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The Messiah of Morris Avenue: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.06) - 217 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
In The Messiah of Morris Avenue, Tony Hendra—the acclaimed satirist and New York Times bestselling author of Father Joe—poses the question: would we recognize the messiah if he appeared today? And delivers, in the words of Frank McCourt, “just what the country needs now—a good dose of merriment in the face of crawthumping righteousness.” In the not so distant future, the tide of righteousness—in the form of executions, barking evangelists, tank-like SUVs, and a movie industry run entirely by the Christian right—has swept the nation. Aside from the non-white, the non-Christian, and the non-wealthy, all are believers. Among the skeptics is a washed-up journalist named Johnny Greco, who hears of a media-shy young man known as “Jay” roaming through ghettos, healing the sick, and tossing off miracles. Soft-spoken and shabbily dressed, Jay is an unlikely savior for this anxious and intolerant America. But as he makes his rounds, gathers followers, and makes furious enemies among the righteous powers that be, Johnny finds it harder and harder to doubt him.
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"This was SURPRISINGLY good - insightful, thoughtful, liberal, intuitive, subversive, and probably the first book I've ever read that made me think that someone REALLY has thought about life, the world, and Christianity and tried to figure out how they all fit together. Worth a read."
— treehugger (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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Father Joe is a many-layered memoir of a God-driven Englishman.... I could easiley have read the whole book in one sitting, but it's too rich, too powerful.... Like me, you might cherish this book so much you'll keep it on the shelf besides Saint Augustine, Saint Teresa of Avila, and Thomas Merton.
— Frank McCourt on Father Joe -
I picked up Father Joe intending to read just a couple of pages and found that I couldn't put it down until I'd finished it. The nature of a wise man, and the true nature of what wisdom feels like in action, are beautifully captured... The book's last episode brought unexpected tears to my weary eyes.
— Adam Gopnik on Father Joe -
“Extraordinay, luminescent, profound.... I beg you to read this book....we need Father Joe now.
— Andrew Sullivan, The New York Times Book Review on Father Joe
The Messiah of Morris Avenue Listener Reviews
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" this was a scary listen. I could see our future in this tale of politics by religion. "
— Ruth, 2/11/2014 -
" A Left Behind for Liberals. Neat concept, but turns out it's too much like Left Behind for conservatives. "
— Daniel, 1/27/2014 -
" Apparently, the new Jesus is this Guatemalan kid named Jose who lives in the Bronx and performs various miracles around the neighborhood, all while trying to avoid the public spotlight and the backlash of an avid Christian right. Pretty funny stuff. A little too political but entertaining at the very least. "
— Conchita, 1/22/2014 -
" The setting scarily resembles aspects of now and what could be if we don't change direction. Parts of this book are devestating...actually made me sick. Still, worthwhile, but hard to read. "
— Dawn, 1/8/2014 -
" I got a $10 library fine because of this book! "
— Alex, 12/25/2013 -
" This book is a little too over the top for me. A much better and more inspiring version is the Joshua series. I couldn't even finish the first 100 pages b/c it was too much. "
— TJ, 12/3/2013 -
" very clever and satirical and witty. Good play on words for popular slogans, movies, TV, etc. Ending is a bit disappointing. "
— Kelly, 11/19/2013 -
" One of the funniest books I've read in a long time, it's a marvelous satire of America in the 1990's. "
— David, 10/9/2013 -
" Readalike for Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet . "
— Kaite, 10/6/2013 -
" Interesting premise, but not that impressed after finishing it. "
— Sapphire, 9/29/2013 -
" Wow. I really liked the twists in this book. Theologically speaking, it's an interesting take on the story of Jesus' life, and it's vastly amusing in some places. I recommend this book, because I think we often need a reminder of what Jesus really stood for. Good read. "
— Yeva, 10/8/2012 -
" A prophetic book that grabs Christendom and shakes it violetnly at the neck. "
— Philip, 9/19/2012 -
