Trouble in Bethlehem - Holiday Read

And now time for a non-traditional holiday read:

Unholy Night by Seth Grahame-Smith

Grahame-Smith is the author of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, neither of which have I read.  Neither ever sounded interesting to me before, but now I have to say I would at least consider the Lincoln one (I'm not into zombies at all so just forget the other one).

When I went trolling around for new holiday reads right after Thanksgiving, I came across this and it looked much more interesting than the rest of the cheesy spread:  stuff like "An Amish Miracle," and "Holly Comes Home for Christmas."  I made those up, but you get what I'm saying.  Also, I <3 the Amish and have actually spent time with them but that's so not the kind of book I was looking for.  So, when I came across this one, it got my attention.

The description reads as follows:

O Bloody Bloody Bethlehem

"It's one of the most iconic images in history:  three men on camelback, arriving at a manger, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  A moment of serenity and grace.  A holy night.

But who were the Three Wise Men?  What if they were murderous thieves on the run, escaping through Judea under cover of night?  In Seth Grahame-Smith's telling, the so-called "Three Wise Men" are led by the murderous Balthazar - the infamous "Antioch Ghost."  After escaping from Herod's prison, they stumble upon the famous manger and its newborn king.  The last thing Balthazar needs is to be slowed down by Joseph, Mary, and their infant.  But when Herod's men begin to slaughter the firstborn in Judea, he has no choice but to help them escape to Egypt.

Thus begins a dark and savage tale that will see them cross paths with biblical figures such as Pontius Pilate and John the Baptist, as the magic of old times gives way to the vicious empires of man."

I have to say, this is not my normal kind of book, and G made several comments in surprise that I would read something that so obviously twists the biblical story.  My reply?  This is fiction.  I'm not reading it as an historical account of the Messiah's birth; I'm reading it as a twist on a familiar religious story.  And oddly enough, reading this actually helped me envision many of the the biblical figures as humans, living during an extremely confusing and scary time.

Although the author fictionalizes (is that a word?) Mary, Joseph, Herod, Pilate and others, I would say he does so fairly.  I think they act and speak in a way that is consistent with who they were as people, particularly Pilate.  To me, he has always been an intriguing character in the Bible because of his obvious mixed feelings about Jesus as the King of the Jews.  I don't exactly pity him, because ultimately he was a weak puppet, but I do always approach him with a curious interest.  He seems so human to me while the others involved in Jesus' mock trial and crucifixion all seem so one-dimensional and simple-minded, evil.

This book portrays both Herod and Pilate in their young days, moments after Jesus was born.  I had only thought of them in the context of his death, thirty years later.  Although I realize it is fiction, it helps me picture the political climate of Rome and its territory, and how the Jews lived at the time.

I would recommend this book as a little something different to mix in with your holiday reading.  Grahame-Smith is a good writer and knows how to maintain lots of action and build suspense.  He also presents the biblical characters fairly - all of them, I think - including the God of the Hebrews.  At a minimum, it will make you think and you will enjoy the action-packed, scary, and at times funny story of some thieves hoofing it across the desert with a young Mary, a surly Joseph, and you know, the Messiah.

Enjoy!