Thursday, December 22, 2016

Book Review; The Immortal Nicholas: A Novel

The Immortal Nicholas, by Glenn Beck, Threshold Editions, New York, 2015.
Glenn Beck has written a fascinating story.  Agios had been embittered after the deaths of his wife and stillborn son.  But when his other young son passes away he is even more bitter.  He attempts to loss himself in drink, and is found by one of the wisemen, Caspar.  He by trade in an frankincense harvester, and has enough on her person, that Caspar is interested in hiring them to help them find more.  By circumstance, Agios is at the birth of Jesus, he hears the shepherd's story, and is hired, along with a new friend, who he adopts as his son, the deformed Krampus, who had been in a Roman galley ship.  They receive the assignment to follow Jesus, Joseph and Mary and keep them safe from a distance.  they accept, but in handling the job Agios causes the death of one of Herod's men searching for Jesus.  He buts the man in front of the sword of a younger guard, who kills him trying to kill Agios.
The return with Joseph and Jesus after Herod's death, but then lose track of Jesus.  However Agios encounters him at the well, in which Jesus promises living water.  He believes him in a way, and Agios drinks water from the well.  Krampus is in love with Jesus, and he and Agios begin following him again.  Agios hopes Jesus will heal Krampus as he has a heart condition.  Agios is there the night Jesus is crucified, he doesn't understand,  He is even more bitter, as he had sworn to protect Jesus; and failed.  Krampus passes away, and Agios decides to go with him, committing suicide.  However Agios drank the living water, and he has become immortal.  Now he needs to figure out what to do with his immortality.  He does not become Saint Nicholas for hundreds of years, after taking the name of a priest who brings Agios to the resurrected Christ, and also leads him to service to others.
I love the stories of Christmas, and this book retells this story in a very intriguing way.  It is very well done.  My only complaint are the few typos I cam across.

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