By JOTR Staff
We were still editing a long-winded review by JOTR books editor Floyd Inkjet of a new book by this blog’s founder when amazon stole a march on us. The books were still in transit from the printer when amazon listed as “in stock” JOTR editor Joel Thurtell’s satirical novel, CROSS PURPOSES, OR, IF NEWSPAPERS HAD COVERED THE CRUCIFIXION.
Almost as quickly, the indefatigable book reviewer Fiona Lowther posted on amazon a five-star review of CROSS PURPOSES:
Wrote Lowther:
This book is so different that it’s difficult to describe. It is, however, bitingly witty — to the point where I laughed aloud several times while reading it.
It’s a novel — a roman à clef? — about what would happen if one of today’s big-city dailies were to cover the Crucifixion. Now, I know that doesn’t sound very funny — and in one way, it isn’t: But just as the death of Jesus was a tragedy that became a triumph with His Resurrection, Cross Purposes delineates the tragedy of today’s mainstream Journalism — and it’s only with an understanding of what’s going on that readers may be able to turn the tragedy of today’s newspapers into a triumph by recognizing the situation and seeking alternative publications and online blogs that will take us back to the days of hard-core investigative Journalism and crusading publishers and editors — and reporters who were willing to dig deep to get the facts and give them to the public.
Aside of that, read this book for its entertainment value: It would make one heck of a good movie; I couldn’t help casting the characters as I read it — and I’ll bet many readers will do the same.
Don’t miss this one; I have a feeling that it will be one of the most talked-about books of the year.
JOTR’s Floyd Inkjet will just have to wait in line. Which is just fine — it gives us more time to fine-tune and whittle down our reviewer’s florid prose.
