Barabbas (1950)

"I have no god", Barabbas answered at last...
"Why then do you bear this "Christos Iesus" carved on your disk?"
"Because I want to believe", Barabbas said..."He wanted to believe. But he did not understand.

"Love one another" - that's what they said the message of the crucified man was. Love one another - now what could that mean to Barabbas's simple mind? What could love mean to Barabbas who had been hated even by his mother from the moment he drew his first breath? Who had never felt any emotional connection with another human being? No it was too much for Barabbas to understand.
He was unwittingly caught up in happenings well beyond his comprehension. He could not believe in the messiah that many others had faith in. At the same time, he never was able to shirk off his sense of guilt and spiritual torment. His inner struggle reminds me a lot of the whiskey priest. Both struggle with questions of faith, albeit of very different nature.

It was Barrabas's poor luck that his life be entwined so closely with that of the crucified man - perhaps even closer than the strongest of the believers. When Barabbas was allowed to live, the other had to die. One died among his friends and followers. Barabbas lived and died alone - utterly alone. One was said to have risen from the dead. Barabbas -while still breathing - found himself trapped in the realm of the dead. Barabbas carried a disk with the name "Christos Iesus" crossed out. And that was his cross to bear.

On one hand, Barabbas, having witnessed these events of possibly huge import, was unable to put the pieces together and make any sense out of it. On the other, there were followers who knew of the messiah only from hearsay, yet believed in him strongly enough to part with their lives in his name. From firm believers, to staunch dissenters, to skeptics, Lagerkvist has created the entire spectrum. Through this ensemble, Lagrekvist also explores the nature of faith. Some believe too readily, some others are too cautious. He also brings to fore how questions of faith and superstition could have political ramifications. There are multiple mentions of lepers and slaves eagerly awaiting the appearance of the messiah and giving them a better life. These people of the lower classes who have no other way of belying a life of drudgery, are willing to grab on to anything that gives them hope. The possibility of the lower classes gaining strength makes the government stir to curb people's beliefs. And amidst all this turbulence, stands Barabbas, dazed like a deer, attempting in vain to fight off the storm within himself.

Of course, this doesn't need to be read as a religious novel. I read this as a parable, as a story about a man's inner struggle. Lagrekvist achieves an impressive feat by telling the story from the naive and uncomprehending point of view of Barabbas. Even with such a narrow field of vision, he presents a story with multiple layers and a lot of depth. Barabbas's view will provide the readers with a lot to chew upon. It was only Barabbas who did not understand....


PS: The book also comes with a seal of approval from [a:André Gide|7617|André Gide|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1252553705p2/7617.jpg], if the name means anything to you. ( )

The story of Barabbas being unbeliever although he has witnessed the crucifixion eclipse that darkness that accompanied the crucifixion and was supposed to be a miracle and also t he resurrection of Jesus after he had been crucified and buried and his visit to , a man who lived through the resurrection process. All this doesnt prevent him from being a skeptic who cant believe that God could be crucified , and has his own doubts through his journey searching for answers……and peace for his soul and cure for his loneliness that he recognized at the end……in contrary to Sahak who is Faithful Believer and is willing to die for what he believe without witnessing the miracles that Barabbas has , this raise a question ,should faith be taken by mind as Barabbas who suffered the darkness of the soul or by heart like Sahak did and find his own peace… ……

i think Barabbas struggling to believe might have a reflection on Pär life ,his own trial to understand Jesus....... ( )

This is probably Lagerkvist's most famous book, although most people know the story from the film adaptation by Christopher Fry, directed by Richard Fleischer, and starring Anthony Quinn in the title role. To the side of the crowd as Jesus is crucified on Mount Golgotha stands Barabbas. Being a violent man, a brigand and a rebel, he cannot muster much respect for the resignation of the man who died in his place. While skeptical about the holiness of Jesus he is also fascinated by the sacrifice and he seeks out the different followers of Jesus trying to understand, but finds that their exalted views of Jesus do not match his down to earth observation of the man. More importantly, since he had not ever been the recipient of love, he finds that he is neither able to understand love nor to understand the Christian faith. Barabbas says that he "Wants to believe," but for Barabbas, like many skeptics before and since, understanding is a prerequisite for belief, so he is unable. During his life Pär Lagerkvist struggled with his lack of faith and this is a theme in many of his novels. In this story Barabbas too is a man who does not understand Jesus and does not know how to love him. The novel presents many Christians with some wrong concepts of the faith as negative examples, to bring out the message about how to love Jesus. While I enjoyed the book I think more highly of Lagerkvist's less well-known works, especially The Dwarf. ( )

This novel is a fictional account of what happens to the historical Barabbas, who was acquitted in stead of Jesus - we follow Barabbas from the time he is freed from his death sentence. He’s drawn to this mystical figure who is innocent yet who give up his life. He watches the crucifixion, he visit the grave, he talks to Lazarus, but all the time he has rational answers for the miracles.

He didn't remember ever having seen anyone like him before. Though it must have been because he came straight from the dungeon and his eyes were still unused to the glare. That is why at first glance the man seemed to be surrounded by a dazzling light.

His life is one big crisis of faith - he’s seeking, watching the Christians, analyzing their behavior, wanting to have the assurance of faith yet are unable to grasp it.

The swedish Nobel-prize winner Pär Lagerkvist draws a powerful portrait of the modern sceptic. Lagerkvist called himself "a believer without a belief, a religious atheist". It’s remarkable how honest this crisis of faith is portrayed in Barabbas. It’s not a relief, but a real dilemma - one that Lagerkvist knows all too well. ( )

On May 8, 1952, I noted that I was reading this book and said of it: "Not bad." On May 9, 1952 I noted that I had finished the book and that Lagerkvist won the Nobel Prize in 1951. and commented thusly on the book: "It is the story of Barabbas, his life of rejection of Christianity and his end on the cross." ( )