Most of my reading in recent months has been focused on the “historical
Jesus,” books that attempt to peel away the accreted layers of myth, legend,
and theology. Unholy Night by Seth Grahame-Smith is anything but.
In Unholy Night Seth Grahame-Smith, author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Killer turns his revisionist lens toward the birth of Jesus and, as with his earlier novels, fills it with terror and violence and monsters. Though, to be fair, much of that terror and violence was already there to begin with.
In Unholy Night Seth Grahame-Smith, author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Killer turns his revisionist lens toward the birth of Jesus and, as with his earlier novels, fills it with terror and violence and monsters. Though, to be fair, much of that terror and violence was already there to begin with.
It would be easy to point out the historical and
geographical errors in the book (he’s bungled the layout of Jerusalem,
misplaced the city of Emmaus, brought Pontius Pilate to Israel about 30 years
too early, etc…) but to do so would be to miss the point.
Some might worry that this revisionist telling of Jesus’ birth as a horror / adventure story would be in some way blasphemous – Seth Grahame-Smith, after all, has overturned the iconic characters of the “three wise men” and made into convicted and escaped criminals, and has set King Herod, Pontius Pilate and a sorcerous, dark magi chasing after the holy family… But again, to perceive Unholy Night as blasphemous or in any way “unholy” is to miss the point.
It’s not scripture and it’s not history. It’s a story. It’s a savage and rollicking and frightening story – but then again, so is much of what we call scripture and nearly all of history. Read it for fun and let it add to your celebration of the mystery and wonder (and horror) of the Christmas stories.
Some might worry that this revisionist telling of Jesus’ birth as a horror / adventure story would be in some way blasphemous – Seth Grahame-Smith, after all, has overturned the iconic characters of the “three wise men” and made into convicted and escaped criminals, and has set King Herod, Pontius Pilate and a sorcerous, dark magi chasing after the holy family… But again, to perceive Unholy Night as blasphemous or in any way “unholy” is to miss the point.
It’s not scripture and it’s not history. It’s a story. It’s a savage and rollicking and frightening story – but then again, so is much of what we call scripture and nearly all of history. Read it for fun and let it add to your celebration of the mystery and wonder (and horror) of the Christmas stories.
**I purchased both of Seth Grahame-Smith's previous books and, after reading them, loaned them to friends who have not yet returned them. If you'd like to borrow my copy of Unholy Night let me know. I'm not expecting it back, apparently.
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