Michel Faber, The Fire Gospel, 2008

The tenth in Canongate’s series on myths, this one being modelled loosely on the story of Prometheus stealing fire from Zeus and giving it to mortals, but there any proper connection to mythology ends and the satire begins. A cynical Canadian researcher in a ransacked museum in war-torn Iraq stumbles upon a hidden manuscript written by a man who knew Jesus, and a sudden lust for fame and money drives him to publish it as The Fifth Gospel, go on an American book tour and risk the wrath of Christians, Arabs, homocidal maniacs and Amazon reviewers alike. Wickedly funny for the most part, with Faber sharing exactly the kind of vicious, ascerbic humour of fellow Dutch author Cees Nooteboom. Faber must have had a very good time writing this.  PY

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