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What is the real Jesus really like? Do you want to find out what the real Jesus is like? Do you have trouble relating to external trappings that have been placed around the person of Jesus? Do you want to know what it would have been like to be with him and be his friend? What would it be like if he visited 21st century America? What would he say to you if you could walk and talk with him? Do you want to know what it would be like for Jesus to come to earth today? Then this book is FOR YOU!!! For me, this novel captures more of the heart, love and character of Jesus than any other fictional book I have ever read or movie I have ever seen. The book expressed Jesus' story in a very real way which I could understand and relate to. So much so, that I wept when I read it, even though it is fiction. If you want to learn about Jesus without having to wade through man-made religious trappings, this book will help you understand what his life on earth was really like by translating his story and circumstances into modern terms and settings. I give this book my very highest recommendation. Pretty good. I liked the story and it made me look at Jesus story in a different way. Very good attempt. Not Bad for Religious Fiction Conrad Davis is a TV journalist whose life appears to be good on the outside. Still, the competitive nature of his profession and his own internal drive had him continuously pushing for the next and best assignment. However, this also led to some problems in his past that he never really dealt with: divorce from his wife, Suzanne, and estrangement from his daughter, Julia. The latest assignment he hoped to pursue involved allegations by a scientist that he could prove the existence of parallel universes. However, on the way back from an interview of the scientist, he was involved in a fiery car crash . . . . From which he woke in a completely different life. He caught a ride with a couple young kids who looked like the jumped out of the 60's, and ended up at a cheap motel where he witnessed the birth of a newborn child, Eli. Years later he runs into Eli again, and witnesses many miracles that push him beyond all his former beliefs. Mr. Myers really did a fantastic job of taking Jesus' miracles and stories from the New Testament, and setting them in present day. (FYI, the crux of the story is that in this alternate universe, Jesus was never born, and "Eli" is born in the 20th Century.) For example, the men that Eli chose to be his 12 disciples closely mirrored the diversity in the men Jesus chose, including ones with whom most people would never wish to associate. The only real "problem" I saw in the story was the overriding fact that today's society has clearly been influenced by Christianity. And it was difficult for me to see how a parallel universe/world could have developed so similarly if that belief system had never existed before. Additionally, it appears that even in fiction, the questions that many of us face regarding faith and belief in God still cannot be answered easily. Inconsistent and frustrating It is a shame that Myers doesn't write fiction as well as he does screenplays (notably the wonderful McGee and Me series.) This book was more disappointing than even his religious sci fi. Conrad Davis slips into a parallel universe where Christianity hasn't happened yet and a new messiah named Eli is born in a laundry room in Santa Monica. Somehow the world had evolved as if Christianity had occurred however: hotel rooms have Bibles including only the Old Testament, not Talmudic tracts, the non-Jewish characters do not worship Greek gods but are monotheists, there are crystal cathedrals and evangelical theme parks celebrating Old Testament figures and a monotheist God- but they are certainly not Jewish. Did the Reformation happen anyway? While the idea of a Messiah ploped down in contemporary life has potential, this book doesn't achieve it. The concept is half-baked and the interspersing between realities and memories is confusing. None of the characters is fleshed out- maybe Myers is better when he writes for actors who can add personality. It's a shame. In religious fiction Myers is certainly no Madelline L'Engle and not even a C.S. Lewis. A thoughtprovoking read that dares to tick off its readers I am NOT a big fan of Christian fiction. A lot of it is hopelessly goody-goody..afraid to ever deal with REAL emotion. Afraid to admit the nastiness that often lurks underneath the facade of Christians as they struggle to slowly become more like Jesus and less like themselves. This book rang true for me for the most part. I didn't cringe at the dialogue and plotlines. I liked that Myer's Jesus (as "Eli") overturned the Jesus junk at the Christian theme park. It's the type of thing I would easily envision Jesus doing today. His Jesus was also difficult..asking seemingly impossible..or inconvenient things in order to be a follower. The real Jesus was like that, too, IMHO. This was a gripping read...highly recommended. See also:
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