They Love to Tell the Story: Five Contemporary Novelists Take on the Gospels

The Virgin Mary. Joseph. Peter. Mary Magdalene. Judas Iscariot. Pontius Pilate. Jesus. In They Love to Tell the Story: Five Contemporary Novelists Take on the Gospels, Kevin Brown examines how Nikos Kazantzakis, Anthony Burgess, Norman Mailer, Jose Saramago, and Nino Ricci portray each of the major figures from the gospel stories against the backdrop of biblical and legendary lore and depictions by some other contemporary novelists. The result is a many textured tapestry of insight and reflection in which Mary encourages her son to lead a normal life; Peter is coarse and rash, loyal and treacherous; Judas may well have understandable motives; and Jesus struggles with the temptations of love and power, revealing a divinity and a humanity vying for expression. By retelling stories people think they know, these five authors challenge their readers to confront assumptions and encourage all of us to ask ourselves why we believe or don't believe what we might well have long held to be true.