Last night I finished reading Iscariot, by Tosca Lee. Before I get to the review, I need to admit that I avoided purchasing this book for a while. After I bought it, I still shied away from reading it. The answer to the "Why?" is that I knew that when I had turned the last page, I would be a changed man. Y'see, it's always nice to stay in our comfort zones...
... and you can't do that with this novel
Iscariot opened my eyes to things I've been unable to see: the desperation of a people crying out for their Messiah. Poverty, need, and horror that are only abstract concepts to most of the West. And the brokenness of one man struggling to understand.
It's easy to vilify Judas. How often do we talk about him as Jesus' betrayer - worthy of the hanging that ended his life? In this novel we see a very different person. Instead of a villain I saw a victim, laboring under both the despair in his own life and the darkness of the world around him. The more I read this novel the easier it was to see this man who Jesus called 'friend'... and realize how often I take on the mantle of Judas.
Through Judas' eyes I was able to see clearly just how counter-cultural Jesus' Earthly mission was. I laughed, winced, and teared up along with Judas as he tried to fit Jesus into his own personal "Messiah mold"... and found something better.
In the end, I find myself hesitating to 'rate' this novel. Those who are looking for a great historical speculative fiction will find that here. But anyone who wants to read this book needs to be willing to be pushed beyond their comfort zones and have their preconceptions shattered.
Be warned: the view from the other side of the cover takes getting used to. :D
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