Scan barcode
rzh's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
this was a SLOG and a half to say the least: the lack of punctuation, namely quote marks and full stops (seriously, i think i could count on one hand the amount of full stops in this book) made the writing pretty inpenetrable. that being said, when it got going, it really got going. the parts where you get an insight into saramago's jesus' introspection and inner thoughts really shone and gave a new angle to the stories in the gospels, surely the very raison d'etre of a gospel according to jesus. on the other hand, this wasn't the case all the way through. parts of the novel just felt like a slightly lumpier version of the gospel stories, with no added nuance, knowledge, or insight. it was particularly disappointing when this happened at KEY points in the novel, like when Jesus meets with God and Satan on the lake, and immediately after: here we should REALLY be getting an insight into Jesus' thoughts, of which I am sure there were MANY) but Saramago simply... leaves us with none. . again, i really cannot stress enough just now DENSE the prose is, and how difficult it is to read. though i am starting to see the real joy in savouring slow reads, rather than seeing value in books simply for their ease, this was perhaps a bit on the dense side for my liking. don't bother unless you're ready for a real stickler, because this has the potential to kick you into a real reading slump. 3.5 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Suicide and Pregnancy
Minor: Adult/minor relationship