This moving book renders Christ in vivid, unforgettable colors; such colors as have never been seen before and probably never will be again. In the process, it tells us something about our humanity, and about our indomitable spiritual longings.

Christ is important to us in part because he was human. His humanity is what moves us, and we take comfort in his image because we find his humanity comprehensible.

His humanity, however, is disturbing to some people. Perhaps this is why the Christian church has worked so hard to promote the idea of the Trinity. Christ is not just a man, we are told, he is simultaneously man, God and the Holy Spirit.

Those who see Christ as infallible, as essentially God-like, will no doubt find this book disturbing. Kazantzakis's Christ is very human. He is full of distinctly human frailties.

The book's depiction of a flawed human in the midst of a titanic spiritual struggle is moving, profound, and revelatory. It tells us much about the human spirit, about our longings for spiritual liberation, and the frustrations that many encounter when they walk a spiritual path.

This book is a testament to the greatness of the human spirit. Yet at times, I find a touch of life-denial in it. Christ turns away from friends, family, and even his own best and kindest instincts as he reaches toward his goal. That part of this great book did not always sit well with me, yet I cannot deny that in this one area, at least, Kazantzakis has ample Biblical sources to back up his interpretation.

For all its greatness, this is, however, a peculiar book. I call it peculiar in part because it vividly depicts the life of Christ in a manner that is neither historically accurate nor always true to our Biblical sources. It takes place not in Biblical times, but in a dream-like landscape that is vaguely reminiscent of rural Greece in the 19th century. Some of the opening scenes, for instance, take place in something that seems very much like an Eastern Orthodox Christian monastery, only there could not have been a Christian monastery before Christ's crucifixion, and certainly there is no mention of one in the Gospels. My point is not that something like a monastery could not have existed in Biblical times, but that the monastery in this book is distinctly Christian in flavor, which makes it, at best, an anachronism.

It sounds as though I am criticizing Kazantzakis's book, but I am not. His instincts as a novelist never fail him. He makes all the right decisions, and the landscape and the characters he creates come vividly alive. Never before has Christ been as real, or his struggles so clear, as when I read this book.

I believe that all Christians, and many who are interested in the Christ story, will find this an essential book. One needs, however, to approach it in the right spirit. To say that is unorthodox is a gross understatement. It is a radically experimental book, both from an artistic and a theological perspective. Nevertheless, it not only succeeds, but ends up telling us something rare and precious about both our own humanity, and our religion.

This is truly a masterpiece and work of art in literature. I know there is a lot of confliction with the religious community with this book but that I believe is because so many people are so very closed minded. Open your mind and hearts to the thoughts that Jesus too had to deal with temptations and conflict that common man has to also while he was still on Earth and in his mortal form. People lose there minds over the thoughts that not everything may be as straight and narrow as it is depicted in the bible and that there may have been more to the man that was Jesus Christ. This just gives another view of what may have or may not have been but since none of us were there and all we have is the written word, that has been change and interpreted many multiple times through history to fit what religions want and need to believe, we may never know the truth, as it was only as man and religion wants it seen. So open your mind and read this before you shun it.

An Amazing Read. AAA+++

Quite frankly, this is Kazantzakis' masterpiece. Taking a theme that he is probably best known for exploring in Zorba, he explores the struggle between the physical and the spiritual or contemplative life. In Last Temptation the scope and artistic courage required to examine this theme in the life of Jesus Christ must have been a daunting undertaking. This is a book of incredibly beautiful imagery. Some of the familiar gospel scenes are portrayed with an intensity of language that had me stunned at the quality of the vision Kazantzakis was pursuing and the ability to give the main characters from Jesus' life flesh and blood characterizations that give the scenes an earthy and human aspect.
At the same time he employs artistic license freely and his Christ is as much of a human as he is a God. There are passages that are integral to the novel that would be considered controversial at the time this was written and in our own time as well. The ending is a sweeping re-imagining of the Passion of Christ that is one of the most poetic passages in literature and yet it remains respectful of the faith of Christians. This is not an anti-religious work but a haunting work of art that uses the best known of all stories to explore timeless themes. Approach with an open mind and you will be rewarded.

This by far, is one of my favorite novels. I have read it about four times since 2003. Growing up in a very Christian household, this book would never had made it past the front door of my parents house. It has offended many and pleased many, yet religious or not, I don't think it's a book you should stay away from. It's fictional and really made me ponder the life of Jesus Christ. I have always been intrigued by the relationship between Jesus and both Mary's. This book really made me wonder about Jesus fondness for Mary the prostitute, but again this book is fiction. Maybe some took it to seriously or saw it as a major offense to their Christianity, however if you can look past that and read the book for what it is, well then you may find yourself in the middle of a novel you cannot put down.

Kazantzakis has always been a favorite of mine, and his deep, intense "what if" take on one of the worlds more sacrosanct stories is compelling for anyone whose sensibilities will permit such an adventure.

I have read this book several times and learned from it on every
occasion. It has become my standard gift to any high school or
college graduate. Here is what I tell them (and you):

This is NOT a biography of Jesus Christ. It is about realizing our
purpose in life, the importance of love, truth, and commitment -- and
the great presence of the Divine in every moment of our lives.

Kazantzakis feels: '...our highest obligation, something higher even
than morality, truth, or beauty: the obligation to transubstantiate
the matter which God entrusted to us, and turn it into spirit.'