We continue to present “New Voices”—book reviews from students in Shelah Miner’s Mormon Literature course at BYU-Salt Lake. The next set of books, all on LDS topics, are by Hannah Nelson (The Five Books of Jesus, by James Goldberg), Connor Henderson (The Backslider, by Levi Peterson), and Nate Sheffield (A Short Stay in Hell, by Steven Peck). Please be encouraging towards these students, most of whom are new to college-level writing assignments.
The Five Books of Jesus, by James Goldberg. Reviewed by Hannah Nelson.
The Five Books of Jesus is a literary novel that takes the New Testament gospels and writes them out in novel format. It covers the major miracles and ministry of Christ. The book is summarized best by a quote found in the book itself, “The thing that amazes them is this: most scholars speak as if the scriptures are a mystery and their teachings hold a key, but Jesus speaks as if the scriptures themselves are only the key to a deeper mystery he holds.”
The Five Books of Jesus is enthralling because of the amount of his talent involved in bringing scripture to life. Goldberg creates a full characterization of many of the people mentioned in the scriptures. The main character, Jesus, is displayed exactly as the scriptures describe him, but there is more. He doesn’t only portray Christ as this perfect all-knowledgeable being, but shows the effects of being part human. For example, his description of Christ after he hadn’t eaten in days because of being swarmed with people who want to hear His word. “His thin, gaunt face with swollen sunken in eyes, but a look of hope that you can’t take your eyes off of.” Goldberg’s characterization of the disciples really gave the novel some charm. Each disciple’s personality was based off of scriptural passages. Simon (Peter) is seen as faithful and as the rock because of the background story about his wife and mother-in-law. Andrew, the fisherman who saw Christ be baptized by John the Baptist, uses his fisherman’s skill of tying knots to help remember the intricate parts of Christ’s teachings. Judas constantly asks Christ to do out of the ordinary things. One of my favorite characterizations is Christ’s mother Mary. Although Mary knows who her son is, she still has the effects of a mother’s loving care. She travels far and wide to find Christ to make sure that he is being properly taken care of. He doesn’t describe her like this to show that she lacked faith, but to show the natural effects of being a loving mother. Through Goldberg’s characterizations he is able to expand on scriptures, imagining what they might truly be like.
Another thing that he did very well was creating the setting. Christ and his disciples travel so often in the scriptures. They travel from one town to the next within a day or night. It could not have been an easy task to describe the towns with their historical value and match it with what the scriptures are saying, but Goldberg was able to accomplish it. One of my favorite things he did was show how the sick, learned, and star-crazy people would enclose on Christ. He explained how the disciples would have specific jobs to separate the groups, so that Christ could administer to the sick and teach the learned. I’ve never had a vision of Christ’s ministry, such as this, until I imagined the settings Goldberg created. The settings were full of detail and helped me better understand the constant work that Christ endeavored.
While Goldberg didn’t have to create a whole new story, he should receive credit for creating such a magnificent story. We can give him credit for filling in the story with details, which while we don’t know if they truly happened or not, help us understand the magnificence of the plot even more. Simply, man and God wrote the plot.
One of Goldberg’s greatest strengths was the way that he helped the New Testament come to life. I have always felt like I have had a strong ability to imagine the scriptures in a “story-like” form, but nothing to the extent of Goldberg. In this novel he helped me recognize many things that I had not considered in my own studies of my Savior Jesus Christ. Another one of his greatest strengths was his ability to not be limited by the scriptures. It was apparent that he used other resources to help his characterization and setting because some of those descriptions came from accounts of modern day Prophets. He also didn’t hide back on using “common-sense” when adding details, imagining “How would people react in a situation like this,” or “What would Christ look like after a forty day fast?”
I only noticed one weakness in The Five Books of Jesus, because it confused me. There were twelve disciples. Six of them shared three names. James, Simon, and John. Not only did the disciples share these names, but these were also the names of Jesus’ brothers. What confused me was the way that Goldberg tried to separate them. He would call one Simon two different names to describe him like, “Second Simon” and “Southern Simon.” Then he would use terms like “Fisher Simon” to describe the other one. He did similar things with the other disciples who shared names. I found this difficult to follow. I felt like he should have come up with a definite description of each disciple that shared a name, so it wouldn’t be confused in the later parts of the novel.
