Country of Origin: A Novel

Book Description

A dazzling debut novel by the prize-winning author of Yellow, set in the unique and exotic nightworld of Tokyo.

Lisa Countryman is a woman of complex origins. Half-Japanese, adopted by African American parents, she returns to Tokyo, ostensibly to research her thesis on Japan's "sad, brutal reign of conformity." When she vanishes, Tom Hurley, who is half-Korean and half-white, is assigned to her case at the American embassy, as is local cop Kenzo Ota, who is 100 percent Japanese but deemed an outsider.

In this "poignant story of prejudice, betrayal and the search for identity" (Newsweek International), the trials and tribulations of these three remarkable characters are "at turns trenchantly funny and heartbreakingly sad" (Publishers Weekly). "[An] elegant and haunting debut" (Entertainment Weekly), Country of Origin is a "swirl of action, a whirl of love and sex and race and politics, local and international" (Chicago Tribune)—a "quiet literary triumph" (Booklist).

Customer Reviews:

Promising Tokyo-Set Debut.......2006-09-01

Set in 1980 Tokyo, this debut novel preoccupies itself with the theme of identity born of mixed heritage. At the the plot level, it's a fairly effective mystery about an American woman who goes missing and the sad sack Japanese detective who's assigned her case. The woman is Lisa Countryman, who is ostensibly in Tokyo to research the sex economy for her PhD thesis. She was born in Japan, but was adopted as a baby by a black U.S. military family, and the real impetus for her trip is to locate her birth mother. When her sister in the U.S. eventually calls the embassy for help in locating her, the case is assigned to Tom Hurley. He's a somewhat dissolute 30something consular officer who's mostly interested in bedding the wife of a CIA officer, but is also conflicted about his own mixed heritage. Hurley passes the case on to Kenzo Ota, a lonely, ineffectual, middle-aged police detective invisible to his peers and society in general.

For Ota, the case is an opportunity to get away from his window office (a position of shame in the Japanese workplace at the time) and win some respect from his colleagues. Ota's investigation alternates with flashbacks to Lisa's arrival in Japan, as she drifts from research into bar hostessing, and hires a detective of her own to track down her mother. Meanwhile, a third subplot revolves around Hurley's affair with the CIA wife, Julia, who has somehow heard about the missing Lisa and takes a mysterious interest in the case. There's also a running subplot about Ota's personal life, which includes an encounter with his ex-wife and her son (who may be his), and a budding romance. This is a lot of plot to juggle, and Lee mostly pulls it off, although the book probably could have been much improved by excising or greatly diminishing the Hurley material. The best parts of the book are those that follow Lisa as she navigates the world of fly-by-night English schools and various levels of hostess bars, and those showing the forlorn Ota struggling for redemption. He's the embodiment of one aspect of the Japanese national psyche, the sense that life is suffering and sorrow, and that moments of happiness are the exception rather than the rule.

What's also quite good about the book is the portrait of Japan, although one has to remember that it is set some 25 years in the past (the Iran hostage crisis is a running background element). It's a time when foreigners were present in Tokyo in much lesser numbers than now but Western cultural influence is starting to assert itself. Against all this, the central theme of identity is brought ought through the Japanese preoccupation with racial distinctions and the conflicts deep within many of the characters about themselves. Lee's prose is quite fluid and if the book is guilty of anything, it's of trying to cram in a bit too much. Still, I will certainly keep an eye out for his next book.

Marvelous discussion of mixed race in homogenous Japan plus a great mystery.......2006-07-29

Lisa Countryman is the adopted asian/black daughter of a black US Serviceman and his wife. She was brought back to the States at the age of four. She has no memory of her life there or her mother. After the loss of her adoptive parents she decides to return to Japan to look for her birth mother. She does so under the pretext of doing her PhD thesis on the Japanese sex trade.

She becomes a hostess in a gaijan (foreigner) bar that's frequented by upper management japanese. Her job is to entertain only, she is not allowed to go on a dohan (date) with the clients, though she is allowed to accept gifts from them. Her job is very much like that of a true geisha, to entertain her clients but not to have sex with them; unlike the american idea of a geisha, she is not now nor ever was a prostitute.

