In just 346 words, the gospel according to Jeffrey Archer...
FOR a novelist as prolific as Jeffrey Archer, his latest piece of prose may at first appear rather a slim effort: After all, it is only 346 words long.
But, as its title The Son Of God suggests, it still manages to have a plot as intriguing as any of his bestsellers – and a subject arguably more profound than anything he has ever tackled before.
It tells the story of Jesus Christ from birth to crucifixion and beyond, effectively a reworking of the Bible’s New Testament in ten pithy paragraphs.
What’s more, it depicts Jesus as the manager of a football team called The Disciples – ‘not one of them a star, in fact the twelfth man rather let the side down by accepting a transfer fee of thirty pieces of silver to play for the opposition’ – that ends up being relegated.
In what might be seen as a parable for our times, Archer takes a sideswipe at shallow 21st-century notions of fame and poses the question how, without recourse to focus groups, advertising gurus, spin doctors or social media, and with ‘no box sets recording any of his miracles’, Jesus is ‘still the best-known celebrity on earth’ more than 2,000 years after his death.
The former British MP, 78, has donated the story to Cancer Research UK and it is printed inside one of their charity Christmas cards this year.
It is a cause close to his heart. He had prostate cancer in 2013 and has since bravely talked about being rendered impotent by the surgery he had to treat it and his wife Mary, 73, overcame a form of bladder cancer in 2011.
He said: ‘I wanted to write a piece that would not only appeal to my generation, but I hoped would inspire a younger generation, obsessed with football and celebrity. It took me several drafts before I’d completed the final version.’
As for what drove him to write it in the first place, Archer recalled a ‘piece of prose that had been written in the 17th century’ which he saw when he attended a carol concert at St Michael’s Church in Belgravia, London, last year.
He said: ‘It inspired me to want to write a modern version. I was delighted when Cancer Research UK chose the text for one of their Christmas cards, not least because my wife was successfully treated for bladder cancer some years ago, while I have fully recovered from prostate cancer.
‘Cancer affects the lives of so many, as Mary and I are so aware, and is particularly poignant at this time of year, which is all about spending valuable time with your family.’
Archer has written 35 books, including works of non-fiction such as the three volumes of prison diaries following his 2001 conviction for perjury and perverting the course of justice, and they have sold 275million copies.
He has shown an enthusiasm for biblical themes before, titling one of his novels Kane And Abel – an echo of the sons of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, from the book of Genesis.
His latest novel, Heads You Win, was published this month.
The £3.99 (€4.50) card depicts a gold and white nativity scene on its cover.
Archer is donating all profits from this Christmas card to Cancer Research UK.
He has been invited by the charity to read The Son Of God for the first time at their Carol Concert at St Mary’s Marylebone in London on December 19.
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