I have mixed feelings about this book, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the subject matter whatsoever. It's more of the way things are presented.

On one hand I loved the way that the major characters are fleshed out with their own thoughts, feelings, intentions, and so on. Then right after what I will say are very well written passages, the author just breaks all of this with a few lines of juvenile bathroom humor. I have no issue with the words "piss" or "shit" but I feel as if those words were just put in at times to tell us, rather than show us the scene.

It's a shame that these few passages are in the book because for the most part I enjoyed the overall story. Descriptions are for the most part very well done, giving you insight into the actual setting. As I said before, the main characters are written pretty well and have their own reasons for wanting things to turn out the way they eventually do.

Unfortunately this just isn't a funny book to me. Again, not because of the subject matter. The jokes just didn't land well with me. That's just my opinion. It could be that I kept thinking of "Lamb, the Gospel According to Biff" while reading, which gives another alternative take on the life and time of Jesus (and also a book filled with juvenile potty humour but perhaps a bit better written). I won't say the book wasn't enjoyable however. The times when the author gets serious and drops the jokes are actually some of the best parts of the book to me and I liked those bits.

It's not an absolute must read book but for the time I spent, it wasn't bad.

I was given a copy of The Misconceived Conception of Jesus Christ by Bill Burkland from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book worked out fairly well. I think Burkland was going for a light, stocking-filler-type novel, which this reads as. As a historical document, it won't make the grade, but props to him for trying to jimmy in as many biblical characters as best he could. I also quite liked his theory that there were more than three kings. Like most books/shows/concepts, there's a fair amount of cuss words and this book, which has sections far before the birth and two epilogue-type conclusions (one of which I'm not sure was entirely needed but, I guess, made it more contemporary) perhaps could have had slightly more direction, perhaps in the form of an overarching narrator. Still, I very much enjoyed his biblical depiction of Israel. There were lots of evocative sunrises and sunsets and lots of attention to detail in terms of clay colour palates and rich reds. I'm not sure why he's got it out for Mary's folks, but a book needs a villain, and we have a couple here, very much in the vein of nightmarish in-laws.

Oh my Lord!!! Absolutely loved reading this book.

Bill Burkland you have not only made my Christmas 2024 but I'll never look at a Nativity scene the same again. The Three Wisemen (or was there five?) completely cracked me up. And should there really have been Hippopotamus of God!!!

A real laugh out loud read with a little thought provoking too.

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