Join BookBrowse today and get access to free books, our twice monthly digital magazine, and more.

What readers think of Lamb, plus links to write your own review.

Summary |  Excerpt |  Reading Guide |  Reviews |  Read-Alikes |  Genres & Themes |  Author Bio

Lamb

The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal

by Christopher Moore

Lamb by Christopher Moore X
Lamb by Christopher Moore
  • Critics' Opinion:

    Readers' Opinion:

  • First Published:
    Feb 2002, 408 pages

    Paperback:
    Feb 2003, 256 pages

    Genres

  • Rate this book


Buy This Book

About this Book

Reviews

Page 2 of 2
There are currently 15 reader reviews for Lamb
Order Reviews by:

Write your own review!

Alex Lewis (02/06/05)

This book is amazingly fun to read. Christopher Moore does an incredible job overcoming the difficult task of bringing slapstick (sometimes crass) humor to the story of Jesus, all the while keeping Jesus' integrity. I also loved the complex character of Biff, as rude and insulting as he comes off, you never doubt his love of his best friend Joshua (Jesus). As much as I laughed during the entire read, the scene of the crucifiction was so well written, it moved me to tears; not because of the divinity of Christ, but because of the true friendship between these two characters.
Another layer of this story, is the subtlety of the humor. When Joshua claims his love for bunnies, and that from now on when anything bad happens to him, he wants bunnies around? Pure genious! This book is a real gem.
Turd Fergueson (01/28/05)

This book was absolutely stunning. It is perhaps one of the greatest novels ever written by the human hand. No, no rather it was written by the hand of the Divine. This book rivals only that of the Bible.

Gooday to you sirs and madams,

Turd Fergueson
jlp (01/21/05)

What is the origin of the Shroud of Turin? Why do Jews eat Chinese food on Christmas? Where does the word "judo" come from? What does the "H" in "Jesus H. Christ" stand for? The answers to these, and many more questions, are revealed in this book.

Quite funny, but also thoughtful and instructive. The question of where Jesus' teachings might have come from has been much debated. One school has it that he travelled and came into contact with Eastern religions. This book takes off from that idea, with Jesus seeking out each of the Magi in turn, for "son of God" lessons. (At the age of thirteen, he and Biff, both in love with Mary of Magdalen, decide to skip her wedding to the town bully, and find the Magi.)

Familiarity with the Synoptic gospels will aid in the appreciation of "Lamb".
Susan (11/20/04)

As several reviewers have said, this is not for everyone, but it is one of my very favorite books. As a Christian, I found it thought-provoking. As a reader, I found it to be side-splittingly funny. It's well-written, fast paced, hysterically funny, engaging and more than a bit profane (although that's Biff, not Jesus). Highly recommended, especially to those whose faith is not easily challenged or offended.
FloridaJudy (08/24/03)


Be warned: this book is not for everyone. If you believe every word in the New Testament, then leave it alone (the orthodox gospels take a heck of a beating here).
But if you want an extremely funny book that makes you think about how difficult it must have been to be a Messiah, this is the novel for you. I'd like to think that Jesus was lucky enough to have had a friend like Biff - well-intentioned, if slightly dim, fallible, but loyal to a fault. I picture Levi, who is called Biff, as a good-hearted frat boy, the kind that's a little too fond of lame pratical jokes, and is always mooning over some unobtainable cheer-leader (Mary Magdalen, in this case, and she comes across as one smart cookie) but always comes through for his buddies.
Some of the jokes are moronic, but hey, that's Biff, not Jesus. Some of them are subtle theological references, and many are laugh-yourself-sick brilliant.
This book also explains some puzzling religious mysteries, like why Jews go out for Chinese food on Christmas, and why there is an Easter Bunny (I guarantee you're never going to look on the wedding at Cana the same way again).
Lend this book to your best friend - the Unitarian with a sense of humor - but keep it out of the hands of sweet aunt Ethel, who sends money to the 700 club.
maria (01/15/03)

funny/kewl
Billie Zahurak (11/01/02)

I don’t know where to even begin in describing this book...I loved it so much. Written by Christopher Moore, through the eyes of Levi, who is called Biff, you are transported through what may very well have been the years of Jesus Christ that aren’t mentioned in the Bible (years 1 through 33). I laughed so hard in this book that I cried, and I cried, too. Biff is Christ’s (who is called Joshua) best friend. They travel in search of the Magi who visited Christ in Bethlehem so Josh can study and learn from them how to become the messiah. Along the way, Biff invents sarcasm and pencils (among other things) and Josh studies Buddhism and Yoga. You’ll read along looking for the stories you learned in Sunday School and laugh as they are told by Biff. Moore doesn’t change any of the stories we know, he just makes them funnier. Moore’s comment in the afterword is that he doesn’t want to change anyone’s religion unless it’s to make people be kinder to their fellow man. He makes a wonderful point…this story is beautiful, touching, sentimental, funny, and sad. This book should be read…and read often.
  • Page
  • 1
  • 2

Support BookBrowse

Join our inner reading circle, go ad-free and get way more!

Find out more


Top Picks

  • Book Jacket: Clear
    Clear
    by Carys Davies
    John Ferguson is a principled man. But when, in 1843, those principles drive him to break from the ...
  • Book Jacket: Change
    Change
    by Edouard Louis
    Édouard Louis's 2014 debut novel, The End of Eddy—an instant literary success, published ...
  • Book Jacket: Big Time
    Big Time
    by Ben H. Winters
    Big Time, the latest offering from prolific novelist and screenwriter Ben H. Winters, is as ...
  • Book Jacket: Becoming Madam Secretary
    Becoming Madam Secretary
    by Stephanie Dray
    Our First Impressions reviewers enjoyed reading about Frances Perkins, Franklin Delano Roosevelt's ...

BookBrowse Book Club

Book Jacket
A Great Country
by Shilpi Somaya Gowda
A novel exploring the ties and fractures of a close-knit Indian-American family in the aftermath of a violent encounter with the police.

Members Recommend

  • Book Jacket

    The Flower Sisters
    by Michelle Collins Anderson

    From the new Fannie Flagg of the Ozarks, a richly-woven story of family, forgiveness, and reinvention.

  • Book Jacket

    The Stone Home
    by Crystal Hana Kim

    A moving family drama and coming-of-age story revealing a dark corner of South Korean history.

Win This Book
Win The Funeral Cryer

The Funeral Cryer by Wenyan Lu

Debut novelist Wenyan Lu brings us this witty yet profound story about one woman's midlife reawakening in contemporary rural China.

Enter

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

M as A H

and be entered to win..

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.