- Hardcover: 528 pages
- Publisher: Viking USA (Jun 13 2002)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0670030961
- ISBN-13: 978-0670030965
- Product Dimensions: 21.1 x 14.2 x 3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 703 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (77 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #541,025 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
Product Details |
Product Description
From Amazon
Of all the women in the Bible, perhaps no one's presence has been as constantly reinterpreted as that of Mary Magdalene. Was she a prostitute? A prophet? In Margaret George's epic historical novel, Mary, Called Magdalene (Geroge's previous subjects include Henry VIII, Mary, Queen of Scots, and Cleopatra), Mary comes alive as one of Jesus' first believers, a woman of infallible visions and a faith that earns her the title "Apostle to the Apostles." With numerous biblical and scholarly texts serving as the core of this intriguing woman's story, George recreates the world of Galilean fishermen and the oppressions of the Jewish people under Roman rule. Cast out from her family after Jesus expels the demons that have ravaged her mind, Mary follows the man from Nazareth until they receive attention from the skeptical hordes and the Roman magistrates controlling Jerusalem.
Mary, from beginning to end of this giant undertaking, is a woman who struggles to reconcile her absence from her young daughter's life with the chance to be part of something important. Through the lens of her ever-inquisitive mind, the story covers the formation of Jesus' ragtag band of disciples and the crucifixion, and ends with Mary's mission as the head of the Christian church in Ephesus, where she died at the age of 90. What makes this a compelling read is that Mary's story connects humanity with faith in a way that's possible to understand, whatever our contemporary beliefs. --Emily Russin
From Publishers Weekly
George, whose niche is historical and biographical novels, begins this one ploddingly with suspenseless reportage on Mary Magdalene's pleasant, middle-class childhood in a prosperous fishing village. Scattered references to the idol/demon that will eventually possess Mary are intended as fateful omens, but her slow road to madness gets much less play than her conventional and uninteresting life. The novel improves considerably when Mary finds herself possessed by one demon, and then, helplessly, by six more. Her valiant efforts to first hide her possession and then find a cure are masterfully described. When a prophet named Jesus finally casts out her demons, she celebrates, only to realize that she must make a heartrending choice between following the prophet or going back to her husband, baby and extended family. At this point, George's novel becomes a safe, though readable, retelling of the gospels. Her main deviation from orthodoxy is her insistence that there were 16 disciples 12 men and four women who were equal in Jesus' eyes. Additionally, George emphasizes Mary's prophetic visions and Jesus' celebration of them, and in doing so gives credence to gnostic accounts of mysticism among the disciples. While some may compare this novel with Anita Diamant's The Red Tent, it bears a much stronger resemblance to Walter Wangerin's biographical novel about the apostle Paul. Like Wangerin's work, this imagines nothing seriously objectionable to even the most devout Christians. As such, it lacks the transgressive power of The Red Tent, but is still a well-researched and thought-provoking book.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Browse and search another edition of this book.
First Sentence
She was carried to a place she had never been. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
She was carried to a place she had never been. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
A disappointing "Mary Magdalene Superstar",
By "louisaeyre" (Cleveland, OH USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Mary Called Magdalene A Novel (Hardcover)
I was a big fan of Margaret George's other books, but they were about truly central figures in history like Henry the Eighth and Cleopatra. By choosing to write about the relatively obscure Mary of Magdala, Ms. George paints herself into a corner--she has to make her subject seem more important than it really is. So Mary, implausibly, becomes the center of every single important event, while -- most regrettably -- Our Lord Jesus Christ fades into the background as little more than a cheesy faith healer who changes Mary's life. This book is a sad disservice to the devout as well as to students of history.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Captivating. What a wonderful book!,
By Cynthia Danute Cekauskas, LCSW "Lithuanian Am... (Savannah, Georgia) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)
This review is from: Mary, Called Magdalene (Paperback)
I was lent a copy of this book by a fellow parishioner and a member of my chapel's Military Council of Catholic Women. She had listened to my enthusiastic praise of Jim Bishop's book Day Christ DiedThis book had been given to me years ago by my father as a Confirmation present but just last year I had started an annual practice of reading it every Lenten season. It is a historical novel just as much as Mary Called Magdalenewhich I am now reviewing.Reading this book has been a real joy right from the start. It is so uplifting to learn about the life of the first woman apostle and disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ. Mary called the Magdalene is depicted in this book as a married woman with a child who tragically had become possessed of seven demons from which Jesus rescues her. She was a woman with a bright mind who even then wanted to learn in a male dominated culture which often did not permit it. Jesus not only served to liberate her from physical demons but to help her develop the best that was in her all in the service of God. The final chapters of the book, in the style of the early gospels, are letters written by Mary Magdalene to the daughter she was forced to leave while still a young woman. The letters speak of the activities of the early church, how the faith spread throughout the known world, how its followers were persecuted for their beliefs and how in the long run the church was to endure despite all the obstacles it had to face. The book ends sadly with Mary being martyred before having the chance to once again reunite physically with her daughter. Although this is a fictional account of the life of Mary Magdalene, what is factual and true cannot be denied: Mary Magdalene was mentioned in the four canonical gospels--Matthew, Mark, Luke and John--in connection with five events: (1) being delivered from seven demons by Jesus; (2) following Jesus, along with other women he had cured, and supporting him materially in his ministry; (3) being present at the crucifixtion; (4) coming early to the tomb on Easter morning to anoint him; and (5) encountering the risen Christ. This is a beautiful book--one I would especially recommend to women who believe in Jesus Christ and his message to free us!
2.0 out of 5 stars
Historical setting interesting, but very slow moving plot.,
By
This review is from: Mary, Called Magdalene (Paperback)
While this book had an interesting subject and setting, and the author attempted to create an engaging story, it took a really long time to get going. The plot moved slowly, and even when it did get going along, it never really had a clear and strong climax. This book would only appeal if you had a strong enough interest in the historcal setting and details, otherwise, anyone else would be bored.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Want to see more reviews on this item?
|
Most recent customer reviews |
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Religious & Inspirational > Biblical
- Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Religious & Inspirational > Christian > Fiction
- Books > Literature & Fiction > United States
- Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Literature & Fiction > Biblical Fiction
- Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Literature & Fiction > Fiction
- Books > Religion & Spirituality > Fiction
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
