Online Bookstore: Harperperennial Library Lamb : The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal Book

Average Rating:

This book is humorous. Some of the humor is clever, some is very clever and some is sophomoric (although still funny). What made me enjoy this book more, however, were the correlations Moore drew between eastern religions - Confuciousism, Hindu, Buddhism, etc. and Christian thinking through the teachings of Jesus. It gave the book depth beyond the giggles and guffaws.

His interpretation of the portions of Jesus' life that were related in the Gospels were clever, still humorous and thought-provoking. Through the humor and philosophy there was a poignancy to his three main characters that will stick with me for a long time. There is the lost and unsure Jesus trying to figure out how to be a Messiah, the thoughtful and loving Mary of Magdalene and Biff, the wise-cracking inventor of sarcasm who is truly devoted to his best friend who happens to be the Messiah. The afterword is worth reading, esp[ecially as it pertains to Mary of Magdalene for whom the author- and Biff -ahs an obvious affection.

My initial impression of this book was that it was going to be a light tromping through some humorous and absurd situations. It quickly developed a depth that made the humor secondary to the characters and the theme. I will look for more books by Moore.

Moore takes a vacuum of time and weaves into it a wonderful story about friends, growing up, and learning new things. He doesn't try to put the "messiah" up on a pedestal, and Biff, who wanders back and forth between full bravado and self deprecation, is so funny that it is hard to read the book without laughing out loud.

My only disappointment will be if Moore doesn't follow up on this writing with a book about a blonde angel who convinces God to let him be Spiderman.