In Japan, the most racially homogenous country in the world, to be non-japanese and especially to be of mixed race (and especially to be part black) is considered a mark that cannot be overcome. You are not a citizen, cannot be a citizen and therefore are condemned to the lowest level of respect and economic means.

It is 1980, and Tom Hurley (who is half-korean) is working at the US embassy in Tokyo when he is asked by Lisa Countryman's sister to find out where she is so that she can settle some legal issues the two sisters have. Tom is having an affair with the wife of Vincent Kitamaru/David Saito/Bob Sasaki, who is a CIA operative at the embassy. Kitamaru is part of a group who go to Lisa's bar and call themselves Mojo, Larry and Curley.

Tom Hurley has met with a Tokyo detective named Kenzo Ota, who is part of the 'window squad' (a group that has been exiled to window desks because they have nothing else to do but look out the window all day). Kenzo becomes intrigued by Lisa and her disappearance, and even though he's told to lay off by his superiors, he continues to plug away. What he finds in the end makes this a detective story. But what he finds out on the way is a great discussion of the cultural difficulties/racial slurs/ everyday indignities that non-full blooded japanese suffer from in their own country.

A good read!.......2006-01-06

I thought this was a great read, though not quite worth five stars. A reviewer below describes the writing style as poor, but I disagree--I think Lee writes very well, very efficiently, without getting in the way of a story that kept me interested at all times. Having read his earlier story collection, Yellow, which is full of surprising characters and situations (and just as well written), I was somewhat taken aback here by the familiar "mystery" storyline. The plot felt a little mechanical, but for the most part, the mystery did keep me going, and the bringing-together of many disparate characters near the end was smooth and convincing.

I also thought most of the characters were fascinating people. The bumbling Japanese detective was especially compelling, a combination of TV's Columbo and Monk whose essential honesty and humanity wins out in the end. The identity issues, and the success some characters have at escaping their former identities and growing into more appropriate or comfortable ones, were also convincing, even inspiring. A reviewer below finds the setting confusing--why 1980 instead of now? Well for one thing, the Iranian hostage crisis was dragging on and on at that time. The idea of a "hostage" symbolizes the identity struggles of many of the characters.

The many details about Tokyo are also fascinating, though at times the piling up of "quirky Japan" examples ("weird" sex bars and love hotels, fetishistic Japanese men, bizzare TV shows, etc.) got to be a bit much. Those able to direct the Western gaze toward Japan should give it credit for more than its "weirdness," which people in the West already tend to know about. Fortunately, the multidimensional Japanese characters offered by Lee balance out those times where he pauses for yet another cultural oddity. Finally, the description of other details of Japanese behavior and thought, such as an underlying expectation that life will consist mostly of sadness, also help to give a fuller sense of Japan. So I think readers should be careful about accepting the novel's accuracy in this regard. As Lee says in an appended author's note, "this novel should not be considered an accurate representation of Japan. Dramatic licenses were freely taken." Overall, a gripping book that I very much recommend.

excellent reading.......2005-08-21

I loved this book, the mix of Oriental/Asian/American intrigue was just right, kept me reading and finished it in an afternoon. I hope this author has more up his sleeve!

strong look at what is race inside a fine police procedural.......2005-05-26

In 1980 University of Berkley graduate student Lisa Countryman, a half-Japanese, half-black American, conducts her dissertation research in Tokyo on the brutal societal conformity of bar girls. Lisa also has a personal agenda to learn more about who she is as a mixed race person.

Needing work, Lisa finds employment as a hostess girl at a Tokyo men's club. Eventually she vanishes and her disappearance comes to the attention of American Junior Diplomat Tom Hurley, who has no interest in a half-breed's disappearance except as a nuisance that takes him away from the embassy pool and cocktails, which in his mind is more important to a purebred Hawaiian that he insists he is. In fact he is embarrassed by his roots of being a hybrid half-Korean, half white. Police Inspector Kenzo Ota, who spent three miserable teen years in Missouri, investigates the missing American, feeling strongly this case could make his career if he can solve it fast.

