Christ the Lord

The Road to Cana

By: Anne Rice

Narrated by: James Naughton

Length: 6 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's Summary

Anne Rice’s second book in her hugely ambitious and courageous life of Christ begins during his last winter before his baptism in the Jordan and concludes with the miracle at Cana.

It is a novel in which we see Jesus - he is called Yeshua bar Joseph - during a winter of no rain, endless dust, and talk of trouble in Judea.

Legends of a virgin birth have long surrounded Yeshua, yet for decades he has lived as one among many who come to the synagogue on the Sabbath. All who know and love him find themselves waiting for some sign of the path he will eventually take.

And at last we see him emerge from his baptism to confront his destiny - and the Devil. We see what happens when he takes the water of six great limestone jars, transforms it into cool red wine, is recognized as the anointed one, and urged to call all Israel to take up arms against Rome and follow him as the prophets have foretold.

As with Out of Egypt, the opening novel, The Road to Cana is based on the Gospels and on the most respected New Testament scholarship. The book’s power derives from the profound feeling its author brings to the writing and the way in which she summons up the presence of Jesus.

©2008 Anne Rice (P)2008 Random House, Inc.

Critic Reviews

“Riveting.... Rice's book is a triumph of tone - her prose lean, lyrical, vivid - and character. As he ponders his staggering responsibility, the boy is fully believable - and yet there's something in his supernatural empathy and blazing intelligence that conveys the wondrousness of a boy like no other.... With this novel, she has indeed found a convincing version of him; this is fiction that transcends story and instead qualifies as an act of faith. Joins Nikos Kazantzakis's The Last Temptation of Christ and Endo's A Life of Jesus as one of the bolder re-tellings.” (Kirkus Reviews, starred) 

"Rice undertakes a delicate balance: if it is possible to create a character that is simultaneously fully human and fully divine, as ancient Christian creeds assert, then Rice succeeds." (Publishers Weekly) 

Well Done!

Anne Rice has done a powerful job delving into the potential experiences of Jesus the Christ in those early years. She is blending excellence of research with vibrant imagination to create a realistic narrative thread. She also uses both the Jewish history and the the traditions of the church to her advantage. Brilliant!

Wonderful Narration ... but ...

The narrator on this wonderful audiobook is listed as Anthony Heald. Well, Mr. Heald has always been one of my favorite character actors and I KNEW it wasn't Anthony Heald! Finally, at the very end, the narrator thanked the audience, concluding by saying "This is James Naughton." Of course! I remember him from David Baldacci's The Camel Club. Ooops!
Seriously, get it, listen, and enjoy. Remember though, Ms. Rice's thought-provoking work IS fiction.

So beautiful

Vampires, werewolves, witches are not in this book. As the author said in the first novel Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt, she chose the greatest supernatural character and dug deep for His story. I’ve read this book many times never failing to find a treasure to ponder. Thank you Ms. Rice for this rendering of Jesus of Nazareth.

Wrong voice

I'm usually not a reviewer but I feel compelled to on this work. The story was well done, great descriptions and dialogue and such, but the reader chosen for this work seemed, in my opinion, totally wrong. Hearing that deep baritone voice for this type of work did not match up at all! When the narrator would recite the words "Oh Lord, how looonng" I too would think the same... How much longer can I last listening to this... The narrators voice would be perfect for reading how lions prowl on the Savannah looking for Zebra or a ghost story but for this work it didn't match up, especially when he was reading women's voices. I might listen to the other books but not with this narrator. Hate to give it a negative but those are my thoughts.

Exceptional

Brilliant narrative. and stunning attention to the ancestry and family of Jesus as he experiences the ache of living as a man and the rising acceptance of his mission in God’s name. Rice has developed all chapters, all scenes with her clear and nearly poetic prose.

Narrator is too aged for this book, in my opinion.

I just really needed to hear a 30 year old man with some form of accent. While the gentleman reading did it very well, he didn't make a realistic Jesus. Otherwise, I love the story.

Brilliant performance and Inspired Writing

I listened to this many times and I am continually impressed with Anne Rice’s respect for Scripture and her imagination within the life of Jesus in first century Israel. Her portrayal of Jesus is provocative and stirring. She embellishes the events that we know about in ways that could have happened. What research and careful effort!
James Noughton is a brilliant reader. He performed wonderfully, much better than the readers of the other two books in the trilogy.

A great Lenten meditation

Truly a wonderful naration of Christ's growing identity of himself as God and man.
The narrator's voice is perfect.

Christ’s early life

This book fills in the great emotion spaces in Christ’s first 30 years. The author does so based on extensive research on the times and the small pieces conveyed in scripture. It makes Jesus early life come alive. I have listened to the audio book three times as it gives so much life.

A must read

Here we have a lovely rendering of the biblical and historical story in the form of a novel. Read it and imagine it! Enjoy the wonder.