Lamb

The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal

By: Christopher Moore

Narrated by: Fisher Stevens

Length: 15 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

The birth of Jesus has been well chronicled, as have his glorious teachings, acts, and divine sacrifice after his 30th birthday. But no one knows about the early life of the Son of God, the missing years - except Biff, the Messiah's best bud, who has been resurrected to tell the story in this divinely hilarious yet heartfelt work, "reminiscent of Vonnegut and Douglas Adams" ( Philadelphia Inquirer).

Verily, the story Biff has to tell is a miraculous one, filled with remarkable journeys, magic, healings, kung fu, corpse reanimations, demons, and hot babes. Even the considerable wiles and devotion of the Savior's pal may not be enough to divert Joshua from his tragic destiny. But there's no one who loves Josh more (except maybe "Maggie," Mary of Magdalan) and Biff isn't about to let his extraordinary pal suffer and ascend without a fight.

©2002 Christopher Moore (P)2007 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"Moore...gets style points for his wild imagination as Biff recalls his journey with Jesus...into and out of the clutches of Balthasar, then into a Buddhist monastery in China and finally off to India, where they dabble in the spiritual and erotic aspects of Hinduism. The author gets more serious in his climax, offering a relatively straightforward, heartfelt account of the Passion and Christ's final days that includes an intriguing spin on how the Resurrection might have happened." (Publishers Weekly)
"An instant classic...terrific, funny, and poignant." (Rocky Mountain News)

A Worthy Book, indeed

This is a favorite book of mine. Biff is Jesus' best childhood friend, and Biff has been raised from the dead to write his witness of Jesus' young life. Problem is, Biff is a real smart-arse. Typical of Christopher More, there is plenty of chuckles. Fortunately for us, it's better written than anything else he's written. I've given this book to friends of different faiths, both liberal and conservative, and did not O-ffend. Fisher Steven's narration is a bit scratchy, but you get past it. The witness account of Biff is funny, touching, moving and lasting.

Funny

Funny book. It does step on the bible and its morals quite a bit, but most of it is acceptable. It is really funny though. Not quite as good as " a dirty job". Worthwhile listen.

I loved it

Very funny book. Fisher Stevens did a great performance. I would Recommend this book to anyone.

The Lamb

Probably the most disappointing book I have listen to thus far. The narrator spoke so fast and it felt as though the volume was always on fast speed.

Listen if you want a good chuckle

I really didn't know what to expect of this based on the mixed reviews. I found myself laughing out loud for most of the book. There were some spots that dragged on a little, but overall the book was fun and left me wanting more. Fisher Stevens was great as narrator. I do agree with previous reviews that the author seemed to want to hurry up and end the book...so the last few chapters were disappointing (hence the 4 stars). However the journey is not always about the destination and the ride to get to the end was enjoyable.

Very entertaining!

If you could sum up Lamb in three words, what would they be?

irreverantly thoughtful

What was one of the most memorable moments of Lamb?

tough to say...

What about Fisher Stevens’s performance did you like?

easy on the ears.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Lots of laughs...clever humor!

Any additional comments?

Tasteful parody of religion...even believers should be entertained.

Hilarious

This was one of the best books I've ever experienced. The way the legitimate gospel is tied into every moment of the story is really incredible and really funny.

Christ best friend Bif

Wonderfully entertaining and potentially historical? Probably not, but a really good listen to. I highly recommend it.

Amusing semi-biblical fiction.

Somewhat vulgar in places, chock full of Jewish-esque irreverence, this wonderful story is both thought-provoking and enlightening. The historical setting and the biblical references are well-researched. The ties to similarities and differences between traditional Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism are spoonfed in easy to swallow amusing tidbits. Check your offended nature at the play button and listen with an open mind and an empty cup.

Cut off words at the end of chapters

Any additional comments?

There are certain parts of the audio that get cut off at the end of chapters, including the very end which made it sound rushed. Otherwise DEFINITELY worth a listen (and read!!).