much evil and suffering to exist in the world? The real villain of the book is not the devil, who seems almost sympathetic, a reluctant accomplice in the divine scheme, but the old testament Jehovah, a tyrant willing to sacrifice no end of martyrs, beginning with his own son, to achieve his ends. Saramago has faith in the goodness of people, perhaps indicative of his communist sympathies; there are several instances in the narrative where strangers come to the aid of the young Jesus as he goes in search of his ancestry and his destiny; he is sympathetic too with Joseph, whose guilt about not warning the parents of the murdered innocents results in an untimely death. All but the most liberal Christians will be offended by this book, and many will dismiss it as a communist indictment of religion. If, however, you can accept the book's didactic purpose, its passionate disavowal of the idea that there is any kind of divine grace or love, you will be enchanted by Saramago's wordy, often unpunctuated style, his wry, ironical tone, and his brilliant weaving of realist and mythical elements, complete with lengthy "evangelical" glosses. The best novel I have read since "One Hundred Years Of Solitude".
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