Guests
by Charlotte, May 25, 2005 12:38 PM
Anne Rice certainly does her homework. Although she writes fiction, she is well-versed in the historical background of her subjects. Christ the Lord is no exception. The story centers on Jesus' life as a seven-year-old. Rice presents Jesus at this age as a very ordinary child, growing up like most other children of his time, and she treats all of the characters in this way, possessing "ordinary" lives. As time passes, Jesus begins to figure out who he is and is forced to confront his miraculous powers, reacting as one might expect from a child coming of age -- though in extraordinary circumstances -- with fear, surprise, denial. The novel is especially exciting when covering the battles and turmoil, the exodus from Egypt, and the flight from Herod's Massacre of the Innocents. Rice has succeeded in making this a very real and timeless story. I highly recommend it, and, as Christ the Lord only encompasses a few years of Jesus' childhood, I look forward to future novels in which the story of his life can further unfold.
|