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    The Young Messiah: A Novel
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    The Young Messiah: A Novel
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    The Young Messiah: A Novel
    Audiobook9 hours

    The Young Messiah: A Novel

    Written by Anne Rice

    Narrated by Josh Heine

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Having completed the two cycles of legend to which she has devoted her career so far, Anne Rice gives us now her most ambitious and courageous book, a novel about the early years of Christ the Lord, based on the Gospels and on the most respected New Testament scholarship.

    The book's power derives from the passion its author brings to the writing and the way in which she summons up the voice, the presence, the words of Jesus who tells the story.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateNov 1, 2005
    ISBN9780739313770
    Unavailable
    The Young Messiah: A Novel
    Author

    Anne Rice

    A.N. Roquelaure is the pseudonym for bestselling author Anne Rice, the author of 25 books. She lives in New Orleans.

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    Reviews for The Young Messiah

    3.5/5

    565 ratings39 reviews

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    • 5/5
      I read this as long time Anne Rice fan and gay agnostic dealing with the recent conversion of my parents to born-again christianity. It was a hard time for me. I read the bible, talked to many christians, and read this. I was hoping Anne Rice's perspective could help me reconcile my conflicted feelings about my parents conversion. It did.

      I was afraid it would be preachy and flat, like my parents had become since finding the Baptist church. It was much more simply written than her other works, but instead it contained a warmth, peacefulness and sureness.. When I read the parts of the bible that tell directly of Jesus, this is the sort of man I see. The son of a man who loves ALL his children.
    • 1/5
      It's rubbish.
    • 1/5
      Poorly written. A pathetic attempt to re-imagine the story.
    • 4/5
      I wasn't going to read this. I hated that Rice stopped writing about vampires and witches. I wanted more of her supernatural storytelling. But this, this was well worth the read. I won't get into my religious beliefs, but rather focus on the story itself. Writing a novel that chronicles the early life of Jesus was ingenious and somewhat dangerous when considering the potential backlash. What I liked the most is the way in which makes Jesus a human story. The young boy's need for answers- his desire to understand who/what he is a struggle that we all face... I'm ready to read the next one.
    • 3/5
      It was all right, and I'll probably read the next one, but Orson Scott Card does bible character fiction (Women of Genesis) better.
    • 4/5
      I'm familiar with the basic story so I guess I expected more. At first I was bothered by the first person narrative, but eventually it began to feel right. The reasons for the move back from Egypt, the cultural aspects, and the imagined interactions between Jesus and others (especially his father and brother) was interesting; however, for some reason it just read like "another story" to me. I didn't feel any kind of new awareness of Jesus as a person or of Jesus as a god. It's a good quick read but one that I would consider light.This is my first book by this author as none of the other titles have ever had much appeal. I agree with the other reviewer who commented on the afterword. It's always interesting to know why authors write what they do.
    • 2/5
      For me Anne Rice has always been a little hit and miss, and this novel is no exception. There was nothing I liked about this novel. The writing was sub-par, the material was bland and flowery. Granted she took on a different aspect of Christ's life, and I could tell she did her research, but the end result wasn't a compelling book. Anne Rice needs to go back to writing about vampires because if this is what her future writing is going to be like, I will be tuning out.Carl Alves - author of Two For Eternity
    • 4/5
      I'm trying to be fair; this really isn't my kind of book. It's highly speculative and it's fiction. Then I'm reminded of the book I just published about Revelation; it, too, is fiction (well, 1/3 of it is fiction) and it, too, will surely be considered highly speculative by many. I'd like to think, however, that my book is grounded in more solid research than Rice's; mine is, after all, hailed by other scholars as historically plausible.Given, then, that we are discussing a purely fictional account of Jesus' years as a child, my review must be based upon whether or not the story held my interest. It did for a time; Anne Rice is a good writer. But I have a quest to learn (I seldom read fiction), and I really felt I was learning very little, so I nearly didn't finish the book.I think readers who do not have