This is an interesting look at racial relationships told through the three key characters whose convergence centers on the disappearance. The entertaining story line grips the reader from the moment that Lisa's vanishing is reported and never slows down as Tom half heartedly and Ota fully are engaged in learning what happened to her. Though minor in terms of the plot, the Tokyo embassy is in bright contrast to the stark Iranian hostage situation that is occurring at the same time. Don Lee uses a Japanese police procedural to provide a strong look at is racial origins.

Harriet Klausner

Katherine Mansfield and the Origins of Modernist Fiction

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Katherine Mansfield and the Origins of Modernist Fiction
Sydney Janet Kaplan
Manufacturer: Cornell University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

The Sleuth and the Scholar: Origins, Evolution, and Current Trends in Detective Fiction (Contributions to the Study of Popular Culture)

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The Sleuth and the Scholar: Origins, Evolution, and Current Trends in Detective Fiction (Contributions to the Study of Popular Culture)

Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

British | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0313260362

Book Description

Is the detective novel popular fiction or serious literature? This collection of essays examines the historical, literary, and critical aspects of the genre. Three interrelated aspects of detective fiction are addressed: the mystery story as a vehicle for social criticism, women crime writers, and the American hard-boiled detective story--its origins in cowboy fiction, recent trends, and whether the "mean streets" still belong exclusively to men. Contributors span the ranks of well-known crime writers, popular critics of detective fiction, and academic scholars. This unusual volume aptly illustrates the nature and attractions of a style of fiction that was once dismissed as merely sensational and is now seen as mainstream.

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expertly written Scottish Historical...

Highly recommended!!!!!

A great Adventure and an unforgettable Adventurer

Beautifully written, wonderful love story

Better than sleeping tablets!
Highland Heroes: The Adventurer (Highland Heroes)
Jaclyn Reding
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Romance | Subjects | Books
General | Historical | Romance | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Highland Heroes: The Pretender (Highland Heroes)

The Secret Gift

White Magic (Topaz Historical Romance)

White Knight (White Quartet)

White Heather (Topaz Historical Romance)

ASIN: 0451207408

Book Description

Jaclyn Reding's The Pretender introduced readers to "a hero who is a heartbreaker-ruthless, dangerous, and so sexy you'll want him for yourself" (Catherine Coulter). Now the Highland Heroes series continues-when a fearless Lady becomes the prisoner of a living legend known as The Adventurer...

A crystal stone shrouded in myth has ended up in the hands of Isabella Drayton-which, in turn, thrusts Isabella into the arms of the darkest, fiercest member of the MacKay clan. She may be his prisoner. But it is he, the Adventurer, who is truly enslaved-by Isabella's beauty, spirit...and love.

Customer Reviews:

expertly written Scottish Historical..........2006-04-14

there's something to be said for giving author's second chances. I had tried another Reding book as was dissappointed. Luckily, I already owned this book so I gave it a try. I was very impressed by this well researched, heartwarming and intelligent historical romance.

This romance is better suited to the reader looking for a love story than a sexually driven story. While there is some intimacy towards the end of the book-the story deals much more on the H/H and a good cast of secondary characters. The history of the period is obviously researched and written in such a way as to be enjoyable as well-in fact the history is a character in and of itself:)

Can't recommend this enough-5 stars!

Highly recommended!!!!!.......2003-01-26

This is my first book by the author and not the last! I was pulled in by the characters from the first page. Isabella and Calum are the perfect dream couple. Bring on the rest in the series.

A great Adventure and an unforgettable Adventurer.......2003-01-10

This book grabbed me from page 1. Isabella is in France and meets a mysterious comte who gives her an ancient Scottish clan charm stone, telling her she must return it to the rightful clan. As she sets out to return to her home in England, her ship is waylaid and the Scottish "pirates" recognize the ancient stone. They take Isabella, along with other booty, to the legendary "Adventurer" -- Calum Mackay of Wrath.

Calum wasn't looking for any captives. He's in hiding from the British governement, his calling is to liberate the Scottish Jacobite prisoners who are being exiled to the Colonies as indentured servants. So when the daughter of an English duke is suddenly dumped in his lap, he is less than pleased to see her. The only thing that prevents him from setting her adrift to find her way home is the stone she has hanging from her neck. It is his clan's ancient legacy. It was stolen when his father was killed three decades before. So what is this Sassenach duke's daughter doing with it?

