Anne Rice Christ

This review is based on the paperback edition of Anne Rice's novel, "Christ the Lord Out of Egypt".

I must confess that as a reader of Anne Rice vampire novels past, I was ready for a different experience from what I encountered by reading this book. My son gave me my first novel by Anne Rice at Christmas a few years ago, and he followed with more of his pocket for the subsequent anniversaries, Mother's Days and Christmas.

Many previous novels Anne Rice's dark, yet very convincing, reading. You might find your mind wandering as you browse paragraph after paragraph of descriptive details, while the staging sometimes distract you from the plot. However, his stories always hold your interest. You can browse the descriptions of flowers, but you're still fascinated by the characters in their quest for something greater than themselves.

In this book Anne talks about something bigger than us all - and manages to invoke strong emotions accompanied by occasional tears. It is a simply written account, told from the perspective of a young Jesus.

Unlike the previous novels, it restricts the descriptive language to a level that accurately represents the time, customs, and surroundings - without distracting from the story progression. The book has been carefully studied. The historical facts are closely related with dialogue and narrative in a way that makes them come alive for the reader.

Young Jesus commits a sin huge surprise in the third paragraph of the first page. That surprised me! My view of Jesus has always been one of the Incarnate God in the flesh - and God would never sin! This raised my hackles first page and I almost put the book in disgust.

However, it was a Christmas gift from my son, and I felt obliged to read because of him. I certainly do not think that Anne Rice was telling a story about Jesus Christ, I knew from reading Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Without a doubt I am glad that I read the book right to the end. The weather cleared up a mystery tormented me for years: Why did Jesus die to save me? This answer was given to me many times in sermons and in the Bible itself. However, I never fully understood before reading this book.

Whatever you do - do not skip to the end of the novel to discover the answer. Without absorbing the story, chapter by chapter, you will not understand the last two pages.

Anne has strayed from Catholicism to atheism and back to Roman Catholicism. It refers to the Paperback edition why she made a promise to devote her life to God.

The introductory pages of the novel include a map showing the northern part of Egypt and the Holy Land areas that are mentioned in the story. The back of the book includes an "Author's Note" and "Note to the Paperback edition. Here, Anne described some of his background, his research techniques, and his conversion to Christianity.

Whatever your religion, you will find this novel an interesting read. I intend to buy several to give to family and friends.

Christ the Lord Out of Egypt - Anne Rice

Paperback edition ISBN: 0-7704-3013-9

Hardcover edition ISBN: 0-6769-7768-5

* Anne Rice has graciously provided the following thoughts on this review:

"I personally believe that Jesus was without sin, and in my novel The intention is to present it as absolutely sinless. In the opening scenes, it does not kill anyone. He 'feels the power out of him. " Much like the similar passage in the Gospel of Mark where the woman with the hemorrhage was healed by touching his.