The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ

By: Philip Pullman

Narrated by: Philip Pullman

Length: 3 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's Summary

The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ is the remarkable new piece of fiction from best-selling and famously atheistic author Philip Pullman. By challenging the events of the gospels, Pullman puts forward his own compelling and plausible version of the life of Jesus, and in so doing, does what all great books do: makes the reader ask questions.

In Pullman’s own words, “The story I tell comes out of the tension within the dual nature of Jesus Christ, but what I do with it is my responsibility alone. Parts of it read like a novel, parts like history, and parts like a fairy tale; I wanted it to be like that because it is, among other things, a story about how stories become stories.”

Written with unstinting authority, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ is a pithy, erudite, subtle, and powerful book by a controversial and beloved author.

©2010 Phillip Pullman (P)2010 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic Reviews

“Incendiary.... A small gem or, given its explosive story and exquisite artistry, a hand grenade made by Faberge. Pullman is a craftsman of the highest order.” ( Sunday Times, London)

Powerful if flawed reimagining of Jesus' story

Two groups of readers should avoid this book. If you're a devout Christian who is just plain offended by any treatment of Jesus that departs from worshipful orthodoxy, the title alone has warned you not to spend your money. Equally, if you're a nonbeliever who has never read the New Testament and isn't familiar with the past century's worth of research into the historic Jesus, chances are this novel will bore you, and you'll have no clue why Pullman sometimes sticks close to the Gospels and sometimes departs radically from them.

But Christians aware of the historical complexity of Christianity, and non-Christians who are nevertheless moved and fascinated by the words and story of Jesus, should enjoy grappling with Pullman's "what if" experiments in this novel. On one level, twin brothers "Jesus" and "Christ" simply stand for the familiar opposition between the "historic Jesus" and the Christ that emerged as disciples coalesced into the early church and then a great Church that ruled an empire. The title is intentionally misleading, however: the "good" Jesus is shown to have all-too-human failings (unconcern for his family, the anti-Gentile prejudice of his day), while "scoundrel" Christ develops a complexity of character that recalls Dostoevsky's tragic figures.

Pullman's well-known atheism doesn't prevent him from having a deep respect for much of the career and teachings of Jesus, and his modern-English rendering of the Sermon on the Mount is especially powerful. Even the "bad guys" in the novel (roughly, speaking, organized religion and the theology of the Gospel of John) are admitted to have been essential parts of Western culture. But he stumbles, to my mind, by making Jesus sound too much like Phillip Pullman toward the novel's end.

Pullman is a fine reader of his own writing, pacing well and giving convincing voice to both major and minor characters.

Another anti-Church tour de force

This is brilliant conjectural history about the origins of the christian church. Pullman constructs 2 main characters: a brilliant scheming twin called Christ (messiah) and a truly holy twin called Jesus. This should be read by all Pullman lovers and by those who consider the christian church to incarnate both good and evil.

Just bland

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

The whole idea of an alternate story to Jesus' life is very exciting and full of possibilities, so I wonder why Phillip came up with such a bland boring option. "It wasn't me it was my stupid twin". It neither felt like he was a true believer, no a rebel seeking controversy or to excite the imagination and spiritual beliefs of his readers. Probably, having read the Gospel According to Jesus by Saramago was too high a hurtle for this story.

Would you ever listen to anything by Philip Pullman again?

Because of Lyra's books I have, but each time I find myself a bit more disappointed.

What three words best describe Philip Pullman’s voice?

His voice and rhythm are perfect. No complains there.

Worth the trip outside my comfort zone.

Any additional comments?

This isn't they type of story I normally like, but I needed to expand my selections. This was a great exploration of "What If" and very much worth the download.

Amusing and at times thoughtful

This is a humorous and occasionally insightful spin on the gospels. It goes without saying that if you don't enjoy an atheist author riffing on biblical themes, spend your credits elsewhere. For those that do, Pullman rather nicely deals with some of the contradictions at the heart of the biblical stories. The performance by the author is lively - this is one of the few instances where an author reading his own work does rather well.

Great perspective on Religions

What made the experience of listening to The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ the most enjoyable?

Very articulate vocal performance as well as the beautiful writing.

What did you like best about this story?

The perspective on Jesus Christ being two people.

What about Philip Pullman’s performance did you like?

Articulate, easy to understand, always engaging, Never drops the words at the end of a sentence. A real Pro !

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

Just marvel at his command of the language.

Any additional comments?

I also heard the Golden compass series. A masterpiece.

A complicated bible story- good if you’ve learned the orthodox one.

Sort of a tricky story, saddening. It made me depressed but I’m not sure why. Very interesting though.

Made a mistake

Any additional comments?

It is really boring book. The story adds little to the known story from the Bible, I was expecting more intrigue or more development. Waste of money.

Great!

This was a really neat interpretation of what may have gone on during the life of Jesus. I really enjoyed it!