The Fire Gospel

From the bestselling author of The Crimson Petal and the White, “a satire of the modern entertainment industry . . . hilariously entertaining” (The Sunday Telegraph).

Michel Faber’s The Fire Gospel is a wickedly funny, acid-tongued, media-savvy picaresque that delves into our sensationalist culture. Theo Griepenkerl, a Canadian linguistics scholar, is sent to Iraq in search of artifacts that have survived the destruction and looting of the war. While visiting a museum in Mosul, he finds nine papyrus scrolls tucked in the belly of a bas-relief sculpture: they have been perfectly preserved for more than two thousand years. After smuggling them out of Iraq and translating them from Aramaic, Theo realizes the extent of his career-making find, for he is in possession of the Fifth Gospel, and it offers a shocking and incomparable eyewitness account of Christ’s crucifixion and last days on Earth. A hugely entertaining, and by turns shocking story, The Fire Gospel is a smart, stylish, and suspenseful novel.

“Most insightful when describing fatuous superficiality . . . The Fire Gospel coasts cleverly and blithely.”—The New York Times



“The satire is so entertaining, the pace so sharp, the writing so witty . . . The Fire Gospel can be read easily in one sitting. It’s effortless to consume, but with plenty of bite.”—The Observer

“A fun and tender retelling of the Prometheus myth . . . there’s a tenderness about humankind and our inarticulate, profound need to believe that shines through Faber’s tale.”—The Plain Dealer

“Faber writes with humor, intelligence, and a keen eye for our modern culture. Readers will laugh at the book and maybe a little at themselves.”—Booklist