The tale, and the romance that develops between Isabella and Calum makes for entertaining and gripping reading. My only complaint is I didn't want it to end! This author never fails to write clean, lyrical prose with a true sense of setting. Having been there myself, I can say her knowledge of the Scottish Highlands is without question. You will be transported to the mist and the heather on every page.
I can't wait for the next story in this series.

I also highly recommend the first book in this series of novels, THE PRETENDER. It tells the story of Isabella's older sister and another Highland Hero.

Beautifully written, wonderful love story.......2002-12-13

This was my first book by this author, but it certainly won't be the last. I was pulled in from page one and the story never let go. So many times romance novels feature heroines who are hard and demanding and immature, but in this book, Isabella kept a cool head despite dangerous circumstances and the love story that emerged between her and Calum Mackay was truly lovely. The passages truly take the reader to the Scottish Highlands. I am ordering the first book in the series, THE PRETENDER, right now...and I can't wait for the rest of the books in this series.

Better than sleeping tablets!.......2002-12-03

This book is a sleeper, but not in a good way. If you don't like to use sleeping tablets, then please feel free to buy this book. Otherwise, save your money. All fizzle and no sizzle. It has a good premise, however, the author just doesn't deliver the goods. And, the "suprise" ending is no suprise at all. Yawn.

Book Description

Bandit, murderer, known to all, seen by none....has he killed a thousand men? Has he saved a dozen world? His legend is as large as the Rim itself, his trail as elusive as a wisp of starlight in the empty realms of space. The reward for him is the largest in history.

Customer Reviews:

Super Reader.......2007-08-31

Santiago is a mythical outlaw and adventurer. In this story, three people of different backgrounds and abilities set out to track the man down. What they find is not what they have initially been lead to believe and know about the man, or what his actual role in history and the galaxy has been. A look at the mythologising and creating of heroes or outlaws, depending on what side you are on.

Classic SciFi.......2007-05-07

This here is a genuine SciFi classic from the 80's, and it holds up quite well some 20 years later. A very entertaining charactor and plot driven, western flavored tale. I'd think fans of Joss Whedon's "Firefly" would love this book.

Very Enjoyable Classic.......2006-12-02

SANTIAGO (1986) is definately a classic... I've read at least 500 books, and this one just made my top 5 list. Never boring, and frequently exciting - it is amazing that SANTIAGO hasn't been turned into a motion picture yet. It is like an old Western, but set in the far future.

SANTIAGO is the story of an obscure "outlaw", who is the #1 most-wanted man in the inner frontier of the Galaxy, at a time when mankind has spread to over 100,000 planetary systems. The ruling "Democracy" has place a 20,000,000 credit price on Santiago's head, and bounty hunters suddenly begin tripping all over each other, trying to get the reward... the end result is a lot of dead bounty hunters and other riff-raff. Many of the main characters in the story have been legendized by a singer/ballad-teller named Black Orpheus, and this adds to the fun, as we are exposed to their many individual personalities and idisynchrocies as the tale unfolds.

In the end, Santiago turns out to be more than just an obscure outlaw, but I'll leave the details out, so as not to spoil the ending of this classic SciFi Future Western.

Read this book! .......2006-08-27

If I could give this a 6-star rating, I would. Read all the other reviews, and consider why so many diverse people think this book is great.

I tend to prefer fantasy, with medieval-type settings, with some magic or things of similar nature. This book doesn't even come close, and yet it is one of my favorite books; one of only a handful that I enjoy re-reading.

It starts out as a corny space opera combined with corny wild-west style story. You might groan, thinking you may have picked up one of the silliest stereotyped stories ever written. (I did, the first time I read it). And yet, at the same time, it's so much fun I couldn't help but continue reading it. Soon it's obvious that there is a lot more to this book than first appears. Fascinating characters and unexpected plot twists make it hard to put the book down.

By the end of the book I was in awe with how skillfully Mr. Resnick manipulates the story from corny to something truly meaningful with the reader hardly even aware of it.

When you finish the book you realize it wasn't anything like what you expected when you started reading it, and that is what makes it such a great book.

Even if you had been looking forward to reading a space opera/space western, you won't be disappointed in the book.

