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No hell below us?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Anthony C. Winkler’s new novel, “The Duppy,” is one ramshackle, enjoyable poke in the eye. It’s not for people who might have the proverbial stick up the posterior (who, me? says everyone), particularly those who cherish a traditional Baptist view of heaven and hell.
Winkler is a white Jamaican who now lives in Atlanta. In “The Duppy,” the narrator, a black Jamaican, dies in the first sentence, goes to heaven, and finds out it’s nothing like what he had been led to believe. Cribbing from my own review, which ran on Sunday: If on Earth you couldn’t get enough sex, in heaven you get all you want. (When it comes to ribald sex scenes in the afterlife written in Jamaican patois, it’s a safe bet that no novel can touch “The Duppy.”)
But if you were an uptight person who liked to tut-tut over people who didn’t follow your set of rules, in heaven you can continue to tut-tut all you want. Unfortunately for those folks, though, the God in “The Duppy” didn’t really make all those rules. He’s a much more “Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez” kind of deity.
There is no hell in Winkler’s afterlife, which really ticks off the people who were good on earth out of fear of hell. “All the good I’d tried so hard to do in my life meant nothing!” shouts one woman in frustration. “All the Girl Scout cookies I sold! The blood drives I organized! … The no-sex-on-Sunday rule I put my poor husband through.”
“The Duppy” is a good time, and I would hazard a guess that Winkler’s appearance here tonight will be, too. He will read and sign “The Duppy” at 7:30 tonight at Wordsmiths Books, 141 E. Trinity Place, Decatur.
Permalink | Comments (12) | Categories: Books
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By Anne
March 13, 2008 2:55 PM | Link to this
Having been raised Southern Baptist, I absolutely love books like this. Someone gave me a copy of Christopher Moore’s Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Jesus’ Childhood Friend and I laughed so hard I cried! I love when writers take something like heaven or hell or whatever “serious” topic they can and give us a different perspective! Especially one that people consider irreverent. I look forward to picking up a copy as soon as I can. If there are any other books in a similar vein, that can be recommended, please do so! My “to read” list has grown so much since reading your reviews, Phil and all the posts after them.
By ATL MANDINGO
March 13, 2008 2:56 PM | Link to this
hey
By Kat
March 13, 2008 4:25 PM | Link to this
Anne: we’ve led parallel lives! Lamb was about the most sacriligeous, outrageous thing I’ve ever read, and also one of the funniest and most insightful. I might have to try The Duppy.
By Fred
March 13, 2008 4:36 PM | Link to this
You’ve got it! Winkler’s novel is a “Ramshakle”. Remember the Russian Cosmonaut who said he looked all around him in space but did not see God? Dr. W.A. Criswell (longtime Pastor of Dallas First Baptist Church) said, “If you will take off that space suit and step outside you will see God”. As for ATL Mandingo, Being ‘Raised’ a Southern Baptist is not that important. A lot of people join the church but haven’t joined Jesus. For people who are non-believers, the Bible doesn’t mean a lot to them, But, if you read Matthew 5:22 ; Luke 16:23 ; and Revelation 20:14, and ACCEPT the Word of God, you can know that there is a Hell. As for Winkler’s ‘afterlife’, you don’t get to Heaven or escape Hell by doing good. You miss Heaven and end up in Hell by “REJECTING JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR PERSONAL SAVIOR”
By Anne
March 13, 2008 4:50 PM | Link to this
I hope I didn’t get things off track by mentioning my Southern Baptist upbringing. It wasn’t meant to be referenced as a bad thing, I’ve just realized as I’ve grown that there is more to religion and spirituality than what I was taught within my church. With that being said, I believe that humor existed back then as now and we have to be able to laugh at someone taking a poke at a new way of looking at something. I enjoy books like Lamb and look forward to this one as well. Kat - I have to agree with you! Just picturing Jesus as a child with a lizard hanging out of his mouth sends me into fits, even now!!!
By Kate
March 13, 2008 4:53 PM | Link to this
Fun! I’m looking forward to going, ramshackle and all.
See ya there, Fred? :)
By Doubting Jonny
March 13, 2008 5:07 PM | Link to this
What could we ever do that would cause God the Father to say “this sin nullifies what my beloved Son did on the cross?”
I don’t know about heaven and hell, though I do aspire to the former, but as a Christian I have a difficult time reconciling Jesus dying on the cross for all the sins of man and us interpreting that as meaning there are some exceptions as to what sins were forgiven. Either Jesus died on the cross for our sins or he did not. Jesus even forgave those that killed him. “Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do.”
Murderers forgiven, saved by the blood of Christ. And we mere mortals, specks of dust inhabiting a mote of dust in a seemingly inconsequential solar system deign to think that Jesus had some exceptions in mind when he died for all the sins of man and he didn’t tell us of them?
“Murder is okay because I just forgave these Romans but sex on Sunday is gonna make you burn!”
Huh? Jesus didn’t say that! Nor did he make exceptions.
This book is not as controversial as one would think if one reads The New Testament, the Daddy of controversial books.
By LeftWingLoon
March 13, 2008 5:21 PM | Link to this
Yeah, it’s easy to pick on Christians. Bet you don’t have the balls to mock Muslims belief in 72 virgins after death.
By CITN Member
March 13, 2008 5:23 PM | Link to this
I definitely recommend a blog to you all that you would DEFINITELY enjoy. It is by Bishop Jim Earl Swilley at Church In The Now in Conyers(bloginthenow.blogspot.com). Doubting Johnny, are you a member of CITN? If not, you should be…. Makes perfect sense to me, your observations. I, too, will find The Duppy a great read….
By RUChinaDoll
March 13, 2008 5:35 PM | Link to this
I see a trend here - I too am Southern Baptist and adore Lamb as one of my most favorite books of all time. I recommend it to everyone. I am checking out Duppy asap!
By RUChinaDoll
March 13, 2008 5:37 PM | Link to this
PS - Jesus reviving the lizard by sticking it in his mouth is priceless!
By kam
March 13, 2008 5:47 PM | Link to this
honest question to those who profess belief in Jesus. why does Jesus talk about hell if there isn’t one?
bewildered in babylon