FOUR SHORT REVIEWS

THE LIAR'S GOSPEL by NAOMI ALDERMAN (2012)
This novel is composed of four accounts of events from the life of Jesus: from the viewpoints of Mary, the mother of Jesus; of Judas, who betrayed him; of Caiaphas, the High Priest of Jerusalem; and of Barabbas, the rebel/thief who was chosen by the mob to live instead of Jesus. All are written from a very Jewish viewpoint, so Christian believers will most likely find the book offensive, as it does not present Jesus as the Son of God, but as one of many preachers stirring the passions of the Jewish people against the domination of the Romans. He is even portrayed as perhaps mentally deranged.

I have always felt it to be extremely impolite and in poor taste to write insultingly of someone's religion, whatever that religion may be. I would find equal fault with Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses, which denigrated the Muslim faith. Thus, I did not like this book at all, however well written it may be.


THE BRONTE MYTH by LUCASTA MILLER (2001)
This non-fiction book would be of interest only to those who already know something of the lives of the Bronte sisters. The author attempts to show how early biographers and literary critics, and then writers through the years following, portrayed the women, not as they were, but as prejudices and current literary preoccupations dictated.

This was particularly of interest to me, as I have long been fascinated with Wuthering Heights and Emily Bronte. I had not previously realized how scandalous and course the Bronte books were perceived to be by society at the time of their publications, and how doubly shocking it was to find out that women wrote them. Thus the literary writers of the time who recognized their worth tried to soften the criticism by portraying the maligned authors in a more flattering light, giving birth to the Bronte Myth.


THE MINISTRY OF UTMOST HAPPINESS by ARUNDHATI ROY (2017)
I have read several novels set in India, written by Indian authors, and I can only come to the conclusion that India is a very unpleasant place to live for anyone not of the elite few. This one is no exception.

What is unusual about this novel is that the central character, around whom all the other characters revolve, is a transgender person, born a male and living as a female. Through a narrative that covers many years, a group of misfits and lost souls form a family in an abandoned graveyard. Along the way, I learned about the war with seemingly no end in Kashmir, which was entirely new information for me.

As with all the novels by Indian authors that I have read, this one tells a fascinating story filled with despair and heartbreak -- and love. This is a most satisfying and informative read. I recommend it.


THE BEGGAR MAID by ALICE MUNRO (1977)
Alice Munro is celebrated for her short stories. In fact, she was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2013. This volume is composed of interconnected stories about Flo and Rose, a step-mother and step-daughter. Taken together, the stories form a loosely connected narrative, which could almost be considered a novel, but not quite.

I much prefer the novel format over the differing structure of the short story; thus, I was frustrated somewhat when connections and motivations were omitted, which would have been present in a novel. That being said, these are outstanding short stories, revealing much more than is usual in the shorter form. For someone who enjoys the short story format, this will be a treat. For those addicted to novels, like me, it is nevertheless rewarding reading.