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Loading... The Magdalene Scrolls (1978)by Barbara Wood
   None No current Talk conversations about this book.  Telaara_Dunwin | Aug 10, 2014 |   Most of the book takes place in Benjamin's apartment where he is translating ancient scrolls, apart from a few days where he is either lecturing at college or out with his girlfriend or waiting for the postman. There are two narratives. That of the scrolls author David written about 70AD and Benjamin the translator. As Ben works through 11 scrolls his personality is transformed by not only the content of the scrolls but he is periodically possessed by David. Ben's possession is barely scary, and reads more like he is having some kind of multiple personality attack. There are great chunks of historical data in narrative form by David in the scrolls in the form of a confession. This is perhaps the most readable part of the book if you are interested in Jewish and early Christian history, but it wasn't supergluing me to my seat. In fact it did quite nicely as a Mogadon replacement. If it were not for the history I'd rate it one star. A plausable idea of possession that didn't quite come off and was confused with reincarnation. After one or two early mentions about the Curse of Moses there were no plagues, brimstone or raining frogs - I was disappointed. There's romance in the present and past times which some might like although I felt it was just a device to pull the story together. Honestly can't think who I would recommend it to. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ up to p.100 approx. Ben's relationship with his airhead model girlfriend is falling apart as he gets more and more involved with translating the scrolls. He's also being drawn to one of his Jewish studies students who is more orthodox than he is. He's developing a limp like the narrator David of the scrolls and having memory lapses - that part is painful to read, overly drawn out with the GF freaking out about, so far just minor changes in Ben's personality. Meanwhile David's story in the scrolls unfolds. Some interesting Jewish/Hebrew history in the mix so far. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ (one of 24 books found today at 2nd hand shop...24 for $10!) (  ) velvetink | Mar 31, 2013 | no reviews | add a review
Barbara Wood's 1978 debut novel is now back in print in a new edition from Turner Publishing. When the first of the Magdalene Scrolls arrives, Professor Ben Messer is puzzled, intrigued, excited. What scholar of ancient languages wouldn't be, when he held in his hands something even more astonishing than the Dead Sea Scrolls--a scroll just discovered to contain the life story and last confession of a man who had lived in Jerusalem just after the death of Christ. By the time the second scroll arrives, Ben's interest has begun to be more than professional. For it seems that David, the writer of the ancient scrolls, is in many ways very much like Ben--and he seems to be speaking directly to Ben, across nearly 2,000 years of history. Before long, the terrifying transformation has begun, and there can be no turning back. What do the words of a Jew who lived 2,000 years ago have to do with today, and with Ben Messer, a man who had forsaken his Jewish identity years ago--or thought he had. And why does David's life suddenly seem so much more real--and powerful--than Ben's own? Why does Ben suddenly shut himself off from the beautiful woman he intends to marry and become involved with Judy Golden, a very different kind of woman? And what will happen if Ben surrenders completely to the power of the scrolls? Before long, the terrifying transformation has begun, and there can be no turning back . . . No library descriptions found. 
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 Google Books — Loading...GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.54Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage: (3.06)
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Wikipedia in English
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Den Rest kann man allerdings vergessen. Die Charaktere sind platt und stereotyp; mir waren allesamt absolut unsympathisch. Ihre Beweggründe und Handlungen - durchaus dramatisch in Szene gesetzt - sind häufig einfach nur banal, dumm, sinnlos und absolut nicht nachvollziehbar. Besonders die in der Gegenwart spielenden Teile waren schlicht und ergreifend nervig, mir ist nicht nur einmal ein 'Was für ein Schwachsinn' durch den Kopf geschossen.
Der Titel des Buches gaukelt eine mysteriöse Handlung vor. Was man bekommt ist ein Einblick in das Leben zweier mehr oder weniger durch seelische Misshandlung/Religion wahnsinnig gewordener Haupthelden. (