![]() There was probably little question that Pullman's version could or would equal that of the King James, but some of the writing here is quite far from Pullman's best. Pullman was brave to risk the comparison, true, but - to be kind - it doesn't work in his favour. This was particularly glaring during Pullman's retelling of the Sermon on the Mount, one of the most striking passages in Western literature. And, as I'm sure he would be the first to agree, he is in no way as powerful or elegant a writer as Lancelot Andrewes and the committee that put together the King James Bible. The problem was, for me, that in sticking so closely to the biblical narratives, Pullman brought the Bible constantly to mind. Throughout, he insists on Jesus's humanity. ![]() One understands why he chose to recast them. We get the tale of John the Baptist, the bread and the wine, the Sermon on the Mount and so on. But after that strong start, Pullman begins to recount, with only minor variations at times, the well-known incidents from the life of Jesus of Nazareth. The Good Man Jesus begins with the pace and sense of adventure of a Pullman story. But this short novel's flaws are instructive and kind of fascinating in themselves. ![]() ![]() Although Pullman is a great choice for this story, the question remains: Has he succeeded in doing anything new or interesting with one of our civilization's most compelling stories? The answer, for me, is: Well, no, not quite. ![]()
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