The birth of Jesus has been well chronicled, as have his glorious teachings, acts, and divine sacrifice after his thirtieth birthday. But no one knows about the early life of the Son of God, the missing years -- except Biff.
Ever since the day when he came upon six-year-old Joshua of Nazareth resurrecting lizards in the village square, Levi bar Alphaeus, called "Biff," had the distinction of being the Messiah's best bud. That's why the angel Raziel has resurrected Biff from the dust of Jerusalem and brought him to America to write a new gospel, one that tells the real, untold story. Meanwhile, Raziel will order pizza, watch the WWF on TV, and aspire to become Spider-Man.
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 -- whose considerable charms fall to Biff to sample, since Josh is forbidden the pleasures of the flesh. (There are worse things than having a best friend who is chaste and a chick magnet!) And, of course, there is danger at every turn, since a young man struggling to understand his godhood, who is incapable of violence or telling anything less than the truth, is certain to piss some people off. Luckily Biff is a whiz at lying and cheating -- which helps get his divine pal and him out of more than one jam. And while Josh's great deeds and mission of peace will ultimately change the world, Biff is no slouch himself, blessing humanity with enduring contributions of his own, like sarcasm and café latte. 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 Magdala -- and Biff isn't about to let his extraordinary pal suffer and ascend without a fight.
Lamb is the crowning achievement of Christopher Moore's storied career: fresh, wild, audacious, divinely hilarious, yet heartfelt, poignant, and alive, with a surprising reverence. Let there be rejoicing unto the world! Christopher Moore is come -- to bring truth, light, and big yuks to fans old and new with the Greatest Story Never Told!
Philadelphia Inquirer
Moore’s storytelling style is reminiscent of Vonnegut and Douglas Adams.
Rocky Mountain News
An instant classic...terrific, funny and poignant.
Kirkus Reviews
The style is a bizarre mix of serious and sometimes brutal historical fiction laced with black humor, wordplay, in-jokes, and sharp one-liners worthy of a good stand-up comedian. Sometimes it all works well, and sometimes the jokes seem strained. Interesting, original, not for every taste.
Publishers Weekly
As imaginative as some of this material is, the sacrilegious aspects are far less offensive than Moore's inability to rein in his relentless desire to titillate, and his penchant for ribald, frat-boy humor becomes more annoying as the book progresses. Moore has tapped into organized religion for laughs before, but this isn't one of his better efforts.
Booklist - John Green
Although many will find something offensive in this novel, which pokes fun at every major religious tradition that existed in the first century, they will find it simply impossible not to laugh.
Recent Reader Reviews
Rated of 5
by Mariner Good as it gets This is probably the fist book that has ever made me laugh out loud to the point of tears. I couldn't get enough of it.
I honestly feel sorry for those people here that call his jokes "strained" or "frat boy". They should stop... Read More
Rated of 5
by Meg what a book I don't know where to got that kind of sense of humor, keep it up I have read the book 4 times already.
Rated of 5
by Michael Pedder What a great read! I picked this one up after reading, "You Suck" by the same author. Lamb was amazing. I have not enjoyed a book so much in a long time and I read a lot. I laughed more than I had in years and yet through all the laughing there were scenes which... Read More
Rated of 5
by Geoff Oldham Perfect comapnion piece for Anti-Christ: A Satirical End of Days "Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal" is witty religious satire done in an entertaining way. Rather than worry about stepping on toes, Chris tells a fun, entertaining story whose merits are the ability to not only look at... Read More
Rated of 5
by Krissy The Greatest and Best Book Ever Written!!! I am an avid reader of all things, Stephen King was the number one for me, until I happened upon a tasty little trinket called Lamb. I was so surprised and stunned that I have never even heard of Christopher Moore or Lamb.
What a quick read. I... Read More
Rated of 5
by Phil Lamb made me Laugh My wife and I loved it. So did our 16 year old daughter. Do did my friend, as did my sister-in-law, and everyone I have recommended this book to.
Lamb is light entertainment, a fast read, and very enjoyable. It is at times crass and juvenile,... Read More
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U.S. ebook sales up in 2012, but rate of growth is slowing(May 16 2013) In 2012, trade book sales (i.e. non academic book sales) rose 6.9%, to $15.049 billion, and e-book sales continued to grow, although the rate of growth...
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