John
by Niall Williams
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In the years following the death of Jesus Christ, John the Apostle, now a frail, blind old man, lives in forced exile on the desolate island of Patmos with a small group of his disciples. Together, the group has endured their banishment, but after years awaiting Christ's return, fissures form within their faith, and, inevitably, one of John's followers disavows Christ's divinity and breaks away from the community, threatening to change the course of Christianity. When the Roman emperor lifts show more the banishment of Christians, John and his followers are permitted to return to Ephesus, a chaotic world of competing religious sects where Christianity is in danger of vanishing. It is against this turbulent background - and inspired by Jesus's radical message of love and forgiveness - that John comes to dictate his Gospel. Immensely impressive - and based on actual historical events - John is at once an ambitious and provocative reimagining of the last surviving apostle and a powerful look at faith and how it lives and dies in the hearts of men. show lessTags
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An imagining of the life of John, one of the first disciples of Christ, as an old man who has been banished by the Romans to the Greek island of Patmos, where he has written the Book of Revelations (last book of the Christian Bible), which accords with tradition, although there is no categorical evidence of this.
In this imagining of John’s last months, we encounter Papias, a young disciple of John, and Matthias, a disciple who has decided that waiting on Patmos is foolish, and that another truth might be fashioned to advance his yearning for spiritual power. It is a gripping story, and although we know the eventual outcome, Williams creates real tension and drama in the telling of the story.
It is a novel. As Williams’ says at the show more end: As a novelist, I write not to tell what I think, but to find out what I feel. show less
In this imagining of John’s last months, we encounter Papias, a young disciple of John, and Matthias, a disciple who has decided that waiting on Patmos is foolish, and that another truth might be fashioned to advance his yearning for spiritual power. It is a gripping story, and although we know the eventual outcome, Williams creates real tension and drama in the telling of the story.
It is a novel. As Williams’ says at the show more end: As a novelist, I write not to tell what I think, but to find out what I feel. show less
Love others by this author (such as Four letters of Love). This book is beautifully written but takes on a very different topic - the life of the apostle John and other early Christians years after the crucifixion of Jesus. An interesting part of history and politics within the roots of Christianity.
I liked the idea of this book, but not the writing style.
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Author Information
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Author and playwright Niall Williams was born in Dublin in 1958. He received a Master's degree in Modern American Literature from University College Dublin, where he also studied English and French literature. In 1980, he moved to New York and worked as a copywriter for Avon Books. In 1985, he moved back to Ireland to become a full-time writer. show more His first four books were co-written with his wife and deal with their life together in Kiltumper, Ireland. On his own, he has written three plays and five novels. His first novel, Four Letters of Love, became an international bestseller. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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- Canonical title
- John
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- Reviews
- 3
- Rating
- (3.23)
- Languages
- English
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- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 13
- ASINs
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