Joshua

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Summary: About the Book- from the Editor and Publisher
Review: Joshua

FROM OUR EDITORS
Written by a retired Catholic priest and rooted in a scrupulously accurate reading of the scriptures, these profoundly moving and deeply inspiring stories about Joshua, a simple woodcarver, are entertaining, engrossing, life-affirming, and deeply spiritual. Balm for our troubled times. In the story Joshua, Joshua moves to a small cabin on the edge of town, the local people are mystified by his presence. In Joshua and the Children, Joshua arrives in a village overrun with unscrupulous people, the children are the first to recognize the special qualities of this gentle stranger. In Joshua in the Holy Land, Joshua has come home, but home is no more peaceful than it was during the "time long ago.'' Violence has poisoned the little towns of Nazareth, Capernaum, and Bethany. When he reaches Jerusalem, Joshua's path becomes clear. Journey with Joshua--it's one journey you'll never forget.

FROM THE PUBLISHER
When Joshua moves to a small cabin on the edge of town, the local people are mystified by his presence. A quiet and simple man, Joshua appears to seek nothing for himself. He supports himself by working as a carpenter. He charges very little for his services, yet his craftsmanship is exquisite. The statue of Moses that he carves for the local synagogue prompts amazement as well as consternation.
What are the townsfolk to make of this enigmatic stranger? Some people report having seen him carry a huge cherry log on his shoulders effortlessly. Still others talk about the child in a poor part of town who was dreadfully ill but, after Joshua's visit, recovered completely.

Despite his benevolence and selfless work in the community, some remain suspicious. Finally, in an effort to address the community's doubts, the local religious leaders confront Joshua.

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Summary: This book re-affirmed what I've always believed in my heart.
Review: My wife and I read this book the year before our first son was born, (he's 6 now), and it had such a profound effect on our lives, that we named him after the book. To me, this book confirmed in my mind what years of Catholic catechism could not: that you don't have to belong to one specific religion or attend church to believe in God, have Him in your heart, and live by His guidance. I often wonder why there are second hand gospels written by Christ's disciples on His life and teachings, yet He never put pen to paper and wrote his own gospel. Could it be that He did, yet there are people in this world keeping His writings hidden so they won't lose their power base? Could it be that He delivered his gospel through Joseph Girzone a second time to provide us with His message? I believe that this book outlines what would have been Christ's gospel in written form for the modern times we live in. To those whose mind focussed on the gramatical correctness of the text, or the simple minded approach to modern day attitudes of the characters simply missed the point, and the message. This book is a wonderful read, inspiring, and an open invitation to the world to accept any and all religious beliefs equally and without prejudice.

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Summary: a minor quibble
Review: Overall I liked JOSHUA--it was a light, touching, feel-good book, and sometimes you need something like that. I only have one minor quibble. Joshua carves a statue of Moses for a local synagogue? I thought the Jews were totally against graven images! That said, I still thought the character of Joshua was compelling, and the book a pleasant read.

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Summary: Simple yet profound
Review: This book hooked me. It's simplistic writing wasn't my favorite- it seemed as if it was written for young adults. But by the time I finished the book, I realized that simplicity was the main theme of the book. The writing style was consistent with the entire message. I think it's very hard for modern day Christians to understand Jesus, the man, and how a man today with His values might live/act every day. Even though it is fiction, this book was very helpful in allowing me to understand the intention Jesus has for us in this day and how he expects us to live our lives. The book only failed in that it wasn't realistic at the end where Joshua is called to stand before the Pope. I realize that the author was attempting to make a point and allow Joshua to really test his faith principles with the Earthly pontiff, but it seemed too far fetched. I was right with the story until that last section. I still think it's a worthwhile read. I have personally reflected on it many times since I finished it.

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Summary: Okay
Review: This is an okay book, in which Joshua is Jesus...duh. I mean throughout the whole entire book it is easily to tell but of course the priest don't know what is happening. I think this a disgrace to all priests because of how they get insulted. Other then that it is a good read.

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Summary: EXCELLENT!!
Review: THIS READ WAS EXCELLENT. I THOUGHT IT WAS "INTERESTING" AND I SAID YESSSSSSH AFTER READING EVERY SENTENCE. OCCASIONALLY I WOULD MAKE LONG ODD NOISES SUCH AS "HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM"
AS I SCRATCHED MY EASILY PARODIED HEAD. YOU SEE ITS GIGANTIC AND I TOUCH IT CONSTANTLY. IM ALSO THE YOUNGEST PERSON TO EVER GO BALD. IN SHORT THIS BOOK MADE ME HAPPY AND REALIZE THAT JESUS IS HERE WITH US 24/7.

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Summary: I couldn't be bothered to finish it
Review: What a waste of time and paper! In this book, Joshua appears outside the town of Auburn (not sure which state) and sets up a woodworking shop. Joshua is actually Jesus come back to preach. The only message he seems to be preaching, however, is "the rules the Catholic Church has are not what Jesus intended." He travels around the town, and people ask him random questions: "Joshua, what do you think of religion?" "Joshua, what about the Jews?" "Joshua, how did you get to be such a genius?"

I'm 10 chapters in, and here are the only events that amount to any plot, aside from these endless sermons. 1) Joshua makes a Moses statue for a synagogue (yeah, like that would happen!) 2) Joshua attends a party where the local Catholic priest gets drunk, while Joshua preaches to the people even more. 3) Joshua heals a little girl who has a fever.

It's just all too incredibly boring, and insulting to Catholics, to spend any more time with. Plus, it's really poorly written. Everyone in the town is "essentially good," and thus essentially interchangeable. We hear from the author that someone has a "prickly personality," but we never see a single example of this personality.

Desperately amateurish and mind-numbingly boring.