Only Begotten Daughter

( 4 )

Overview

Call it a miracle or an accident at the sperm bank. But Julie Katz, the half-sister of Jesus, has been born to a celibate father. Soon poor Julie is tempted by the Devil and challenged by neo-Christian zealots-and that’s just the beginning of her fantastic odyssey through Hell, a seceded New Jersey, and her own confused soul. Winner of a 1991 World Fantasy Award.

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More About This Book

Overview

Call it a miracle or an accident at the sperm bank. But Julie Katz, the half-sister of Jesus, has been born to a celibate father. Soon poor Julie is tempted by the Devil and challenged by neo-Christian zealots-and that’s just the beginning of her fantastic odyssey through Hell, a seceded New Jersey, and her own confused soul. Winner of a 1991 World Fantasy Award.

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Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
Highly imaginative , funny and irreverent, this off-beat fantasy recounts the life, death and rebirth of Julie Katz, daughter of God. In 1974, Murray Jacob Katz, a celibate Jewish recluse living in Atlantic City, N.J., gives birth to a child by inverse parthenogenesis at the Preservation Institute. He steals the fetus shortly before the place is blown up by the followers of the pastor of the First Ocean City Church of Saint John's Vision, the Reverend Billy Milk, who is preparing for the Second Coming by establishing the criteria described in Revelations. As Julie grows up, searching for her mother (God), she early demonstrates miraculous powers. Fearful, Murray forbids her to perform further miracles. Meanwhile, the Devil tries to whip up Milk and his followers for a religious crusade. Later, he takes Julie as an honored guest to Hell, where she meets her brother Jesus succoring the sinners. After being stripped of her powers, she returns to the world in the year 2012, when Milk has set up New Jersey as a theocracy and her disciples have created an underground religion. Morrow ( This Is the Way the World Ends ) has penned a lively, ironic, often raunchy gospel. ( Feb. )
Library Journal
An accident--or a miracle--in a New Jersey sperm bank results in the ``virgin birth'' of Julie Katz, a young woman with the power to perform miracles and a healthy fear of ending up like her older brother, crucified long ago for claiming to be the ``Son of God.'' Modern theology falls prey to Morrow's ( This Is the Way the World Ends ) satirical arsenal in this irreverently humorous, fundamentally serious novel reminiscent of the works of Philip K. Dick. Recommended.
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780156002431
  • Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
  • Publication date: 2/28/1996
  • Series: Harvest Book Series
  • Edition description: Reprint
  • Pages: 314
  • Sales rank: 627,448
  • Product dimensions: 0.70 (w) x 8.00 (h) x 5.25 (d)

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 5
( 4 )
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Sort by: Showing all of 4 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted February 12, 2004

    disturbing, but a must-read

    this is one of the books that has changed my life (others including Still Life with Woodpecker by Tom Robbins and The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand). when i think about rereading it, i remember the disturbing aspects of the book and am hesitant to put myself through that again, but i would be a poorer man for not having read it the first time. while being disturbing, it's also quite funny and has provoked me to think thoughts that have become cornerstones of my personal belief system. what better thing could any book do?

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  • Anonymous

    Posted September 26, 2001

    Engaging

    Morrow adds an outstanding twist to views and assumptions on faith delivered with an almost self-mocking ironic narrative. This has the same tongue-in-cheek story telling as Catch 22 and Adam's Hitchhiker Series. A unique slant to the 'why am I here?' debate. Imagingative and makes you think.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted May 24, 2001

    Morrow almost single-handedly defines modern lit

    James Morrow seems to almost casually invite his readers to question their beliefs in antique religions while simultaniously encouraging people not to jump on the modern day bandwagon of idiotically bashing them. He finds wisdome where others see nothing. His characters are touching and memorable. His ideas are the stuff of pure epiphany and most importantly his stories are engaging, fun and enlightening.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 14, 2008

    No text was provided for this review.

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