[tinamasak]

In its short span Par Lagerkvist?s novel deftly conjures its setting: the Holy Land at the time of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The sights, smells, beggars, and brutality of that place and time vividly come to life in this spare story. The Swedish Nobel-winner was held in esteem by his colleagues and was one of the few Scandinavians whose Nobel failed to arouse grumblings from the international literary community of favoritism by the committee towards regional writers. Sixty years later Lagerkvist is one of the numerous largely forgotten winners, at least in the English-speaking world, of the prestigious prize: few translations of his work remain in print in English, and those that are were made decades ago. If Lagerkvist is known for anything it is for this simple parable about the man who was saved while Jesus went to the cross (it even got a Hollywood movie version with Anthony Quinn). The Bible has no more to say about Barabbas after his freedom won in exchange for the prophet?s life ? Lagerkvist imagines a character and a future for him. After being set free the sullen ex-convict begins to furtively find out more about the crucified one whose followers call the Son of God. When Barabbas asks the simple harelipped girl what the prophet?s teaching was she can only say, ?Love one another.? Along his road Barabbas finds himself wanting to believe in the God of the disciples, but cannot. He can only say that he wants to believe.

I say Lagerkvist?s ?simple parable? without following it with ?but not simplistic.? I would like to have started with another book by this author, but Barabbas was all I could find. As someone who has little interest in Christian mythology the novel left me indifferent. It?s written in a plain, direct style and its ability to paint certain scenes has an economic effectiveness to it, but the book ultimately seemed little more than a bedtime story for earnest, middle-class Christian children. While some have found this novel affecting and even earthshattering, what prompts such responses is a mystery to me.