a background in early Christian literature will be at a disadvantage. For example, in the story, the child Jesus sculpts a bird out of clay, then gives it life and it flies away. Um, really? But scholars will recognize the story from the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, which Rice latches onto and includes in her book, caring not that no historian of this gnostic gospel considers it to be true. The story is pure mythology, and not even Biblical myth.Who, then, is the audience for this book? Not fundamentalist Christians, who will take offense at this portrayal of the Christ child. It isn't "biblical." Not historians, who will be unable to take it seriously. If Anne Rice is celebrating her return to Christianity with this series (the book is the first of a promised series) then it's an odd way to start out, wouldn't you think?The answer, of course, is that Rice is writing mythology after the manner of Gospels; she collects stories, builds a personality for Christ as a youngster, then puts it all together in much the same way as Gospel writers did 2,000 years ago...honoring Christ not in fact, but in storytelling. And that's why I'm writing this review today, 5 days before Christmas. Today, as I drive down the streets of Minneapolis, I see manger scenes; scenes I know to be mythic, but beautiful and inspiring none-the-less. We have taken two contradictory Gospel renditions of Jesus' birth (Matthew and Luke), spliced them together, added some nice touches, and created an idyllic Christmas picture. In the same spirit of honoring Christ in myth, we can enjoy Anne Rice's fictive "gospel", and even give it ... well, four stars.
    • 3/5
      You can't go into this book in a vintage Rice frame of mind. Though Rice stays true to her core style of writing, the book covers a subject matter that can in no way be compared to her earlier works. The story is written beautifully but it failed to completely captivate me. I am a huge vintage Rice fan and find it hard to slip so easily into her new work. However, it's worth a look, if for nothing else than to get a new and unique point of view as to how Jesus' earlier years could have been spent.
    • 4/5
      I took this from the box as much as for the cover as the author - the picture is one of those beautiful mummy portraits from Fayum Egypt (specifically a portrait of a young man from the early middle Antonine periord c 138 - 189.) I have a couple of picture books of these portraits and have seen several at art museums. They have inspired several of my fictional characters.As to the story: I was hooked immediately by the prose - spare and beautiful. Rice does a masterful job of painting a portrait of an extraordinary young boy (Jesus is 7 - 8 years old during the entire book) living an entirely ordinary life. He knows he is different, but his father Joseph forbids him to ask questions. When his extended family leaves Egypt to return to Nazareth, Jesus starts piecing together the mystery of his birth and purpose. I particularly like how Rice portrayed the extended family and their day-to-day life and rituals. Her scholarship shows in the realistic vision she gives to her narrative.
    • 3/5
      Anne Rice's version of Jesus' life from the ages of 7 to 8. Depicts the boy Jesus' life as his family moves back to Israel from Egypt and his struggle to cope with his unique abilities and the discovery of secrets kept from him by his family. Fairly slow moving, but interesting nonetheless. Anne Rice's dedication to make the story as historically accurate as possible is impressive.
    • 4/5
      A novelization of the early life of Jesus Christ. Anne Rice begins the story with seven year-old Jesus and his family returning to Nazareth from Egypt, where they fled shortly after Jesus' birth. It is a "year in the life" kind of story, and I found it to be rather ordinary reading for the most part. However, towards the end, I had a revelation: it was MEANT to be ordinary. If Jesus was human, he would have had to be an ordinary boy, unsure why his parents were so protective, why his relatives spoke so cautiously around him. The Author Notes at the end also clarified a lot for me, particularly why Rice had written the book and what she credited as resources. I'm glad I read it.
    • 4/5
      I was never a fan of Anne Rice's vampire books, but this book was a pleasant surprise. Rice shares stories of the life of Jesus during the years "missing" from the Bible. Rice's technical skills as a writer and ability at storytelling make this book difficult to put down until you're finished reading.
    • 3/5
      Anne Rice leaves horror completely behind as she incorporates a variety of scholarly sources to tell the story of Jesus's childhood and his search to understand His ultimate purpose on Earth. An interesting book that is helpful if read with a positive, or at least inquisitive, view of Christianity.Also recommended: The Gospel of the Beloved Disciple by James P Carse, The Shack by William P Young, and Certain Poor Shepherds by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas ~ MH
