The Last Temptation of Christ
Nikos Kazantzakis
1955
Around 510 pages
I like pissing off the Catholic Church as much as the next person who was forced to endure CCD programming as a kid. In 1963, a priest in Wisconsin, forbade one of his parishioners from returning the library copy of this novel, arguing "that it would be a mortal sin to make it available to others." Of course, that makes me want to distribute them at every street corner, even if I wasn't really a fan of the prose.
Well, we all know the story, although this version of Jesus is a bit more human than his other holier depictions. Kazantzakis' Jesus struggles with doubt, fear, and affection for Mary Magadelene, while Judas gets a more positive edit.
Of course, I'm not religious so the fact that people got their panties in a bunch over yet another reinterpretation of their favorite superhero seems a bit silly to me. I think it is still a pro Christian novel. I don't find this story quite as fascinating as the rest of the population, although I do love the songs from Jesus Christ Superstar. The style was very over the top, which was appropriate for a story depicting trippy visions and hysterical mobs.
But not a very enjoyable read for me.
Interesting Facts:
Banned in Singapore in 1988.
In 1955, the Holy Synod of the Greek Orthodox Church in Athens attempted to have all of Kazantzakis' books banned in Greece, arguing that The Last Temptation of Christ "contains evil slanders against the Godlike person of Jesus Christ."
UP NEXT: Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
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