" Excellent book! A new take on an old story. Loved it. Easy reading. "
— Tami, 6/23/2012 -
" Funny, thought-provoking allegory of the 2nd coming of Christ. "
— Mary, 6/11/2012 -
" Wow. Why do comedians write some of the most moving stuff? It doesn't have that extra oomph to put it over the edge into five-star territory, but Hendra's compassion, humanity and sympathy are what make this anti-fundamentalist passion play work. "
— Mjackman, 2/20/2012 -
" The satire of a modern America run by a theocratic government makes for a good setting for anyone to enjoy, and if you are religious, you will find the new appearance of Jesus (with contemporary language and new miracles that mirror the old) fascinating. "
— Kaye, 9/22/2011 -
" I liked the idea behind this book. Sadly, that was probably the best part. "
— Greg, 9/3/2011 -
" Half way through. The idea of what could happen if the religious right continues to gain power and influence is interesting, but it's a little like the text of a graphic novel. "
— Joanne, 5/30/2011 -
" darkly funny. unfortunately, not too far from reality "
— Steven, 5/2/2011 -
" All in all a very well done short novel. Hendra's narrative of titular messiah was a bit heavy-handed for my taste at times, but his vision of the fundamentalist theocratic dystopia that is just around the corner feels too dead-on for comfort. "
— Jack, 4/16/2011 -
" Picture an America controlled by the Christian Right where Jesus returns as an ugly Hispanic guy roaming the ghetto. That's the setting of this wonderful novel from Tony Hendra. <br/> <br/>It's a beautiful, funny, and poignant read that wholeheartedly recommend. "
— Matt, 3/23/2011 -
" All in all a very well done short novel. Hendra's narrative of titular messiah was a bit heavy-handed for my taste at times, but his vision of the fundamentalist theocratic dystopia that is just around the corner feels too dead-on for comfort. "
— Jack, 10/19/2010 -
" Wow. Why do comedians write some of the most moving stuff? It doesn't have that extra oomph to put it over the edge into five-star territory, but Hendra's compassion, humanity and sympathy are what make this anti-fundamentalist passion play work. "
— Mjackman, 9/10/2009 -
" I feel in love with the concept of this book. I started changing my tune when I started reading it. While the concept was fantastic, the characters are so under developed that unless you have the attention span of an speed addict, chances are you will find it about as boring as I did. "
— Nanalilly, 8/26/2009 -
" The satire of a modern America run by a theocratic government makes for a good setting for anyone to enjoy, and if you are religious, you will find the new appearance of Jesus (with contemporary language and new miracles that mirror the old) fascinating. "
— Kaye, 7/1/2009 -
" darkly funny. unfortunately, not too far from reality "
— Steven, 4/18/2009 -
" Funny, thought-provoking allegory of the 2nd coming of Christ. "
— Mary, 1/29/2009 -
" Half way through. The idea of what could happen if the religious right continues to gain power and influence is interesting, but it's a little like the text of a graphic novel. "
— Joanne, 7/16/2008 -
" A Left Behind for Liberals. Neat concept, but turns out it's too much like Left Behind for conservatives. "
— Daniel, 6/1/2008 -
" Readalike for <em><strong>Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet</strong>.</em> "
— Kaite, 4/20/2008 -
" very clever and satirical and witty. Good play on words for popular slogans, movies, TV, etc. Ending is a bit disappointing. "
— Kelly, 2/16/2008 -
" The setting scarily resembles aspects of now and what could be if we don't change direction. Parts of this book are devestating...actually made me sick. Still, worthwhile, but hard to read. "
— Dawn, 1/12/2008 -
" Excellent book! A new take on an old story. Loved it. Easy reading. "
— Tami, 9/6/2007
About Tony Hendra
Tony Hendra is an English satirist and writer who has worked mostly in the United States. Educated at St. Albans School (where he was a classmate of Stephen Hawking) and Cambridge University, he was a member of the Cambridge University Footlights revue in 1962, alongside John Cleese, Graham Chapman, and Tim Brooke-Taylor.
About John Bedford Lloyd
John Bedford Lloyd, Earphones Award–winning narrator, is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama, has appeared in many major motion pictures, including The Bourne Supremacy, Crossing Delancey, The Abyss, The Manchurian Candidate, and Philadelphia. His television credits include Suits, Pan Am, Law & Order, Spin City, and The West Wing.