Rating: 
Summary: fundamentally mistaken
Review: In many ways this reminds me of Marion Bradley's Mists of Avalon: beautifully and persuadingly written and so completely believable if you enter the world of the author's imagination of how the story really is - but I believe both to be basically false. Mr Mailer seems to have little understanding of "true" spiritual experiences or of Biblical symbolism, or of what Jesus was really all about. But rather than keep on criticizing and putting people off of my comments, I would merely recommend they read the Reverend Sun Myung Moon's explanations of Jesus' life and examine how Rev Moom is seeking to fulfill Jesus' mission in our time.
Rating:
Summary: Doubting Jesus
Review: Mailer was on to something when he decided to write the story of Jesus from Jesus' perspective. But more often than not, I think he missed the boat. The characters have no depth, the book is a light weight read. He could have doubled the length of the book, slowed down and given more consideration to his characters and the book would have been better for it. What did I like? I liked that Jesus doubted the value of his followers, I liked that he wasn't "attached" to his mother, I liked that he saw that comfort in religion begets apathy and greed, I liked that he saw his followers taking liberties by exaggerating his life and miracles, and I liked that Jesus doubted his own commitment to his Father.
Rating: 
Summary: written as if by the hand of the father...or mother
Review: With this tale, Mailer wafts the elusive smell of truth our way. Why bother to characterize it. Why judge; why synopsize. My tattered little paperback kept closing at night and I'd have to read and re-read again to find my place, but no matter. The fragrance of revelation comes through again and again, page after page. Who cared if I was in the beginning, the middle, or the end? It is not like reading a regular book. It is not great like a page-turner and yet greater. Why judge? I might again one day pick up this book and read it--or, better, let it read me. It yields the elusiveness and the intransigence of truth: that we are made of that which is and that which is is bigger than any one of us and what we think we feel or have or know. That is more certain than anything of which we are certain. Gosh, so much spiritual pay-off and in pretty big print and under 250 pages. Thanks, whoever wrote this!
Rating: 
Summary: Mailer has congealed the soul of small ¿gc¿h christianity
Review: Having read little of Mailer, and less of the Bible, and as a christian not of an Institutional belief, I enjoyed the story. It helped unblock two intellectual channels. For one thing, I saw real humanity in christianity for the first time through Mailerfs Jesus. Without relinquishing my distaste for the Institutions of Christianity I was able to more appreciate Mailerfs Jesusf christianity by relating to his failings and aspirations. The meeting with Mary Magdalene, and the time on the cross were key events for me. Perhaps also Mailer's humour helps convey more humanity.Secondly, because I was born christian in a nation founded by Christians, those ethics and values are pervasive and deep-seated, even if often unconscious. I know the underlying values, and the popular myths and quotes, by default. But because they are manipulated in a self-serving way by each sect of Christianity I had allowed my distaste to prevent my exploration of the origins of such myths and quotes. Mailer opened my eyes, and gave a context that I found satisfying. The book is well crafted, broken into 49 episodic chapters, which contribute to a feel of rapid progress as one reads. However that progress is halted at times by the density of double negatives. Overall, I found it a very rewarding work.
Rating: 
Summary: Skip this one
Review: A previous review says that the book doesn't fulfill the promise of the early chapters, I read the first twelve and am already dissapointed. Some reviewers have said the book is worthwhile for pointing out the gospels are probably not news reports but have some fictional elements. "Big deal!"...any observant person can figure this out. Mailer's portrayal looks to be as biased as any other biographer has been, except he's gaudy enough to write it as autobiography. The Jesus here is a boring, flat character. I wanted to discover a compelling leader, I met someone a good deal less interesting and powerful than some of my friends. Mailer could have done so much more with this book. The only redeeming quality is his portrayal of Satan and some of the other characters who get less attention in other writings. Nothing could be worse, or less true, than a Jesus no one was interested in or concerned about, which was how reading this book made me feel.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully entertaining for believers and non-believers.
Review: I picked up this novel, sure only of Norman Mailer's talent. You see, I am not a believer in Christ as the son of the Lord. But, nonetheless, I wanted to read this. From the first sentence to the conclusion, I fell in love with the character of Jesus as presented by Mailer. My essential problem with the Bible was the assumption that Christ was 100% man and 100% percent God. But, after reading this book, I must second-guess my previous opinions and recommend this for anyone, regardless of belief.
Rating: 
Summary: if Jesus was real, It's sure he was like in Mailer's book.
Review: Great book, no matter if you're christian or not. It's amazing how Mailer reserch to write it. You'll not rediscover life, but you'll start thinking different.
Rating:
Summary: A legend battles to "bottom-line" another legend's life.
Review: This book is not entirely disappointing. It was a great read and Mailer is one of America's foremost authors--without a doubt. However, the task he chose, although valiant, came expectedly short. I reiterate that this has nothing to do with Mr. Mailer. His style and imagery--in certain scenes--are true to his talent. After experiencing both the book and the film LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST however, the HUMAN suffering which took place in both those "arenas" felt so close to what may have occured (the pain of anugish and of the unknown--the fear of dying--feeling "HUMAN ALL TOO HUMAN" )that when you arrive to Mailer's Christ, your imagination and emotions are drained, or for the most part numbed. So you hope for a jolt. Something new, different, or even more in touch with the human aspects of existence and death. I guess you can say that I want my God, whomever he/she/it maybe, to come down from the skies and whisper into my e! ar once in a while. We all desire to feel that this life was meant for something more that just pushing paper for some overweight and overly rude millionare stock broker. I at least assume this to be true for some. And you know what happens when you "assume" something... The Mailer book is delightful and very intelligent at certain points. Satan is for some reason, a wickedly entertaining character. "Touche a la Milton" The EVIL ONE probably snickers to himself wherever "he" is. Overall a good read!! But to fill your gut and heart, read LAST TEMPTATION afterwards, if you haven'y already.
Rating:
Summary: "Lost: child by name of Jesus. Please collect at registers."
Review: Mailer has taken on the difficult task of portraying Jesus in this short novel, but has come off second best. His approach in having Jesus tell us his story is quite interesting. However, one gets the feeling that the Jesus which Mailer portrays is not quite a three dimensional person. Sure, Mailer's Jesus experiences doubts, temptations, hardships - but this Jesus comes across more like a lost child in the big bad world, than a man who so moved and gripped people that they came to worship him. Though it is Mailer's purpose to tell us the Church created Jesus in its own image, Mailer's Jesus hardly seems like a man who could have even caught the church's attention to start with. This Jesus seems like he is wandering about the floors of a shopping mall rather than the dusty reaches of first century Palestine. He moves from one triviality to the next. Really, this novel is more a comment against church excesses rather than an exploration of the man who was Jesus of Nazareth. The first few chapters do not keep their promise throughout the rest of the book.
Rating:
Summary: Enlightneing
Review: Mailer demonstrates how a[n] historical story loses a great deal while being transmitted by word of mouth from one generation to another. The New Testement is not the Greatest Story Ever Told, it is rather an askewed view of history. Mailer's book may not be a Gospel, it is, however, enlightning and can prove important to those who do not understand that the people who wrote the New Testement are indeed not the Desciples, but rather writers many years later, writers with their own vested interests.
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