Twelve in 12: The Second Coming in OD

Title: The Second Coming
Author: John Niven

Genre: Humour

376 pages

You ever look at things that are going on in the world and wonder where God has gotten to? Well, turns out that he was on holiday. He was only gone for a week but, time being a relative thing; He was gone from the height of the Renaissance in Earth time.

When He returns He is not too happy about the way things are down here. Genocide, famine and, worse of all, Christians all over the place. Turns out that God doesn’t much like Christians. He decides He needs to do something about this. Rather than wiping out mankind and starting again, He chooses to send His son back to us.

And thus, Jesus returns. A musician living in New York with a ragtag bunch of other musicians, reformed junkies and alcoholics, Jesus is persuaded to enter American Pop Star, the biggest show in the States. When he meets the creator of that show, Jesus realises that he may have his work cut out for him…

This is not a book to be read in public. Not because it is embarrassing, but because of the looks you may get when you burst out laughing. The humour is razor sharp and sometimes dark, but it never gets in the way of the overall narrative, which essentially boils down God’s message to two words: Be Nice. (The rest of the Commandments were added by Moses, annoyed that he was sent up a mountain for two words.)

Niven is a bit heavy handed at times in pointing things out. However, some things are nicely observed and some of the punishments in Hell are quite imaginative. No doubt some Christians will be less than pleased with some of the ideas put forward and will no doubt complain about the “attack” on their beliefs. Which is a shame, because if they got past this prejudice and actually read the book, they’d see it’s only certain aspects of their religion that Niven has issues with. Another thing this book is not is an attack on Christianity. It’s more of a meditation (albeit a humorous one) and a book with some good ideas stuck in with the insults to Budweiser and Carling.

Will