    • 5/5
      Surprising and moving. It made me think outside the box and look at life in the first century through the eyes of a child, Jesus. It is easy to think of the Holy Family as three people, striking out on their own. But when you see how important extended family is in those days, it throws that notion out of the window. There were lots of neat references here and there that were later used in His ministry. For example, living water in the pool of Nazereth. Jesus is presented as a thoughtful and brilliant boy who carefully watches what is going on around him. Rice's notes at the end are a must read. Here she speaks of her break and subsequent return to the Catholic Church. She married a committed atheist and though she followed along, still missed Christianity. She spoke of it coming out in her writing which was more then evident to me. Her vampire books held a profound sadness as seen through the eyes of Lestat; that of living eternally but never seeing the light.I'm glad Rice's spiritual journey led her back to the Church. Many people can relate to her distress with the contradictions between an all-holy and loving God and judgmental, narrow-minded humans. Thankfully many of her quite valid issues with the Church were dealt with and changes slowly implemented after Vatican II. The journey of the Holy Family went somewhat in a circle, starting at Nazareth, then on to Bethlehem, Egypt , and finally back to Nazareth. Art imitates life, I guess. Or maybe it is life imitates life.
    • 3/5
      This is not your typical, fluffy Christmas book, but it is gripping, sad, a bit violent, and brooding. But also real and convincing. Anne Rice, the former horror writer, now turned Christian author, gives praise to the Lord through this theoretical depiction of the childhood of Jesus Christ before age 12. The Apocrypha is a questionable source background material, but Rice takes a few of the legends and works them into a believable character. The story opens with the young Messiah striking down a bully and killing him, only to repent and bring him back to life at the site of the grieving family. The story gets darker from there. Joseph and Mary decide it's time to leave Egypt and return to the Holy Land, which is where the prophecies say their Son is supposed to live. When they arrive in Jerusalem, military unrest drives them out, and they seek a home where the family can live peacefully. During the journey, Jesus continually asks questions about his past because He does not know who He is but has an inkling that His existence has caused suffering. His process is more than a boy becoming a man; it is a boy who would rather be an ordinary man only to learn of His role as God. When one reads the Luke chapter 2 story, one can see the inconvenience and difficulty of being the Virgin Mary, the stepfather Joseph, or even one of the wise men. The necessity to travel to Bethlehem to complete the census could not have come at a worse time, i.e. when Mary is ready to give birth. Herod's jealous wrath triggers a pogrom that results in the death of children under age 2 in Bethlehem. But the narrative also brings the reader to a sense of victory and rejoicing. In spite of the hassles, we can, like the shepherds, get excited about the coming of the Messiah. In Rice's book, the reader enters that same difficult process of grieving the losses but cheering the young Lord. As Jesus struggles to learn his story, you feel His pain and loneliness, as well as His decision to honor the Heavenly Father no matter what truth He uncovers. In spite of the use of the Apocryphal stories, this one's still a worthy book. You get a sense that being God is not glamorous, nor is it even desirable. But we are thankful that the King of Kings made the sacrifice and became Emmanuel, God With Us.
    • 4/5
      Like any attempt to chronicle the life of a major world figure in fiction, this novel has its presuppositions and therefore its debatable points, or some might say its flaws. Anne Rice depends heavily upon apocryphal literature for the core of her plot, and says so plainly in her endnote. While this may give some pause from a theological standpoint, this is a powerful and thought-provoking take on the childhood of Christianity's founder.
    • 4/5
      As a long-time fan of Anne Rice, I pretty much buy anything with her name on it. This book starts a new chapter in Rice's life to devote her writing to Christ. "Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt" is a fiction novel about Christ's life as a child. I believe Rice did a great job in meshing the stories from the Bible and other religious works with her own words and creativity. Christ jumps off the page as a little boy, who not only must cope with growing up, but growing up as the one son of God. I think the most important message of this book is that Christ was a human. He was human and divine, but most people concentrate on the divine part. Rice does an excellent job is showing Christ's human side. I will read this one again and I urge all Christians and Rice fans to read this. You will not be disappointed.
