num_pages: 400
description: A wry, fictional account of the life of Christ by Nobel laureate José SaramagoA brilliant skeptic, José Saramago envisions the life of Jesus Christ and the story of his Passion as things of this earth: A child crying, the caress of a woman half asleep, the bleat of a goat, a prayer uttered in the grayish morning light. His idea of the Holy Family reflects the real complexities of any family, and—as only Saramago can—he imagines them with tinges of vision, dream, and omen. The result is a deft psychological portrait that moves between poetry and irony, spirituality and irreverence of a savior who is at once the Son of God and a young man. In this provocative, tender novel, the subject of wide critical discussion and wonder, Saramago questions the meaning of God, the foundations of the Church, and human existence itself.
language: English
title: The Gospel According to Jesus Christ
titlecomplete: The Gospel According to Jesus Christ
characters: Joses (brother of Jesus), Lazarus (Bible), Judas Iscariot, John the Baptist, Pontius Pilate, James (Apostle), Andrew (Apostle), John (Apostle), Herod Antipas, God, Herod the Great (b. 72 BCE), Martha (Bible), James (brother of Jesus), Jesus, Mary (mother of Jesus), Thomas (Apostle), Mary Magdalene, Judas (brother of Jesus), Peter (Apostle), Lucifer, Joseph (bible - husband of Mary), Satan, Legion
genres: Portugal, Religion, Historical Fiction, Nobel Prize, Philosophy, Novels, Portuguese Literature, Literature, Classics, Fiction
ratings_count: 31688
places: Nazareth, Jerusalem, Sepphoris, Bethany, Bethlehem, Sea of Galilee, Kanaan, Tiberias
awards: awardedAt: 662716800000
name: Grande Prémio de Romance e Novela APE/IPLB, awardedAt: 820483200000
name: Dublin Literary Award
category: Shortlist
publisher: Mariner Books Classics