Chase Across the Galaxy!.......2005-03-05

I liked this book. It's not a book I'll likely read again, but I immensely enjoyed reading it and am glad I did.

Sebastian Nightingale Cain (the 'Songbird'), bounty hunter, chases across the galaxy to find the king of criminals himself, Santiago, with a price on his head larger than anyone else. But Cain doesn't only want the money; he wants to create a name for himself. By killing Santiago, he would be remembered.

He meets up with some strange characters along his way:
Virtue McKenzie, the 'Virgin Queen', a reporter who desperately wants an interview... with Santiago;
The Jolly Swagman, art collector, who is looking for several pieces of art currently possessed... by Santiago;
The Angel, the most famous bounty hunter, cold, deadly, and never failing, who wants money... from killing Santiago;
Moonripple, a nice girl who likes to work as a waitress, and thinks the greatest hero in the universe... is Santiago.

Clue after clue, name after name, lead after lead, Cain will follow the bread-crumbs that could lead him to Santiago. But as he nears his goal, he doesn't know if he will ever kill Santiago... but he's not sure of the reason why....

A satisfying read, that will have you brimming with excitement and even laughing at times, this is a 'must read' for anyone who likes science fiction. I prefer fantasy, myself, so even those who love fantasy may like this book.

4 Titles By Resnick - Second Contact - Oracle - Redbeard - Santiago a Myth of the Far Future

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4 Titles By Resnick - Second Contact - Oracle - Redbeard - Santiago a Myth of the Far Future
Mike Resnick
Manufacturer: various
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000O1EBBY

Product Description

4 massmarket paperback Titles By Resnick - Second Contact - Oracle - Redbeard - Santiago a Myth of the Far Future

Book Description

In This Study I Found A Lord, a center for my being. Behind the supernatural framework of the first century...I discover a life I wanted to know; a life that possessed a power I wanted to possess; a freedom, a wholeness for which I had yearned for years."Illuminating the "figure who stands at the center of all the Christian Church is," John Shelby Spong explores Jesus under the light of the Hebrew tradition into which he was born. Candid, personal, and soundly argued, this is Spong's spiritual and intellectual pilgrimaged to the Christ he discovered in Jesus of Nazareth.

Customer Reviews:

Modern and ancient world views.......2005-06-16

Spong aims to remove the layers of church varnish and restore the real Hebrew Jesus. Worthy aims but Spong utterly fails and fails in a dishonest fashion.

His removal of church varnish primarily consists of asserting a modern, liberal view of Jesus, which Spong states to be his "personal" one. The fact that it is modern or personal neither makes it wrong or right. But, informed critique of church dogma and doctrine is almost entirely lacking.

Instead, Spong relies on a counter-point between traditional church teachings and what he claims to be the authentic, Hebrew Jesus.

In this he reflects some trends in New Testament studies and, conveniently finds the authentic Hebrew Jesus attunes to his (Spong's) modern sensibilities.

One might smell a rat and, indeed, it is here that Spong's argument becomes dishonest. His method essentially is to discard miracles and all that inconvenent stuff and emphasise "love" as the real Jesus. But Spong is performing no more than a conjuring trick.

If we are to place Jesus in context then we must do more than project some 20th/21st century mindset and nice words back onto the 1stC. Hebrew context demands an understanding of the tenach (Old Testament) and how Jesus (Yeshuah) saw himself in relation to them.

If one bothers to understand the context properly (which Spong does not), then it becomes clear that Yeshuah, even from his first quoted words as a child in the temple and His first miracle of healing the lepers (which did not occur according to Spong), saw and presented Himself as the Messiah. The Messiah in the tenach is to heal the breach of covenant between the Lord and Israel.

Concepts such as peace and love (in terms of the Hebrew tenach, not exposition of Greek words in the N.T.) can only be understood in terms of covenant. Peace and love only occur within covenant relationship. Actiosn that break covenant are, by definition, violence. This is quite different from the modern mind set and usage of these terms. Covenant, and obedience (about which Yeshuah spoke often) is the yardstick.

That is why so many at the time found encounter with Yeshuah disconcerting. When we are presented with truth as the yardstick, our vain imaginings are challenged. Even John the Baptist had to be told not to be offended by Yeshuah.