I found three major themes throughout this novel. The first major theme is, one, the very literal characterization of Jesus Christ. Although Goldberg’s description of Christ probably isn’t entirely correct he does a beautiful job in helping Christ feel more tangible rather than a distant figure. The second major theme I found was, two, “respect is not the same as obedience.” Goldberg says this in the beginning of the novel and it really stood out to me. He was consistent throughout the book with this message. There were many people that respected Christ, but few went out of their ways to believe and obey Him. The third major theme I found was, the constant changing of Christ’s followers. Goldberg was interested in describing those that followed Christ and those that would discontinue to follow Christ. Throughout the book you learn of these people and it helps you want to become the devoted followers.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone. I felt a little judgmental in the beginning, fearing it could go in the wrong direction, that the author was trying to place his own interpretation of scripture into others minds. I was wrong. Once I was finished with the third chapter I became enticed by Goldberg’s easy to understand descriptions that enliven Christ’s mission and ministry. Out of all the books we have read this semester, this has been one of the most edifying novels. It didn’t have the feeling of other gospel books written by Mormon authors. It wasn’t cheesy, it didn’t stretch gospel doctrine, and wasn’t playing up Mormon myths. This book brought me closer to Christ and this is the reason why I endorse it.
The Backslider, by Levi Peterson. Reviewed by Connor Henderson.
Reading isn’t my favorite past time. Especially Mormon literature. Or Mormon literary fiction. If you ask [the New York Times’] Mark Oppenheimer, Mormon literary fiction isn’t anyone’s cup of tea. I would be curious if he has read Levi Peterson’s The Backslider. While I don’t think The Backslider is the next literary classic, I do think that it is an excellent book that has a lot to offer.
The book follows Frank Windham, a 20 something cowboy who happens to be Mormon. It takes place in southern Utah in the 1950s, and is a coming of age type story. Frank was in love with a girl, but she decided to leave him and marry someone else. Frank is determined to win her back, but ultimately comes up short. Frank does that a lot. He wants to be a good guy and live according to the teachings and commandments of his faith, but his problem is his lack of self control. Frank has none, and regularly gives into carnal desires. As much as he wants to be a good person, he continues to fall short.
In one moment, towards the beginning of the book, it looks as if Frank is finally starting to change. He is upset because he was going to be blamed for work not getting done. He plots to seduce his boss’s daughter, and quit his job after finding a new job. Then you see the softer side of Frank. He starts to think about the innocent people his actions would harm.
“What about Clara, who washed Frank’s clothes and cooked his meals and cheered him up when he was down? What kind of a skunk would dirty her daughter? What about Marianne? What had she done to deserve him telling her lies and fixing her so that another man wouldn’t want to marry her? And for crying out loud, what about Wesley himself? Frank wasn’t going to quit”.
Frank ends up seducing Marianne, marrying her because of it and ultimately coming to love her. The final scene is where Frank comes to really understand who Jesus is and his relationship with him. Cowboy Jesus is one aspect that has brought notoriety to this book. In an unconventional encounter, Cowboy Jesus meets Frank. Frank has planned to kill himself, but Jesus asks “Why can’t you believe my blood was enough? Why do you have to shed yours too?” This conversation changes Frank and helps him understand the atonement and God’s love.
When I decided to read The Backslider, I decided to do so because my literature teacher mentioned Cowboy Jesus. I was intrigued enough to read it. I was really impressed with this book overall. The character development is fantastic, there were many great themes, and the ending was great.
For me, character development can make or break a book. Levi Peterson made this book with the moments you experience with Frank. He wrote in such a way that you care about Frank and want the best for him. It took a few chapters to get to that point, though. Toward the beginning of the book I found myself frustrated with Frank. I would get so bothered by how terrible of a person he was. I love stories of people struggling and changing their lives. I find them very relatable because that is ultimately what most of us are trying to do. But Frank, while having moments of thinking about changing, ultimately makes some terrible decisions. The example I used earlier when Frank seduces Marianne was very frustrating. While you can’t expect perfection right off the bat, I didn’t expect Frank to make such a horrible decision. As I started to see Frank making more changes, and really turning things around, I found myself caring for him and wanting him to keep making steps in the right direction.
