Amélie Notomb és una autora atrevida i en aquesta ocasió s'atreveix a ficar-se en la pell de Jesús de Natzareth. En el relat ens explica la seva passió i crucificció, però des dels ulls d'un home que ha vingut a la terra per cumplir l'encàrrec del seu pare diví. Ell, com a home que és té molts dubtes sobre la missió que li ha estat encomenada, la seva part humana l'ajuda a veure les coses des d'una perspectiva diferent que potser un Déu mai no es pugui imaginar. L'amor de Maria Magdalena, que ell considera una de les millors coses que ha pogut conéixer en el seu pas per la terra, lamor de la seva mare i del seu pobre pare. El judici previ a la seva condemna amb el testimoni de tots aquells que se senten dolguts per les seves intervencions, aquest són justament els que han estat afavorits pels seus miracles.
Tot plegat una interessant i creativa visió de la història tants i tants cops escoltada des de ben petits i que ha conformat la base de la nostra cultura occidental.
El relat és curtet, es llegeix en un tres i no res, però prou entretingut, no hi ha blasfèmies però sí una interpretació més propera als nostres dies. ( )

El Testamento según Jesucristo. O el Testamento según Amélie Nothomb. La novelista belga se atreve a dar voz al protagonista y es el propio Jesús quien nos narra su Pasión.

Aparecen en estas páginas Poncio Pilatos, los discípulos de Cristo, el traidor Judas, María Magdalena, los milagros, la crucifixión, la muerte y resurrección, las conversaciones de Jesús con su padre divino... Personajes y situaciones de todos conocidos, pero a los que aquí se da una vuelta de tuerca: se nos cuentan con una mirada moderna, un tono lírico y filosófico con toques de humor. Jesús nos habla del alma y la vida eterna, pero también del cuerpo y del aquí y ahora; de lo trascendental, pero también de lo mundano. Y aflora un personaje visionario y reflexivo que conoce el amor, el deseo, la fe, el dolor, la decepción y la duda. Esta novela reinterpreta y humaniza una figura histórica con una mirada acaso transgresora, tal vez iconoclasta, pero que no busca en absoluto la provocación por la provocación ni el escándalo fácil.

¿Un sacrilegio, una blasfemia? Simplemente literatura, y de la buena, con la fuerza y capacidad de seducción a las que nos tiene bien acostumbrados Amélie Nothomb. Si en algunos libros anteriores la autora jugaba a reelaborar fábulas y antiguos cuentos de hadas con un toque contemporáneo, aquí se atreve ni más ni menos que con la Historia Sagrada. Y su muy humano Jesucristo no dejará indiferente a nadie.

Soif - Amelie Nothomb
Amelie Nothomb is a Belgian author who writes in the french language. Since her first novel was published in 1992 she has published a novel every year since then. It is almost a racing certainty that you will find one of her books in your local library. There were three on offer in mine and I chose Soif. There was nothing on the book covers to give a clue as to the subject matter apart from a quote:

"Pour éprouver la soif il faut être vivant"

It took me a few pages to realise that it was an interior monologue of Jesus Christ, just after his arrest in the garden of Gethsemane. He is hauled before Pontious Pilot and sentence to be crucified the next day. Jesus was rather hoping it would be later that day because now he would have to spend a night alone in his cell with the fear of the crucifixion the next day. Nothomb imagines his thoughts during that fearful night and the next day while the sentence is being carried out. It is the passion of Jesus that takes up much of this short novel, however it ends with his reflections following his resurrection.

Nothomb imagines Jesus with the mind of an ordinary man, but a man who believes he is the son of God. He knows he will die in agony the next day and his first thoughts alone in his cell are whether he will be allowed the blessed peace of being able to sleep. Of course events in his life flash through his mind. He thinks of his mother and the man whom he refers to as Joseph, what good kind people they are, he thinks of how his life might have been if he was not an incarnation of the son of God. He thinks about his love affair with Mary Magdalene whom he calls Madeleine and the power of human love, but the next day is on his mind and he refuses the bowl of water offered to him. He believes that water is life giving and to deny himself a drink of the life giving liquid will prepare him for the agony of the next day.

Northomb imagines his thoughts and observations as he struggles to carry his cross up to Golgotha. She presents his jagged thoughts alongside the pain of getting to the top of the hill. She does a good job of putting the reader into the mind of Jesus at the start of his agony. I felt the harrowing experience. The scene at the crucifixion site, the desolation, the numbing agony of Jesus is well described, as is the crucifixion itself. There are moments of kindness which makes Jesus think about humanity and stops his disdain for how he is being treated. This works very well. There are no deep psychological or religious insights, but the events are not lightly treated. There are themes and phrases running through the book that hold it all together. I think it is a moving experience. I am not so sure about the last few pages where Jesus is a disembodied spirit, however it is in keeping with the idea that the human body defines humanity: God as a bodiless spirit does not understand the human beings he has created.

There is much to think about in this original story of the passion of Jesus. It is told with love and affection and I rate is as a 4 star read. I will certainly try other books by this author. ( )

Nothomb a toujours la plume vive, mais dans ce roman elle ajoute une profonde réflexion sur un sujet religieux et pas des moindres, la vie de Jésus. Elle le replace dans son rôle d'être humain qui a eu des émotions, des réactions et des observations qui lui étaient propres. Sans jamais amoindrir l'impact qu'il a eu, sans essayer de le rendre plus grand ou plus humble, elle est allée droit dans son cœur, tel qu'il pouvait avoir accompli sa mission sacrée tout en étant un homme. C'est un roman puissant, rafraîchissant qui met sous une nouvelle lumière un des personnages les plus importants de l'histoire. ( )

Amélie se prend pour Jésus Christ lors d'une dernière tentation ! Quelle audace, on pourrait croire au blasphème. Mais la Belge à succès s'en sort en douceur, mêlant humour et intelligence. Les miraculés sont mécontents et le font savoir, j'aurais dû fuir avec Marie-Madeleine élever des chèvres et produire leur fromage, de là-haut Papa ne comprend pas grand-chose à sa créature car il n'a pas de corps. Sans incarnation, pas d'amour, pas de mort, pas de soif, sentiment ultime de vie. ( )