The Book of Joby
August 7th 2008 08:48
From the Book of Job:
8 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil."
9 "Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied. 10 "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face."
12 The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger."
The Book of Job is a tricky section of the Bible, as it shows God and Satan entering into a challenge or a wager, with the life of Job, a humble servant of God, and his family, as the pawns.
I have always been fascinated by Job and his trials, and was mightily intrigued when I came upon the novel "The Book of Joby" by Mark Ferrari. I picked it up on a whim having read the synopsis on the back, and have never been so pleased by an impulse purchase.
"I thought so," the Creator sighed. "This same stupid bet."
This line from "The Book of Joby" outlines the premise of the book. God and Lucifer have entered into yet another bet. Lucifer is constantly challenging God for the souls of his most beloved, and God never loses. But this time, the bet is slightly different. God cannot intervene at all. While the Devil and his minions may do whatever they please. The target: 9 year old Joby, a young boy with a rich fantasy life. The stakes: The fate of the World as we know it. The terms: Lucifer has 30 years to turn Joby away from the forces of good, God may not intervene, Lucifer may not physically harm the boy.
Thus begins the fascinating journey of Joby, as we watch him turn from bright-eyed boy, to disillusioned adolescent to world weary man. We follow him every step of the way as suffers from wave after wave of attack delivered by Lucifer, in an effort to break his spirit. And, while Joby becomes worn and weakened by the assault on his soul, he seems to retain always a spark in him, that keeps the reader rooting for him to triumph.
For those who are worried that this is preachy Christian lit a-la the Left Behind series, believe me...it is not. Because while the main characters are mostly Biblically based (God, Lucifer, the Archangels) the themes veer into the Sci-Fi and Fantasy realm, with Arthurian intrigue and magic, as well as very human drama. The characters are so well fleshed out and believable, I found myself laughing out loud and then sobbing. I particularly loved the way God is depicted as a combination of a wise sage and a wise cracker. Lucifer is of course a slick business man, who gathers his minions in a board room, and uses power point presentations to lay out his wicked schemes.
A mere review cannot sum up the joy I got from this book. It is one of the best that I have read in a long, long time. It is 628 pages long, and the story is epic in scope. Never before have I read a book that so accurately portrayed the human experience and our life long struggle to make sense of the world around us.
If you are a fan of great epic tales like "The Lord of the Rings" you will love this book. If you are a fan of literature in general, I would highly recommend giving "The Book of Joby" a chance. It is one that I will re-read, that I will give as a gift, and I will treasure always.
8 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil."
9 "Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied. 10 "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face."
12 The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger."
The Book of Job is a tricky section of the Bible, as it shows God and Satan entering into a challenge or a wager, with the life of Job, a humble servant of God, and his family, as the pawns.
I have always been fascinated by Job and his trials, and was mightily intrigued when I came upon the novel "The Book of Joby" by Mark Ferrari. I picked it up on a whim having read the synopsis on the back, and have never been so pleased by an impulse purchase.
"I thought so," the Creator sighed. "This same stupid bet."
This line from "The Book of Joby" outlines the premise of the book. God and Lucifer have entered into yet another bet. Lucifer is constantly challenging God for the souls of his most beloved, and God never loses. But this time, the bet is slightly different. God cannot intervene at all. While the Devil and his minions may do whatever they please. The target: 9 year old Joby, a young boy with a rich fantasy life. The stakes: The fate of the World as we know it. The terms: Lucifer has 30 years to turn Joby away from the forces of good, God may not intervene, Lucifer may not physically harm the boy.
Thus begins the fascinating journey of Joby, as we watch him turn from bright-eyed boy, to disillusioned adolescent to world weary man. We follow him every step of the way as suffers from wave after wave of attack delivered by Lucifer, in an effort to break his spirit. And, while Joby becomes worn and weakened by the assault on his soul, he seems to retain always a spark in him, that keeps the reader rooting for him to triumph.
For those who are worried that this is preachy Christian lit a-la the Left Behind series, believe me...it is not. Because while the main characters are mostly Biblically based (God, Lucifer, the Archangels) the themes veer into the Sci-Fi and Fantasy realm, with Arthurian intrigue and magic, as well as very human drama. The characters are so well fleshed out and believable, I found myself laughing out loud and then sobbing. I particularly loved the way God is depicted as a combination of a wise sage and a wise cracker. Lucifer is of course a slick business man, who gathers his minions in a board room, and uses power point presentations to lay out his wicked schemes.
A mere review cannot sum up the joy I got from this book. It is one of the best that I have read in a long, long time. It is 628 pages long, and the story is epic in scope. Never before have I read a book that so accurately portrayed the human experience and our life long struggle to make sense of the world around us.
If you are a fan of great epic tales like "The Lord of the Rings" you will love this book. If you are a fan of literature in general, I would highly recommend giving "The Book of Joby" a chance. It is one that I will re-read, that I will give as a gift, and I will treasure always.
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Comment by Cheryl J
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You should stop by and read a short story on Kleonaptra's blog Kalikapsychosis called CONVERSATIONS WITH THE DEVIL. I loved it, she's very talented.
Thanks for the book recommendation!
Comment by Lola Tahlulah
Lola Tahlulah
Comment by Natalie 2
My Life My Muse
Beta Girl Blog
I hope you do read it! Let me know what you think.
"It can't happen here" is one of my all time favorite books. I actually talk about it quite a bit in THIS post.
Lola, I had never heard of it either until I stumbled upon it. Let me know if you decide to pick it up!
Comment by Always Eighteen
Always Eighteen: Japan Edition
Just the other day, someone was telling me about Jim Crace's book, "Quarantine." It's about Jesus' forty day stay in the dessert... but it's from the point of view from other travelers of the desert he was in. Apparently it nearly won Booker prize. I've still yet to read it.
Comment by Natalie 2
My Life My Muse
Beta Girl Blog
I hope you like "The Book of Joby". Let me know if you read it.