Throughout Frank’s growth there are many themes that are taught in The Backslider. Love and lust are two that are focused on. Throughout the entire book we see the effect that Frank’s lust has on him. It is really a devastating part of his life. His unhappiness stems from his continual submission to his carnal desires. To me, his despair shows the difference that loving people can make. As he comes to love Marianne, he still struggles with being happy, but I felt like I could tell a difference in Frank. His happiness and love is culminated in his experience with Cowboy Jesus, where you see the change complete in Frank.
The other theme that stood out to me was repentance. We see some really difficult times and big mistakes in Frank’s life. Ultimately though, I saw someone who is repentant. As many times as Frank messes up, he has that desire to change. While it takes the entire book, Frank does manage to repent and really change. It was a great reminder that being repentant is one of the most important characteristics we can have in this life.
While The Backslider is a long read, I found myself engaged for most of the book. I don’t have a problem when television shows or movies leave certain things unanswered, but in a book it drives me crazy! I enjoyed how the book ends, with the surprisingly touching exchange between Frank and Cowboy Jesus. I was surprised by this because it was in the last few pages, and takes place in a bathroom. Not only that but Jesus smokes and curses. While I anticipated this encounter to be borderline sacrilegious, I came to see it as the way that Frank would be able to understand just how much Jesus loves him and wants him to be happy. Frank sees Jesus as loving, approachable, and ultimately as a friend.
There is much to praise Levi Peterson for about this book. It isn’t perfect though. The biggest problem I see with this book is how graphic it can be. There are moments where the sexual fantasies that Frank wants to experience, or that he acts on, are pretty detailed. The first real scene is between Frank and Marianne, when he initially seduces her. It wasn’t explicit in everything that happens, but the foreplay that takes place before they have sex is fairly detailed. The more graphic part is moments of self-mutilation that take place. Without going into too much detail, one example is when Frank takes a vegetable grater to the back of his hand as a sort of atonement for having sex with his wife. While I’m not squeamish or overly offended by sexual references, these aspects are a major turn-off for many would-be readers. But this is why The Backslider is still such a relevant book. It was the first Mormon book to really address these issues. Peterson was bold in tackling them and did an excellent job doing it.
I also found the first few pages of the book to be really boring. I was worried that I wasn’t going to be able to finish it. Related to this, I found that throughout there are unnecessary portions of information about ranch-life. It starts off talking about a mare being “in heat”, which didn’t relate to the book other than that is just part of the rancher’s world. It had nothing to do with character or plot development and I could have done without it. Thankfully something changed after the first ten pages and I was able to enjoy the rest of the book for the most part.
It is amazing that a book written in 1986 could still be so relevant. Many people will be turned off by much of the content of the book, but tackling tough subjects, like Peterson did, and doing it well will keep people reading your book for decades. Not only that, but The Backslider can be read through so many different lenses. I feel like you could reread this book and discover something new each time. If you are looking for a great book with a main character you will come to care about, themes of love, repentance and forgiveness, and can handle a little bit of raunchiness and gore, look no further than Levi Peterson’s The Backslider.
A Short Stay in Hell, by Steven Peck. Reviewed by Nate Sheffield.
A Short Stay in Hell is an incredible demonstration of imagination and creativity. Peck does a great job of not only creating an imaginary hellish existence, but of exploring all the possibilities of escaping and coping with such a life. The detail and thought that Peck demonstrates is very impressive, as he helps the reader question and imagine what a true hell would be like. Fire and Brimstone? Or hopeless seclusion? Peck dives into the basics of social and human needs as he uses the main character, Soren Johansson, as a relatable protagonist regardless of the reader’s religious affiliation.
