Novelist and podcast host Andrew Klavan has brought us fiction in the form of fantasy, crime investigation, drama, sci-fi action, and conspiracy thrillers. This time, he takes on a nonfiction journey of a deeper meaning of the Gospels with The Truth and Beauty: How the Lives and Works of England’s Greatest Poets Point the Way to a Deeper Understanding of the Words of Jesus.

The Amazon synopsis explains,

“Andrew Klavan believed what he read in the Gospels, but he often struggled to understand what Jesus really meant. So he began a journey of wrestling with the beautiful and often strange words of Jesus.

He learned Greek in order to read the Gospels in their original languages, and he vowed to set aside any preconceptions about what the Scriptures say. But it wasn’t until he began exploring how some of history’s greatest writers wrestled with the same issues we confront today–political upheaval, rejection of social norms, growing disbelief in God–that he found a new way of understanding what Jesus meant.”

An ongoing debate I have with Klavan is his thoughts on comic book heroes and here again, he seems to prove me right. From his very brief reflections in this book, I wonder if the claims that he used to read them are true. I doubt he has read one in a while judging from his very incorrect description of them. With that out of the way, we can move on to the meat.

Klavan is truly a master of diction and the way he describes his journey of studying the Gospels through the eyes of the Great English Romantics is nothing short of scholastic. In his descriptions of William Wordsworth, Mary Shelley, and many others, we see how they described the story and words of Christ and how they affected the author. It is an intriguing study and one that you will not soon forget. I highly recommend grabbing a copy not only to hear about Klavan’s journey, but many new resources to explore in the great classics.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. Tell me if there is a comic book, movie, or novel you would like me to review. While you are at it, check out my book highlights Contagious Faith by Mark Mittelberg and Street-Level Apologetics by Vocab Malone. Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more posts like this one.

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In full disclosure, I previously worked with Andrew Klavan on his podcast and even made an appearance.