The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ | B+

With a title like The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ, author Philip Pullman knew that his book would have to come with a heavy disclaimer. The first words on the inner book flap in bold-faced type declare "This is a story."

On the back cover, Pullman explains his intentions. "The story I tell comes out of the tension within the dual nature of Jesus Christ, but what I do with it is my responsibility alone. Parts of it read like a novel, parts like a history and parts like a fairy tale; I wanted it to be like that because it is, among other things, a story about how stories become stories."

Pullman's book about the life and death of Jesus Christ (May 2010) is the latest in the Canongate Myth Series. Scottish publisher Canongate Books has recruited many authors from around the world and has asked them to put their own spin on famous stories and myths. Salley Vickers took the Greek myth of Oedipus Rex and gave it a modern revision by including psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud in her book, Where Three Roads Meet. Margaret Atwood takes Homer's The Odyssey andfills in the blanks about Odysseus' wife Penelope in her book The Penelopiad.

It's no surprise that Pullman chose this controversial story to reimagine. Pullman, an outspoken atheist, won over readers and critics alike with The Golden Compass and its two sequels in the His Dark Materials trilogy, despite their theme of challenging the Church's authority. What is surprising is that Pullman's version does justice to its source.

Pullman's fundamental break from the gospels is that he takes the human and divine dualism of Jesus Christ and quite literally splits it. In his retelling, the Virgin Mary gives birth to two boys, one named Jesus and the other given the nickname Christ. One grows up to fulfill the role that readers expect, travelling to speak with people, gathering apostles and performing miracles. The other goes on a separate but intertwined journey, always on his brother's heels. It is this twin in the shadows who realizes that in order for both of their goals to be achieved, they must join as one. But that task requires the ultimate leap of faith.

There is an easy, enchanting quality to the book, with short chapters that flow effortlessly. With chapters ranging in size from about one to four pages each, the story definitely has a quick pace. On top of that, many chapters end with powerful and enigmatic statements that make it nearly impossible to stop reading with the hope that the next chapter will provide some answers.

Yet, for all the boldness of its title, some readers may find The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ underwhelming. After all, readers familiar with the gospels already know the basic outline of events. Still, there is innate suspense in seeing how this newer version compares with the original and Pullman uses that to his advantage, making readers wait until the very last chapter to see just how his tweaks to the story can be justified. For readers unacquainted with Christianity, there is no doubt that Pullman's book will leave them with many new ideas and a greater understanding about why the Bible is the number one best-selling book in the world.