    • 5/5
      "I've read and studied the Gospels many times and found Anne's portrait of Christ to bring a fresh and beautiful perspective to how it might have happened. It is both enjoyable and fasinating. You don't have to agree with everything to apprecite how she weaves her knowledge of history, theology and story telling ability to present an irenic, pure, and devine portrait of Jesus."
    • 4/5
      Absolutely incredible. A new take on the story of Jesus. Not much is said in the Bible about how Jesus grew up and Anne Rice gives a riveting and completely possible scenario of what it could have been like to grow up to find out you are the son of God.
    • 1/5
      I don't review books. But this one was bad, very bad.
    • 3/5
      Although Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt is an interesting and thought provoking historical novel, it failed to deliver for me a "wow" moment. The author's research is evident in her portrayal of the culture of the era and this carries the novel. I was disappointed with the sparseness of opportunity provided Christ, as a 7-8 year old, to sin. Although Anne Rice lets Christ's divinity leak out and does a credible job with Christ (in the first person) struggling with who he is, there is little (although once in startlingly manner) in the way of potential "bad" behavior. An issue that this reader finds fascinating and unexplainable.
    • 4/5
      I finished reading my latest night-read-novel, “Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt” by an author I never thought I’d read a book by - Anne Rice.I was THOROUGHLY pleased with this book!It was just a month-or-so ago that I was telling my buddy Glen Robinson that I was suddenly struck with the wonder of questioning when Jesus knew that he was the Son of God. It was just a question that appeared from nowhere and yet it perplexed me in such a way that I couldn’t get it out of my head. Glen and I had a good chat about the possibilities and the conversation quickly went to the knowledge that Glen had about Anne Rice’s transformational Salvation and her new book, “Christ the Lord”. I saw it at a bookstore for almost $30 and said, “nah!”Earlier this month I stumbled upon the recently launched, “Book Mooch” - and I placed this book’s title in my “wish list”. A week later, I was e-mailed and told that the book had come up on the site and with a simple click, I confirmed that it was being sent my way. I received it a few days later and quickly poored through it’s pages.Reading a fictional book that was written after careful research and Rice’s study of extra-biblical accounts has sparked something natural, again, in my curiosity of Christ - the person. Reading about his 7th year of life, his visit to the Temple in Jerusalem, his interactions with people, his relationship with his mother, father and brother James - all of these things have given me a new curiosity and intrigue into Jesus, the man - an area that gets less and less attention when we admit the diety of who Jesus was and is as Christians. I like thinking about Jesus as the man that he was. I like “laughing” at the silly phrases in Christmas Carols that tell us of this “little Lord Jesus, no crying he made.”This book gave me that “material” to spark my imagination to allow me to dream of what Jesus might’ve been like as a child - as a student of the Law, as the child of a carpenter, as a young Jewish boy. These areas, again, are quickly “forgotten” in the story of the crucifixion and the glorious truth of the resurrection.So, I guess I want to say a “thank you” to Miss Rice - for her careful attention to Jewish heritage and time-period details.If you get a chance - pick this book up (did I mention I found it on Book Mooch?) And don’t fail to read Anne Rice’s notes at the end of the book - they give great insight into her conversion and study habits and sources to write such a work!
    • 5/5
      Ann Rice was the author who birthed America’s love for vampires. She has written thriller/horror novels, but since 1998, she has turned away from her atheist perspective back to her Catholic roots. “Christ The Lord: Out of Egypt” is Rice’s first novel since her transition.Rice extensively researched the first century AD in order to place this story during Jesus’ childhood. Jesus is the narrator. Jesus tells the story of his life as it might have been.After Jesus was born, his family fled to Egypt to escape the wrath of King Herod. At age 7, Jesus started to notice the power of his prayers and the miraculous power his hands held. He turned a clay bird to life, knocked the life out of another boy and healed his uncle of illness.At this same time, Joseph, Jesus’ earthly father, had adream that the family was to move to Nazareth. The journey out of Egypt put the family in Jerusalem at the same time as the Feast of the Passover, which was an