The Republic of Heaven

The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ

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The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ

Postby waitingForDust » Wed Sep 16, 2009 1:40 pm

Philip has a little more on his latest book on his website:
http://www.philip-pullman.com/pages/new ... ?NewsID=39
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Re: The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ

Postby HDMFAN4LIFE » Sun Sep 20, 2009 12:09 am

I don't think the church is going to like this book very much.
What do you think :?:
but that doesn't mean it wont be a good book, I'm looking forward to it! Tehe :lickout:
~I can't change who I am. Not this time, I won't lie to keep you near me and in this short life there's no time to waste on giving up. My love wasn't enough!- Lacrymosa, Evanescence.

*Said calmly* I love HDM....WOOT!!!!!!!!!
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Re: The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ

Postby Townie » Mon Sep 21, 2009 8:42 am

:lol: He's on the wind-up again, the ol' stirrer.
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Re: The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ

Postby h.turner » Mon Sep 21, 2009 8:47 pm

the aggravating old stoat, i guess the book of dust will have to wait. Although anything that upsets the sensibilities of the religious mainstream, and provides insightful reading is absolutely fine by me.
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Re: The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ

Postby BenMech » Tue Feb 02, 2010 4:13 pm

the new issue of Publisher's Weekly Magazine has news that the audiobook version will be released by Brilliance Audio in May, and narration is by Philip himself
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Re: The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ

Postby dumbledad » Mon Mar 29, 2010 4:33 pm

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Re: The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ

Postby Peter » Tue Mar 30, 2010 11:36 am

From boingboing:

Philip Pullman, addressing an audience at the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford, was asked about whether his latest book, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ, was offensive. Here's his reply:

"It was a shocking thing to say and I knew it was a shocking thing to say. But no one has the right to live without being shocked. No one has the right to spend their life without being offended. Nobody has to read this book. Nobody has to pick it up. Nobody has to open it. And if you open it and read it, you don't have to like it. And if you read it and you dislike it, you don't have to remain silent about it. You can write to me, you can complain about it, you can write to the publisher, you can write to the papers, you can write your own book. You can do all those things, but there your rights stop. No one has the right to stop me writing this book. No one has the right to stop it being published, or bought, or sold or read. That's all I have to say on that subject."
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Re: The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ

Postby Dragon of Heaven » Thu Apr 01, 2010 3:58 pm

I found this very good youtube video of pullmans response to the title of the book.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQ3VcbAfd4w
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Re: The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ

Postby Soapy » Fri Apr 09, 2010 7:00 pm

It's been out a few days now. Has anyone actually read it?

I'm part way through it.
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Re: The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ

Postby Haku » Sat Apr 10, 2010 9:57 pm

Philip Pullman explains why and how he did this book.
Maybe one of the most interesting articles on this book, especially because it's Pullman himself who wrote it...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/book ... to-me.html

Amazon got delays and expects to send it to me in May.
I'm going to cancel my order : english bookstore in downtown is going to have it next week...
Aims at all the nonchalence proper to a prince of the air.
Since over 10 years, The Book of Dust will be published in 2 years.
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Re: The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ

Postby waitingForDust » Sun May 02, 2010 3:35 pm

'Slate' has an interesting review on the book - http://www.slate.com/id/2252546
I read it while on holiday a couple of weeks ago and still haven't made up my mind about it. I think I should have read the appropriate bible passages before each chapter as it did make me feel fairly ignorant, but the general gist of what is going on is easy to follow. If you're expecting anything like HDM, forget it - it's not that kind of book.
I can't help wondering if he has given up on TBOD...
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Re: The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ

Postby Kansas Person » Mon Mar 21, 2011 8:48 pm

When I read this book, I thought of all the people who would be offended and that this would be a very good thing.

I haven't read most of Pullman's books other than HDM and the two short tie-in books. It seems that The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ is unique, not only among his own books. The style is also unique. It's in modern English, but the style is that of the King James Bible. It was perfect for the story.
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Re: The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ

Postby jessia » Fri Aug 05, 2011 5:18 pm

I just picked this up from the library yesterday (as well as a shiny new library card) and am about halfway through it now. I have to say... thought it'd be a bit more exciting. But there's something nice about picking up a Pullman story. He's very consistent in his story-telling tone and having listened to him read from HDM in the audiobooks as well as a number of interviews over the years, I feel like I can hear his voice in my head when I am reading his work. This one reminds me more of his fairytales that are marketed to younger audiences.
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Re: The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ

Postby Peter » Fri Aug 05, 2011 6:39 pm

I just picked this up from the library yesterday (as well as a shiny new library card) and am about halfway through it now. I have to say... thought it'd be a bit more exciting. But there's something nice about picking up a Pullman story. He's very consistent in his story-telling tone and having listened to him read from HDM in the audiobooks as well as a number of interviews over the years, I feel like I can hear his voice in my head when I am reading his work. This one reminds me more of his fairytales that are marketed to younger audiences.
How does it compare with Monty Python's Life Of Brian?
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Re: The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ

Postby jessia » Fri Aug 05, 2011 8:14 pm

i've never actually watched/finished life of brian front to back, but pullman isn't quite monty python. :P
"o stars, isn't it from you that the lover's desire for the face
of his beloved arises? doesn't his secret insight
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Re: The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ

Postby Jaya » Fri Aug 05, 2011 9:51 pm

Nowhere near as good, I promise you.

I didn't find it that entertaining. The book kind of dragged on a bit, and wasn't that different from reading bible stories. I did get a little interested towards the climax/end of the story, which I guess is what Pullman was getting at. But for most of the book, I wasn't all that enamoured.

However, maybe that's just me. A lot of people seem to have a lot to say about it - and many people do seem to like it. It does have a few good lines.
"To him whose elastic and vigorous thought keeps pace with the sun, the day is a perpetual morning."
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Re: The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ

Postby jessia » Sat Aug 06, 2011 2:03 am

perhaps that's what i mean by not that exciting.

actually, our favourite author becomes a preachy atheist sometimes, and it shows a little bit.

[edit] that was actually kind of underwhelming. o well.
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Re: The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ

Postby Aileth » Thu Aug 11, 2011 8:35 pm

I just finished the book and I didn't find it that attractive either, it was more like light reading. I think I know why. I wanted a story like the ones he tells in other books, with explanations and visualised motivations throughout, a developed plot, more insightful passages for the characters, more descriptions of actions. The style puzzled me, I couldn't pinpoint what it was and I thank Kansas Person for giving it a name: bible passages.

I don't dislike it, I just wish there was more to it. It's a swift story, easy to read that has no actual twists or conundrums. The language also surprised me, it's simple, modern English, even using very English expressions for the speeches, I wasn't expecting that. It's a simple story told for simple understanding, perhaps too simple because I got used to complex plots in what I read and this has nothing elaborate in it.

To tell the truth, I prefer Anne Rice's Christ books as an interpretation of the words in the Gospels. I can't find much to interpret in this one, I think not even Pullman knew how to write his views on what he can't believe any longer and that's why it looks so lacking in conviction.
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Re: The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ

Postby tellthemstories » Wed Oct 19, 2011 5:31 pm

I've just downloaded it on my kindle and plan to read it, I'll come back to this when I do - bit of a pointless post, I know, sorry!
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