The story begins with a vivid scene in a board room led by a demonic henchman where Soren and a group of strangers are told they are in Zoroastrian hell. They are assigned to their own hell where they are to complete certain objectives until they learn and progress enough to go to heaven with God. Soren’s hell is a library very similar to the library of Babel. It is large and contains every book that could ever be written. Soren and the individuals assigned to the same hell are to find one book that portrays their lives and then submit it so they can go to heaven. Thus the majority of Soren’s time is spent in search of this book among rows and rows of gibberish. Throughout his first-person narrative one may learn that more often what is really important to Soren isn’t his search for the book, which seems a daunting task at best, but rather his ability to cope knowing that his whole foundation of Christian belief has been swept away.
Especially for a home audience of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, this book causes one to ponder the consequences of such an unimaginable fate. Peck’s background as a philosopher is clear as he masterfully causes the reader to question his own reaction to this predicament. Peck leaves readers with many questions and cliff hangers but ultimately soul-searching and personal questions to oneself.
One theme Peck approaches is that, as previously mentioned, of the consequences of going to a hell where one must earn his way to heaven, instead of a messiah-based religion most readers would probably be accustomed to. Soren gradually realizes that he is truly in a bonafide hell, and in his pangs of hopelessness and despair he lashes out toward the few others he encounters in the maze of a library. Because of this lack of desire to continue on, soon the reader comes to realize that a true hell is one without hope, a principle that carries each of us through our daily lives.
The principle of having purpose is another lesson taught through Soren’s account. He and the other library dwellers often resort to extensive means to feel any sense of progress. At one point Soren, who was a geology professor in his past earth life, joins a group of other learned people and they gather as a “University” of sorts whose main purpose is to find books with a phrase or two of intelligent language. As they meet together they revel in basic and often nonsense phrases, as each book is usually filled with any mix of characters, never making sense.
Something that continues to bother Soren throughout his stay in hell is the lack of diversity. He often gripes about the fact that the other thousands of people are just like him; white, American, and born in the same time. He eventually engages in a relationship with a lady he meets mainly because she possesses the unique physical quality of freckles. These events cause the reader to stop and ponder about the importance of diversity in our lives and in giving them purpose and meaning. The most fulfilling part of Soren’s life for many thousands of years is the relationships he has with various women. Sadly he notes after extensive observation that even these relationships are not fulfilling or worthwhile because there is that same lack of progress that carries relationships, couples, and families along and ultimately enriches our lives. This enrichment is often due to the diversity of background and opinions in our lives. Imagine how life would be if everyone was the same as you.
Finally, Peck does a very fine job of making his novel emotionally accessible to those of any background or persuasion. Though Peck is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints himself, his depiction as Soren being of a similar faith does not distract nor detract from the plot line or character development, but rather enlarges and enhances the evolving of the protagonist. Soren is a believable and relatable character because Peck has no doubt wrestled with the same issues that Soren does in regards to his own faith. This genuine spirit between author and subject matter is evident and only helps to make the story more believable and interesting.
Admittedly, A Short Stay in Hell is a generally easier and more riveting read for one who is a member of the LDS faith. The principles that Soren holds so dear and then is forced to give up, not by choice but rather necessity, are so basic and fundamental to the lives of Latter Day Saints, which is what makes reading this tale all the more shocking. Still these principles that flow through the story, with a Mormon background or not, are still worthy to be pondered by anyone. How would it feel to have to face the fact that the basic fundamental beliefs one has been raised on are all false? How would it feel to have that foundation slid out from under you as a dirty rug? Peck masterfully and mind-bogglingly explores these questions in A Short Stay in Hell.
All interesting reviews. My own take on Steve Peck’s book is that being Mormon doesn’t add much to the experience of reading it — but as a Mormon myself, I wouldn’t necessarily know.
I’m afraid my age is showing. In 1986, I was already in graduate school! So it doesn’t seem that odd to me that a book written then would still be relevant.
I agree that Goldberg’s book is both excellent, and a lot better than one might fear from the premise. He passes by the temptation to turn this into his own “take” on the message of Jesus (preaching in the guise of storytelling) or, conversely, the trap of too-faithfully putting clothes on figures that remain straightjacketed by the historical texts (as is all too common, for example, in movies put out by the Church). Instead, he focuses on the human story behind the gospels. If that makes sense.