What Spong preaches is conveniently absent of any yardstick beyond internal feelings and a vague do-goodism. No awkward challenge here. Covenant is not only ignored but cast aside. Thus, in terms of the very perspective that Yeshuah moved within and teaches, Spong is preaching violence yet calls it love and, what is worse, calls it authentic.

If you are searching for the authentic Jesus then Spong does not answer your search and will mislead you whilst pandering to your sensibilities.

A Message Full Of Hope.......2004-02-29

In THIS HEBREW LORD Spong gives us a glimpse of Jesus of Nazareth and the example he revealed of a life being fully lived and shared. In order to appreciate Jesus, Spong believes it is necassary to look at him through first century Hebrew eyes. From this vantage point the meaning of spiritual is to be alive to both God and the world. To have faith is to have the courage to enter life where one is also able to find God. To the Hebrew in the time of Jesus there is no separation between God and the world as there is in Greek philosophy.

The author shows us a few Hebrew images from the Bible to help us observe Jesus in this new light. They are Jesus as a new Moses and new Elijah as well as the suffering servant from Second Isaiah.

Spong also discusses certain words attributed to Jesus in the fourth gospel which allow us to see Jesus more completely. These words refer to Jesus as Light, Life, Resurrection and the Bread of Life. In this gospel Jesus is given what the author refers to as "Christpower."

Spong provides a hopeful message for anyone who is having trouble relating to traditional Christianity but is still searching for meaning in religion. He writes with clarity and the text is filled with examples from his own personal quest for the truth.

Discover the fake Jesus you always wanted to believe in........2003-06-25

I confess-- I have something in common with most of the Rt. Rev. Spong's fans. Like them, I've read very little of what he's written. (For example, "Can A Bishop Be Wrong" has two five-star reviews from Spong fans who are under the impression that Spong wrote this book-- apparently, they feel comfortable praising Spong's work sight-unseen).
Don't get me wrong. I've tried to read Spong for a seminary class. But, alas, the Rt. Rev. S. is a ghastly writer. After a while, the charms of Spong's writing-- his relentless self-congratulation, his presenting of hackneyed 19th-century pop-biblical-criticism as his own daring innovation, his use of the passive voice to hide sweeping and questionable assertions ("...there is surprise at how insignificant were the theological issues dividing the two sides [of the Reformation]"), his utter lack of a sense of humor, his unforgivably poor skill with words-- begin to pall. I haven't yet met someone who can read an entire chapter of Spong at one sitting.

That's where another book comes in handy- "Can a Bishop Be Wrong?". The authors don't exhaustively categorize the intellectual sins of the Rt. Rev. Spong-- such a task could never be worth the trees killed. But they provide a good survey of his looking-glass kingdom. "Can A Bishop Be Wrong" isn't a work of Christian apologetics, because it doesn't have to be. Spong's main contention-- the foundation of all his work-- is his claim that no intelligent person of the twentieth century can be an orthodox Christian. To respond, one doesn't have to prove Christianity-- one just has to provide a counterexample. This book categorizes his errors and logical lapses with admirable thoroughness. Not an exhaustive thoroughness, to be sure, but sufficient to the silly task at hand.

This book has its flaws. As others have noted, it is a collection of essays, and they repeat some of the same points over and over. The authors sometimes let Spong goad them into anger. And they don't argue much against Spong's theological outlook-- but since Spong's outlook is just rehashed nineteenth-century "modernism", you can find plenty of orthodox arguments against heavier intellectual forces than Spong. (Try Chesterton's _The_Everlasting_Man_, for starters.)

This book has a limited market. Spong's fans will not be moved by what they read here, if they were inclined to try reading it. But to the traditional theist of whatever religion, who wonders whether he ought to read Spong and find out what all the fuss is about, this book offers a strong and well-reasoned answer: "Nope."

This unrecognizable Lord.......2002-07-25

Unfortunately, Episcopal Bishop Spong's view of being "Hebrew" is probably unrecognizable to Jews or to anyone who doesn't share Spong's specific intellectual vision of 1st century Palestine. Unfortunately also, New Testament studies abound with the writings of people who have quirky visions of 1st century Palestine.

