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Over the last 2000 years, the story of Jesus has been told over and over again by a multitude of people. But rarely do we stop to think about the origin of the stories, as author Naomi Alderman does in her thought-provoking novel, The Liars’ Gospel.
The Liars’ Gospel offers a different take on the life of Jesus of Nazareth. This isn’t the story of the Messiah—the Son of God. It’s the story of a popular preacher who was most likely a bit off his rocker, as seen by people who tended to embellished the truth where convenient, to tell the story that they wanted people to hear.
This, then, is a story told through the eyes of a lonely mother, a disgruntled disciple, a politicking high priest, and a ruthless rebel against Rome.
As you might expect, The Liars’ Gospel is a challenging novel. It’s important to remember, of course, that it isn’t a true account of history; it’s an artist’s interpretation. But it still offers some interesting insights into the time surrounding Christ’s life (and death) nonetheless. Alderman uses great detail to depict the unrest in Jerusalem, which was brought about by the Roman occupation of the city, and she shows how the historical context played into the story that’s told in the gospels.
At the same time, the novel also challenges readers to take a step back from the gospel stories to see Jesus the way that others may have seen him at the time. A former Orthodox Jew, Alderman makes her viewpoint quite clear: that Jesus was one of many preachers of the day, but his tragic story was twisted and exaggerated and turned into anti-Roman propaganda. Some of the assumptions and observations that she makes will obviously frustrate Christian readers from time to time. But the story poses an interesting question: if you were around at the time and observed Jesus’s behavior, how would you react? Would you believe him and follow him, or would you think that he was just another crazy man, preaching on the street corner?
Another challenge, meanwhile, is Alderman’s style. She insists on using original translations of the characters’ names—Miryam instead of Mary, Yehoshuah instead of Jesus. And her insistence on doing so feels self-serving—because while it proves that she’s clearly done her research (and some may be impressed by her knowledge), it really only serves to distract and frustrate readers—most of whom would have been much more comfortable with the familiar versions of the names.
The novel’s focus also has a tendency to wander. While the first two stories tend to revolve around Jesus, the last two seem somewhat irrelevant to the story. The story of Jesus is just a brief aside for Caiaphas, the High Priest, who’s more concerned with keeping his job, keeping the peace, and (especially) finding out whether his wife has been unfaithful. And the rebellious Barabbas (Bar-Avo) only encounters Jesus briefly, toward the end of his story—though the encounter does resonate quite strongly.
Despite its occasional distractions, though, The Liars’ Gospel offers a fascinating new perspective on the gospel story. Your own beliefs are sure to color your reading—just as the author’s beliefs colored her writing—but if you’re willing to keep an open mind about its interpretation of the events, you’re sure to find it both interesting and insightful.
Listen to the review on Shelf Discovery:
