The publisher describes this book as having "beauty, vivacity, humor, and power," but I don't think any of those words are really applicable; I would use words like passive, remote, dry, and unoriginal. It really isn't a bad book and I do kind of like it, but I can't help but think my time would have been better spent re-watching Life of Brian.

Received via NetGalley.

Condé still has her wit and dry sense of humour. Classed as a near reimagining of the story of Jesus, The Gospel According is wholly Caribbean. From the tone, world, people, and issues; island nations, overseas departments and territories are firmly rooted in this narrative.

I love that Condé knows when in her story to be blunt, when to use poetics, and when sparseness serves the best imagery. This story has it all.

Pascal is no saviour, he is merely a man with ideas and who wants to see a better life for everybody on his island, his life, and even the world. From his birth and into his adulthood, he is haunted by his origin, who his parents are, and what it means that he grew apart from them. Add to that the rumor of his godlike father and his expected path of following in those footsteps, the complicated familial and filial relationship also becomes an integral part of Pascal's life.

Behind this narrative lies a story of change, perception, love, life, and betrayal. Condé is merely transposing what was miraculous in the New Testament to our world and time. All the themes she explores here of race and identity, colonialism and its legacy are all simply told with her usual sarcastic and sharp voice.

I went into this with high expectations, which is always a tricky thing—unavoidable, however, if you’ve enjoyed an author before. A Season in Rihata was one of my favourite reads of 2022, and I thought—assumed—this would be the same mix of fable/kind of folktale and semi-historical fiction. I like to go into a book without reading too much about it so I can form my own opinions; this worked against me here.

The central conceit of the book is that it is a parody of the life of Jesus Christ: Pascal is also born in a manger, there are drunken shepherd stand-ins, an angel figure appears, there’s a (maybe) miracle at a wedding, and so on. All of this is explored in about half the book, and it simply tries too hard. It feels like it should be funny (and sometimes drew a smile, I’ll admit), but is simply too slapstick, too on the nose to truly enjoy. It’s true that it can function as a kind of skewering of the fantasticalness of the religious texts, I suppose; but it really didn’t work for me. What worked much better was the later part of the book, when Conde is just making up the protagonist’s life without the burden of him being “the son of God” (partly because God never appears); if Pascal had simply been a man who had set out to fix the world, I would have enjoyed it more.

The second thing was the writing. I wish I had the facility to read it in the original language, because I feel the translation may be at fault here (perhaps this is different in the final version? I read the ARC). The book felt choppy where it should have been striving for jaunty, and seemed to keep hitting the wrong notes. More likely to be something to be laid at the author’s door, however, is that the supporting characters were mostly unmemorable, and Pascal seemed to go over the same peak and through the same valley over and over, just in different places, which was tiresome. Twice might be interesting for some; more than that was just exasperating for me. Also, his relations with women were boring and repetitive.

I wanted to love this book, but I just didn’t. It took me longer to read than it should have, because Pascal was simply annoying to me. I was bored. Being, possibly, Condé’s last book, this is an important read; but it just isn’t her best.

Thank you to World Editions and to NetGalley for this ARC.

This was a strangely wonderful book. It took me a while to get into the style, and Pascal's seemingly constant travelling and new friends and lovers, but it was an interesting read. The author managed to look at some of the big questions of faith and belonging and the way "others" are treated with a refreshingly different eye. I feel sure I will be thinking about the content of this book for some time to come.
Thank you to netgalley and world editions for an advance copy of this book

When I first started thus book I stopped a couple times with a "ugh just another book" well I finally picked it back up and once I got into it?! I loved this book! What an enjoyable read!

This Gospel parody written by Maryse Condé is her last book, she says, one she wishes to be a testament of her persistent faith—that inner strength and love is what is needed to change the world. The protagonist is a man named Pascal who was abandoned by his mother at birth on Easter Sunday. His foster mother Eulalie, childless, visits shops and parks to show off this beautiful boy. His racial ambiguity and the mysteries surrounding his origin lead to rumors that God has sent the world a second son. Eulalie does not discourage these rumors, but her husband considers them blasphemous.

The rumors of divine origin will follow Pascal through his life, though he is never able to understand what is expected of him. Condé walks readers through his unexceptional life, infusing the story with biblical events and populating it with locals similarly named to those whose stories she is patterning. Pascal is a typical boy, “always in search of a mean trick to play on someone,” enjoying the ocean and time with friends. He grows to be a man who indulges his vices—women, alcohol, Lucky Strikes. He teaches classes, occasionally writes his stories, neglects his aging foster parents then suffers from guilt, though the cycle will repeat. He is routinely put at risk and flees to another location where his indulgences and questions about his purpose tumble along.

While this book is a novel approach, it felt plodding. Pascal engages in activities, ponders questions, moves to another location and does the same. I am delighted to have discovered this author and look forward to reading her other works.

Thank you to NetGalley and World Editions for providing this eARC.

Maryse Conde’s latest novel is a brilliant offering inspired by the trials and tribulations of Jesus Christ. Although set in modern times, Pascal’s birth origins, friends, and encounters eerily mirror those outlined two millennia earlier as depicted in the Bible. For example, there are a host of characters with similar names, talents and backgrounds as their Biblical doppelgangers: key figures such as Mary Magdalene, Judas, siblings Mary, Martha, Lazarus; at one point he picks up disciples (about 12 of them) and they have a Last Supper complete with the washing of the feet. He even has a birth mother named Maya and an ethereal uncle (biological father’s brother) named Espiritu (a very intriguing character) – who rounds out the Holy Trinity insinuation.

Pascal is a typical young man who grows restless; he wants independence and answers to questions that have plagued him since childhood. Thus he begins a quest to other lands to find his biological father – an elusive man who has touched the lives of so many, but is seemingly absent in his. He hopes his father will help him understand his life’s purpose and provide guidance on how to fulfill his destiny to change the world (for the better). Along the way, human nature is on display. He and his friends are persecuted, ridiculed, jailed unjustly, ostracized, disenfranchised, etc. He sees the unfair treatment of women and girls purely based on gender, the ill-treatment of immigrants in foreign lands, the fates of unwed mothers, invalids, the physically disabled, the mentally challenged, the destitute. In these travels, he notices the humility and hope in those who are mistreated. He finds witnesses who testify to his father’s love, concerns, and benevolence.

Early in the novel, there’s a quote, “...he was born in a land of the spoken word where lies are stronger than truth.” Conde’s creativity shines in the creation of situations, twists, and turns that illustrate how and why myths and legends often emerge from misconception and/or exaggeration – and at times, Pascal’s actions and inactions have nothing to do with what people want (and need) to believe. Miracles are born and they have legs to travel. Within this compact and layered narrative, she showcases how these beliefs are often used by entities (including the government and other factions) for political, financial, and/or religious purposes. There are some HEAVY socio-political themes, multi-cultural beliefs, and various religious and regional (Hindu, Islam, Rastafarian, African, Asian) philosophies at play that provide a lot for the reader to consider, making this a great choice for book clubs who want to broach such topics.

The message at the end is simple, poignant, and timeless – very touching!

Thanks to the publisher, World Editions, and NetGalley for an opportunity to review.