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Kate♡'s Reviews > The Book of Longings
The Book of Longings
by
by
4.25/5stars
EVERYONE WHO HAS READ THIS OR PLANS TO READ IT - PLEASE BE SURE TO READ THE AUTHORS NOTE. IT REALLY DOES GIVE A WHOLE NEW PERSPECTIVE TO THIS STORY.
I went into this book very, very intrigued - as I always am very interested in adaptations/retellings/alternate reality stories especially since focusing on such in my MA. So the story of an alternate world where Jesus had a wife? like yes, consider me intrigued.
I then became slightly uncomfortable lol like most Christians, I really don't want to hear about how hot Jesus is? or hear about things Jesus would do with his wife? so there was definitely a section in there I was just a BIT sleeved out.
But this book, is SO obviously incredibly well researched and well considered. Like I mentioned above, the authors note really gave a new perspective to what SMK wanted to explore with this story. The idea of Jesus having a wife is an interesting one - but then, if you consider this as a reality, that maybe he DID have a wife (as SMK explains in her authors note, it could have very well been the case that he did) then she would be the most silenced woman in history - and what that means for feminism, feminist lit/scholarship, and women. That point REALLY hit me after I read it and read the authors note, and truly made me sit here thinking and considering everything over again.
Besides all of that - whether or not its accurate, weird, uncomfortable or not - this book is VERY well done. Even if it was a historical fiction or a fantasy novel or any other genre like completely separate from Jesis, this book would still be a hit. It's VERY well done. The writing is amazing, the characters are SO well developed, the "world building" is incredible, and the story is captivating.
I'm not sure who to recommend this to lol if you're interesting, I think you should check it out! Maybe read SMK's authors note in the back of the book before buying it/checking it out to see if it sways you one way or the other. Cause it definitely made me like this book even more than I already did (it was probably a 4 star, and hasn't author's note pushed it up that .25 star!)
EVERYONE WHO HAS READ THIS OR PLANS TO READ IT - PLEASE BE SURE TO READ THE AUTHORS NOTE. IT REALLY DOES GIVE A WHOLE NEW PERSPECTIVE TO THIS STORY.
I went into this book very, very intrigued - as I always am very interested in adaptations/retellings/alternate reality stories especially since focusing on such in my MA. So the story of an alternate world where Jesus had a wife? like yes, consider me intrigued.
I then became slightly uncomfortable lol like most Christians, I really don't want to hear about how hot Jesus is? or hear about things Jesus would do with his wife? so there was definitely a section in there I was just a BIT sleeved out.
But this book, is SO obviously incredibly well researched and well considered. Like I mentioned above, the authors note really gave a new perspective to what SMK wanted to explore with this story. The idea of Jesus having a wife is an interesting one - but then, if you consider this as a reality, that maybe he DID have a wife (as SMK explains in her authors note, it could have very well been the case that he did) then she would be the most silenced woman in history - and what that means for feminism, feminist lit/scholarship, and women. That point REALLY hit me after I read it and read the authors note, and truly made me sit here thinking and considering everything over again.
Besides all of that - whether or not its accurate, weird, uncomfortable or not - this book is VERY well done. Even if it was a historical fiction or a fantasy novel or any other genre like completely separate from Jesis, this book would still be a hit. It's VERY well done. The writing is amazing, the characters are SO well developed, the "world building" is incredible, and the story is captivating.
I'm not sure who to recommend this to lol if you're interesting, I think you should check it out! Maybe read SMK's authors note in the back of the book before buying it/checking it out to see if it sways you one way or the other. Cause it definitely made me like this book even more than I already did (it was probably a 4 star, and hasn't author's note pushed it up that .25 star!)
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Reading Progress
May 7, 2020
– Shelved
May 7, 2020
– Shelved as:
to-read
June 10, 2020
–
Started Reading
June 15, 2020
– Shelved as:
read-in-2020
June 15, 2020
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-4 of 4 (4 new)
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message 1:
by
Camille Andrea
(new)
Jun 16, 2020 08:12AM
I'm just wondering how did the author came up with this idea, are there actual accounts by certain historians that there is a possibility, or is it gimmick to peek the interest of readers then she looked for circumstantial evidences of that possibility?
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Camille - this is why I’m telling people to read her authors note LOL she discusses where she got the idea and the intense research she did into the history and discovered that Jesus’ chastity was only talked about beginning in the 2nd century, and how by cultural obligations of when he was alive, he most probably would have had a wife at one point.
Oh! Sorry for being redundant! I guess I'll just have to read it with then!!! Thanks!
Agree... the author notes were an important follow-up after reading the book.
