Anne Rice has broken away from her typical writing with the novel “Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt”. The novel takes the reader on an imaginative and mysterious journey through the early years of Christ, when the young Jesus is struggling to understand his gifts, and unravel the mystery that surrounds his birth.
The novel begins with the child Jesus living with his family in Egypt. The first hint of his supernatural gifts comes when he curses a child named Eleazer, who immediately falls dead in the street. Eleazer is then brought back to life through the words of Jesus. After some discussion, the family soon decides to set out on a journey to Jerusalem. During the journey, Jesus exerts his powers again and again without entirely understanding why or how he is able to do it. His family attempts to explain to him the mystery of his abilities but seem to be a bit unsure of the answers themselves. The family eventually returns to their hometown of Nazareth, where they find a somewhat cold welcome. The community is unaware of the truth surrounding the birth of little Jesus, and instead see it as a scandal.
Readers will find themselves gaining a whole new perspective on Christ as a person. It is easy to think of Him as a deity rather than a real human being. By taking a look at the life of Jesus from a child's perspective, readers find themselves relating to Him as they would to any other human child. Although he possessed supernatural powers, he was still human in mind and body, and in some ways this caused him even more grief and confusion than the average human must endure.
Overall, Anne Rice has captured an image that is both human and god. She has made the life of Christ into more than just a bedtime story. She has enabled her readers to envision Christ as what he really was.
