My Name Was Judas - Softcover

We all know the story of Jesus told by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, but what about the version according to Judas? Judas's name became synonymous with betrayer, but is that how he saw it himself? In this witty, original and teasingly controversial version, recounted some forty years after the death of Jesus, Judas finally tells the story as he remembers it. Looking back on his childhood and youth from an old age the gospel writers denied him, Judas recalls his friendship with Jesus; their schooling together; their families; the people who would go on to be disciples and followers; their journeys together and their dealings with the powers of Rome and the Temple. His is a story of friendship and rivalry, of a time of uncertainty and enquiry, a testing of belief, endurance and loyalty. With his richly painted backdrop of ancient Palestine, Stead goes beyond the boundaries of the story known to us all and convincingly enters the mind of one of its key players. This bold novel, with its wonderfully clear narrative prose, is fresh, provocative and compelling.

C.K. Stead was Professor of English at the University of Auckland until 1986. In addition to many prizes and shortlistings for major awards, he was awarded the CBE for services to New Zealand literature in 1984. He has published ten volumes of poetry, two volumes of stories and several works of criticism, and edited the Penguin Modern Classics Letters and the Journals of Katherine Mansfield. This is his eleventh novel.