important holiday for the Jews.King Herod had passed away, and his son, Archcelaus, was to succeed his cruel father. The people wanted vengeance from the devastation they had endured under Herod.Jerusalem was dangerous as people rebelled against the monarchy, and the soldiers started murdering people at the temple. Jesus witnessed a death that he recalls many times throughout his childhood.On the road, Jesus was frightened by the hostility he witnessed from fellow Jews. He saw brutal events, and he saw a side of his family he had never seen.Once the family was settled in their new home in Nazareth, Jesus spent his days learning scripture in the Temple and working alongside his family as a carpenter. The rabbis thought Jesus was special, and they found favor with him.The fear that had gripped Jesus since he had been in Jerusalem started to fade as he gained confidence in his workmanship and in his relationship to God.One year later, the family journeyed to Jerusalem, again, for the Feast of the Passover; this time there was no danger. After the usual Jewish ceremonies, curiosity pulled Jesus toward the Temple.Alone, he found a rabbi who was teaching; Jesus joined the group.Jesus questioned the rabbi about a tale of a child born that the angels called Christ the Lord. The rabbi tells the story, and Jesus learns of King Herod’s decree to have every child younger than 2 slaughtered.Jesus was devastated to learn that many lives were taken because of his birth. He fell into a state of despair. He questioned his parents about the events, and they explained everything to him: the visiting angels, the trip to Bethlehem, escaping to Egypt, and the reason for the return to the Nazareth.This novel is wonderfully crafted through historic events and Jesus’ perspective seems true for a child his age. I would never attempt to place thoughts in the mind of the Son of God, but Rice has done her research, and she knows her scriptures. The story unfolds as Jesus realizes where his life is headed. Through Jesus’ innocent perspective, Rice captures the frailty of his young mind and reminded me that it is not a sin to be fearful. I will read the sequel, “Christ The Lord: The Road To Cana” and am excited to see how Rice continues this story.
    • 3/5
      Probably the driest of all good novels I have completed recently. I almost gave up on the book, but I'm so glad I didn't.Although it wasn't as exciting as Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles that I enjoyed in high school, it did have the hallmark detailed historical descriptions that I loved about Rice's writing, and this alone kept me from casting the book aside. In fairness to Rice, writing the story of Jesus as a child in the first person is exceedingly ambitious and constrains her ability to manufacture narrative excitement or reflect upon internal struggles is greatly hampered when the story's narrator is the sinless boy son of God worshiped by two billion people. Sticking with it paid off as the book turned the story of the 12-year-old Jesus in the temple into an amazing climax which pulls together the narratives in Matthew and Luke's gospels in a way that ingenious and faithful to orthodox thought. If nothing else, the author's afterward contains her testimony--which alone is worth reading even if you don't read the book.Epilogue: Reading Road to Cana fully redeems this book. The sequel reveals the scope and majesty of her endeavor. Road to Cana reveals that Out of Egypt was a necessary setup to a literary masterpiece.
    • 5/5
      I was totally prepared not to like this book, but instead, was amazed at the beauty of this book. Anne Rice is an incredible story-teller and excellent writer. The book exhibits many, many, many examples of what must have been copious amounts of research, yet Ms. Rice's ability to imagine what might have gone on in a young man's mind as he was coming to grips with abilities and gifts that were clearly not shared by others. This was a beautiful book that I didn't want to put down and was very sad to see close. My hat is off to Anne Rice for this labor of love.
    • 2/5
      This is the story of Jesus's adolescence as told through his own eyes. Although the premise is compelling, this book is not very well-written or well-crafted in my opinion. I was bored, which is shocking considering the rich story Rice had to work with.
    • 4/5
      Another powerful book by Anne Rice that left me in jaw-dropping shock and tears. The book is a fictional work written in first person chronicalling Jesus' life from the time he was 7 years-old. Jesus is unaware of the tremendous powers he holds along with tragedies surrounding his historical birth. A great read that tears your heart out at the end.
    • 5/5
      A sensitive and obviously loving telling of Jesus's early years, drawn mostly from Apocryphal writings. Not at all what one would expect from Anne Rice, but a touching and wonderful story. Contains nothing questionable.
    • 2/5
      I didn't care for this one. It was boring.