Quarantine

I just finished reading Quarantine by Jim Crace (1997) as part of the infamous Smarter Than You Bookclub. This book takes place 2000 years ago or so in a little land called Judea. Five pilgrims have come out into the desert for 40 days of fasting: Marta, a barren wife hoping to give birth to a child; Aphas, an old man hoping to have his cancer cured; Shim, a proud scholar hoping to prove his connection to god; Badu, a deaf-mute guy that we really don't learn much about (except that he is a good hunter); and a young man from Galilee that you might have heard of -- Jesus. These pilgrims stumble onto the temporary camp of Musa, a traveling merchant, and his pregnant wife, Miri. Musa has a horrible fever and the two have been abandoned by their caravan.

After an off-hand, and rather accidental, curing of his fever by Jesus, Musa sees an opportunity to make some money from the pilgrims by charging them rent and selling them food and water when they break their fast at dusk. Miri is not that happy about Musa being cured, since he is a major jerk and she thought she was finally free of him. All the pilgrims fast together except for Jesus, who finds his way into an inaccessible cave where he refuses to speak to the other pilgrims, heal anyone else, or accept any of the food.

The conflicts between the pilgrims and the merchant, and their differing personalities, make for a very engaging and fast-paced story. You might have some idea of how things turn out with Jesus, although the way in which his fast concludes is a little more interesting than you might expect.

The basis for Crace's novel comes from a brief discussion of the temptation of Christ in the desert during his 40 day fast (mentioned in Matthew, Mark, and Luke). I'm not religious at all, and certainly no biblical scholar, but I like what Crace did with the story of Jesus and his fast. I think a theologian would have a lot of fun with this novel, and that people with a casual (or even anti-) interest in Jesus would enjoy it as well. Our fictional Jesus is more human than divine -- alternatively doubtful and proud, both sympathetic and off-putting, and a skinny daydreamer who has to pee a lot but holds it in sometimes as a sacrifice to god. I probably have more to say, but I'll save it for the bookclub.

[Do any of you STYBCers want to borrow my copy?]