Customer Reviews

Chocolate Jesus

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book was basically your average postmodern novel. The characters were the typical screwed up cast: The gambling addict and his neurotic brother who is obsessed with "solving America's Greatest Murder Mystery": Who killed JFK? The crazy old woman who runs her company with an iron fist and her spoiled son who believes that he is the inheritor of Machiavelli's wisdom, the Jewish Bookie who has decided that tortillas qualify as unleavened bread, and Reverend Domingo, the leader of the Church of the Returning Vegetarian Christ.

With a cast like this, I expected quite a bit more conflict. Sydney, who is Marty the gambler's brother, invents the Chocolate Jesus, and you'd think that it would hit the fan quite quickly. Instead, the main conflict of the story is between Marty and Dudes #1 and 2, Chaim Poplotnik's (the Jewish Bookie) enforcers, as they bludgeon each other. In addition to the lack of conflict, so much a requirement of postmodern fiction that Fight Club is basically only conflict, there are seemingly pointless ramblings about El Chupacubra or something quite like that, which appears to be a 600 year old rat or coyote or something that lives in the area and needlessly eats a poor hairless dog.

There were funny parts, but only if you are quite hostile to Christianity. This book makes a good portion of its (decent) humor at the hands of minor Christian cults. I thought those parts were funny.

Sadly enough, those were the most notable things about the book. It seems to lack direction, cohesion, and narrative ability. I was not terribly impressed by it, and I doubt that I will ever read it again. ...
Harkius

"Chocolate Jesus" is even funnier than Stephan Jarmillo's first book - "Going Postal." Nearly every paragraph had me in stitches. His characters, from Rev. Willie Domingo of the Church of the Returning Vegetarian Christ to Mrs. Bea, owner of Bea's Candies, are all off-the-wall. Sydney Corbet, who is a so-called "JFK Assassination expert," comes up with the idea of marketing a Chocolate Jesus which Bea's Candies is delighted to produce, although Corbet, Mrs. Bea, and her son Wilbur all have different reasons for the venture. Stephan, keep writing these books.

I was really excited at the thought of reading this book, I'd been looking for it for a couple of years before I finally snagged a copy. The premise would lead one to think it would be a hilarious book...I was greatly disappointed.
There are too many characters (what the hell was the point of Irene?), the sub-plots are confusing and have little or nothing to do with the main story itself. And worst of all, it's just not funny. Fortunately I only paid (very little) for it, I wouldn't pay much more than that.

I was really excited at the thought of reading this book, I'd been looking for it for a couple of years before I finally snagged a copy. The premise would lead one to think it would be a hilarious book...I was greatly disappointed.

There are too many characters (what the (...)was the point of Irene?), the sub-plots are confusing and have little or nothing to do with the main story itself. And worst of all, it's just not funny. Fortunately I only paid $2 for it, I wouldn't pay much more than that.

Jaramillo weaves three separate strands that melt in the final conflagration. His characters are like gargoyles comprised of the familiar, yet monstrous in their satiric garb. His prose builds in rococo piles until they teeter in excess. It's a tough genre and Jaramillo triumphs!

"Chocolate Jesus" is even funnier than Stephan Jarmillo's first book - "Going Postal." Nearly every paragraph had me in stitches. His characters, from Rev. Willie Domingo of the Church of the Returning Vegetarian Christ to Mrs. Bea, owner of Bea's Candies, are all off-the-wall. Sydney Corbet, who is a so-called "JFK Assassination expert," comes up with the idea of marketing a Chocolate Jesus which Bea's Candies is delighted to produce, although Corbet, Mrs. Bea, and her son Wilbur all have different reasons for the venture. Stephan, keep writing these books.

I've never laughed outloud so much as I did reading this book. Great religious and social humor!

Seems to try to be a hip vonnegut, but fail

'Chocolate Jesus' is worth a good read. It quite amusing and original.

However, if you haven't read 'Going Postal', read it first, it is funniest book I have ever read.

Keep up the good work Stephan. I will surely buy your next book, and add it to my collection.

Sydney Corbet reminds me of Ignatius J Reilly from The Confederacy of Dunces. There are many similiarities between the two chararacters, e.g. both have some sort of physical problem, Sydney with his leg and Ignatius with his valve. Both have demonstrated an inability to hold down a job. Moreover, both write great letters to corporations in which both characters rip products from different corporations. However, Sydney is not as pathetic as Ignatius. Chocolate Jesus is not as funny as Going Postal but Jaramillo's first book is a tough act to follow. However this book is a little more creative and possibly more profound.