No doubt this book reflects Spong's own questions and spiritual search. I have a great deal of doubt whether it offers a *successful* search for "the authentic Jesus".

Excellent book with a somewhat unique view on Jesus.......2002-03-26

I will say right off that I write this review pretty much as an atheist. I certainly do not believe in much of what the Christian Scriptures have to say regarding miracles. I want to get that out so that any bias I have might be obvious.

That said, I think this is an excellent book. Spong writes very well, in a conversational and engaging style. You never feel you are being preached to and you have no doubt at all of this man's intelligence in his writing. Regarding the book, it seems to be showing you Spong's view of Jesus that he has come to accept in order to be an intellectually fulfilled person in this day and age and yet still be a spiritual one. Is this a redefinition of Jesus? To many, that is how it will be perceived. I think to Spong he feels that his view of Jesus is one that actually gets back to what Jesus represented and how the early writers (such as the Gospel writers) were actually representing him. To that end, I would say that Spong does a great job convincing me of the veracity of his vision in the sense that he presents a wonderful life philosophy. The book would do nothing to convince me to believe in the veracity of Jesus, per se, except in so far that one might call this life philosophy by "the Christ". Spong manages to do this, in some fashion, without believing in all the miracle stories of the Bible. At least I feel this to be the case. After reading the book I am not exactly sure where Spong stands on all the issues regarding Jesus' life (he refers you to his later books, which I will definitely read now) but I get the impression that he seems to feel Jesus was certainly more man than some sort of incarnation of the Hebrew Yahweh.

Regarding the book content itself, I like the idea of seeing Jesus through Hebrew eyes. I think that really was a mainstay of the book because you always have to look at people from the past in terms of what they represented in their cultural milieu. Spong makes a good case about the gospel writers (some of them, anyway) being influenced by Second Isaiah. That was interesting to me as I had never considered that. However, for myself, I disagreed (tentatively) with some of Spong's conclusions regarding how the gospel writers wrote. His interpretation of that, however, is definitely a good one and worthy of study. For myself, I do not think the gospel writers were as sophisticated as Spong seems to give them credit for but, then again, he does at least present the tendrils of a good case in that regard. I also do not feel that this book takes into account some of the notions that Jesus was part of the Zealots, which would undermine some of what Spong has to say.

However, one has to remember that this book is not meant to be a treatise on scholarship regarding the actual life of Jesus. So if one expects it to succeed in that realm, one would be missing the point of the book. The book is the story of how one man has looked at a definition of Jesus that he believes is relevant to the twentieth and twenty-first century. I highly recommend this book, particularly to those like myself who have little faith in religion. This book will probably not make you a believer but it will make you realize that it is possible to be very intellectual, very engaging, very articulate, as well as being very spiritual. I think that even if you abstract out the religious elements of Spong's book, the main theme still holds together. That is quite an accomplishment and makes it, in my opinion, well worth the read.

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How does Jesus fit into our lives?

An Eye Opener

This Hebrew Lord
John Shelby Spong
Manufacturer: Harper & Row
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Jesus | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Christology | Theology | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Spong, John Shelby | ( S ) | Authors, A-Z | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Theology | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0062548069

Customer Reviews:

How does Jesus fit into our lives?.......2007-09-23

How does Jesus fit into our lives?
The author addresses this fundamental question by attempting to depict Jesus free of the distortions of centuries of religious tradition. To know Jesus one must develop "hebrew eyes" so that one can return to the Hebrew tradition in which Jesus was born and allow that tradition to shed light on Jesus' thoughts, words, and deeds. The author is an Episcopal bishop.

An Eye Opener.......2004-01-18

If you ever thought mainstream Christianity has lost sight of God, this book gives you a good general explanation of how this has happened. It has been my catalyst to get my Masters in Theological Studies.

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This Hebrew Lord

Manufacturer: Amazon Remainders Account
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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This Hebrew Lord
John Shelby Spong
Manufacturer: Seabury
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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THIS HEBREW LORD
John Shelby Spong
Manufacturer: Seabury Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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This Hebrew Lord
John Shelby Spong
Manufacturer: Harper & Row
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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