Memoirs of Pontius Pilate: A Novel (Ballantine Reader's Circle) [Paperback]

James R. Mills (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 27, 2001 | Series: Ballantine Reader's Circle

It's been thirty years since he sentenced the troublemaker to die,
but Pontius Pilate can't get Jesus out of his mind. . . .

Forced to live out his life in exile, Pontius Pilate, the former governor of Judea, is now haunted by the executions that were carried out on his orders. The life and death of a particular carpenter from Nazareth lay heavily on his mind. With years of solitude stretched out before him, Pilate sets out to uncover all he can about Jesus—his birth, boyhood, ministry, and the struggles that led to his crucifixion. With unexpected wit and candor, Pilate reveals a unique, compelling picture of Jesus that only one of his enemies could give.

In a vibrant, inventive, completely engaging novel that places Jesus and his teachings in a wonderfully accurate historical setting, James R. Mills has created nothing less than a new gospel that illuminates the beginnings of Christianity from an astonishing and unexpected point of view.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Thirty years after the death of Jesus of Nazareth, an exiled Pontius Pilate compiles his memoirs into a history of the Jewish faith and the rise of Christianity. He contemplates his role in sentencing Jesus to death by crucifixion and puzzles at the rapid spread of the teachings of that simple man. A true politician, he denies any blame for his part in Jesus' final hours. Instead, he lays the blame at the feet of the crowd who cried for Barabbas to be released and at the feet of the temple officials who called for his trial. Subtly, Pilate's fascination with Jesus and his teachings gives life to his recital, and glimpses of Pilate's own thoughts and feelings surface. Mills's (Gospel According to Pontius Pilate) expertise with his subject provides unexpected depth to this intriguing glimpse at a man vilified for his place in history. Recommended for all collections.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"OUTSTANDINGLY ORIGINAL, SUPERBLY WRITTEN, FASCINATING AND ENGAGING."
--Midwest Book Review

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (February 27, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345443500
• ISBN-13: 978-0345443502
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,583,919 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The biography Pilate himself might have written., February 16, 2002

By 

Erick Franz P. Vergara (Manila, Philippines) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Memoirs of Pontius Pilate: A Novel (Ballantine Reader's Circle) (Paperback)

Although it is a work of fiction, "Memoirs of Pontius Pilate" comes close to deserving a place in the history section. Much of this well-researched book is devoted to Pilate's own biography of Jesus; nevertheless, there is enough supplementary material here to leave the reader a bit more knowledgeable on the history of Roman Palestine.

Mills' Pilate begins with an introductory discussion about the Jewish people (written from a perspective that feels authentically Roman). The rest of the book traces the life of Jesus from the Nativity to the Crucifixion, after which the exiled former procurator adds his own views on the events that he had just described. Throughout the work Pilate remains sufficiently sceptical of the miracles and odd "coincidences" that his spies report to him, but the reader soon realises that this Roman is at least open to the possibility that the "strange carpenter" may actually be who he says he is.

A word of caution, though: readers who insist on seeing a cruel, heartless tyrant of a governor in this book will be sorely disappointed. Though the historical Pontius Pilatus may have been a man who truly deserves the wicked reputation he is cursed with today, would he have written about himself that way? In all certainty he would have described actions we now see as barbaric within the context of his own culture and upbringing; that is, he would have said that he was simply "doing his job" when he mowed down the Samartians on Mount Gerizim and threatened to hack a crown of Jews to death in Caesarea. Out of his love for Rome, his loyalty to Caesar and perhaps even his own strange form of concern for the well-being of the Jewish people, he did what he felt he had to do.

I am no relativist. From the very little that we know about Pilate, there is no doubt that he was -- to put it bluntly -- a very bad man. But it would be ridiculous to assume that he would have seen himself as anything other than a devoted public servant who tried to do his duty well.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An original, suberly written, fascinating, engaging novel., March 4, 2000

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Memoirs of Pontius Pilate (Hardcover)

As a now-exiled governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate reflects on life, politics, religion, and wonders at how it is that Jesus' followers have multiplied and spread all over the Roman Empire. Could such a movement have sprung from the teachings of an obscure zealot crucified long ago in such an insignificant part of the world? Searching his memory, Pilate pieces together what he recalls of Jesus' boyhood, ministry, and trial -- writing in effect a "fifth gospel" account of Christ's life. But his perspective is radically different from that of one of Jesus' followers. He is, after all, a corrupted aging bureaucrat with a cynical turn of mind. Memoirs Of Pontius Pilate is an outstandingly original, superbly written, fascinating and engaging Christian novel.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An interesting interpretation from a different viewpoint., August 10, 2003

By 

Beth Cholette "doctor_beth" (Upstate NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Memoirs of Pontius Pilate: A Novel (Ballantine Reader's Circle) (Paperback)

This author has come up with a unique concept by novelizing the life of the historical Christ and then telling the story from the point of view of a relatively minor character, Pontius Pilate. As the title suggests, the novel is written in the form of memoirs as Pilate nears the end of his life. Pilate tries to come to some resolution of his own involvement in Jesus's death by reviewing Jesus's life, beginning with the unusual circumstances of his birth and continuing to the genesis of Christianity after his death. The author utilizes plain, accessible language to tell a story which includes a surprising amount of humor. You may not feel sorry for Pilate by the end, but you should at least wonder if perhaps there is more to the story of Jesus than we will ever know. An engaging, thought-provoking book.