Badger
14th November 2007, 11:21 AM
The Lateral Truth is a sendup of some favorite bible stories and Christian history, done in Rebecca Bradley’s inimitable style of entertaining wit, insight and unique perspective. She presents the tales from the different perspectives of lesser known participants in the stories, or by very human thoughts and feelings of familiar characters.
She begins the book with Omphalos, a tale of hope and exploration, transitioning into “a few years later” and how politics and the administrative process has sucked the life out of creation. The tale of Jacob is then related in sit-com style, which adds a new perspective not only to the story but makes one wonder how many other stories could benefit from this treatment.
Rebecca then adds darkness to the tale of Moses. It is told from just outside the inner circle and is voiced with frustration, fear, disgust, anger, and hoplessness. She shows, succinctly, how the right con-man/madman at the right place and time can start a cult. This is the strongest chapter in the book, in my opinion.
Immediately lightening the mood, Rebecca relates Samson as a fan in a bar may talk of their favorite sports team or hero. Following up on the sports motif, she relates Judges 19-21 from a soldiers point of view. The next chapter still hints at sport but with a poker or chess nature. The real twist is that the foes are trying to throw the game for their own egotistic purposes and they don’t care who gets decimated in the process. This provides good transition to the next chapter which pointedly indicates deities disdain for humankind.
Rebecca then proceeds to the new testament and with ascerbic and entertaining wit, she constructs 3 tales that state how “The Emperor Has No Clothes” in no uncertain terms. She then returns to the sports motif for a finely constructed “Pre-Game Show”, building expectation to the kickoff.
Rebecca’s Coda gently depresses and horrifies us before she once more imbues the final chapter with a sense of hope and wonder in the intellect of humanity.
This book is a wonderful journey, presenting side roads for further personal exploration and a warm feeling for the future of mankind in its quest for self definition.
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She begins the book with Omphalos, a tale of hope and exploration, transitioning into “a few years later” and how politics and the administrative process has sucked the life out of creation. The tale of Jacob is then related in sit-com style, which adds a new perspective not only to the story but makes one wonder how many other stories could benefit from this treatment.
Rebecca then adds darkness to the tale of Moses. It is told from just outside the inner circle and is voiced with frustration, fear, disgust, anger, and hoplessness. She shows, succinctly, how the right con-man/madman at the right place and time can start a cult. This is the strongest chapter in the book, in my opinion.
Immediately lightening the mood, Rebecca relates Samson as a fan in a bar may talk of their favorite sports team or hero. Following up on the sports motif, she relates Judges 19-21 from a soldiers point of view. The next chapter still hints at sport but with a poker or chess nature. The real twist is that the foes are trying to throw the game for their own egotistic purposes and they don’t care who gets decimated in the process. This provides good transition to the next chapter which pointedly indicates deities disdain for humankind.
Rebecca then proceeds to the new testament and with ascerbic and entertaining wit, she constructs 3 tales that state how “The Emperor Has No Clothes” in no uncertain terms. She then returns to the sports motif for a finely constructed “Pre-Game Show”, building expectation to the kickoff.
Rebecca’s Coda gently depresses and horrifies us before she once more imbues the final chapter with a sense of hope and wonder in the intellect of humanity.
This book is a wonderful journey, presenting side roads for further personal exploration and a warm feeling for the future of mankind in its quest for self definition.
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