In 1996 Paul Park published THE GOSPEL OF CORAX, a highly acclaimed rendering of a theosophist legend, describing Jesus of Nazareth's journey to the Indian subcontinent and Tibet. In THREE MARYS, his new novel, Park returns to first-century Palestine to recreate with penetrating insight the historical community of Jesus, and to follow the first tangled strands of Christianity after his death. Here is Jesus's world as it very likely was, confused, conflicted, rife with messianic rumor and factional ambition; here is the brazen cruelty of Roman occupation and the domestic oppression that mirrored it, seen through the eyes of the women who knew Jesus best. This is the story not only of Christ but of the three Marys who survived him and were true to him, each in their own way. Their inner and outer narratives, sometimes tortured, sometimes rhapsodic, make up the spare but radiant tapestry of this novel. There is Mary of Magdala, visionary and wandering, perhaps Jeshua's wife; there is his mother Mary, tough, charismatic, earthy, ultimately desolated by his loss; and there is Mary of Bethany, the girl who followed Jeshua in his last days and has to bear the burden of her undying brother Lazarus for decades afterwards. Outcasts because of their sex, yet possessors between them of some fragmented sense of the true ineffable nature of Christ the man and Christ the messiah, they are presented with luminous tragic humanity and given proper voice at last. Paul Park is one of contemporary American literature's most subtle and original explorers of religious experience. As exotic in coloring and as rich in understanding as his superb science fantasy novels, Three Marys is a masterpiece of historical and spiritual reconstruction.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Astonishingly clever book!,
By A (MA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Three Marys (Paperback)
I thought Three Marys was an amazing book. Paul Park imagines the lives of several biblical women, and gives us a sense of what their lives might have been like. The three Marys the title refers to are Mary, mother of Jesus; Mary Magdalen; and Mary of the Mary and Martha story. The author takes stories from the new testament and tells them from these female viewpoints. Three Marys is told in simple language that feels appropriate for the characters that Park imagines. At the same time, the novel is complex enough that I had to pay close attention to the details. My sense is that if I were even more familiar with the gospels, I would catch more of the subtleties that Park weaves into his fiction. As a lapsed churchgoer, I felt that I understood some of the references that he made to The Bible, but assume that I missed others. Now I want to go back and reread portions of The Bible to see just how clever this author is. It is interesting to consider what these women, who were so close to Jesus, went through. This book will leave you with a lot to think about. Enjoy.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
great read,
By Ellen M Miller (Charlemont, Ma USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Three Marys (Paperback)
A fascinating look into the life and times of Jesus Christ. It is for open-minded believer, not true believers. Fundamentalist Christians might find this book offensive, but anyone who is interested in a different way of telling the traditional Gospel stories will find this book both poignant and informative.
2 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Unusual writing style,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Three Marys (Paperback)
This book chronicles the crucifixion and the years directly afterwards from the point of view of the three Mary's: Mary, the mother of Christ; Mary of Bethany; and Mary of Magdala. Each chapter (5 in book) is from a different perspective. The book is written in the first person some times and other times it is told as a story, sometimes changing within a single paragraph. It's a very unique writing style and I found it hard to follow. Although the book uses names of people and places from the bible it contains virtually no actual facts or events (other than the crucifixion itself). The story goes something like: "She ate a piece of bread", "She pulled up her blanket", "She walked down the road". It's as if the entire "cast" was moved to the Dark Ages - the picture the author paints is very "dark". Characters all seem to dislike each other. Very disappointing!
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