When thirty-something Marie jilts her boring boyfriend at the altar she wonders if life can get any worse. So when a handsome carpenter comes round to work on the roof, she realises she has nothing to lose by asking him out. Even his bizarre assertions that he is Jesus aren’t enough to put Marie off – her biological clock is ticking, and it’s time to settle down.
Meanwhile, Satan (a dead ringer for George Clooney) is on the prowl, recruiting horsemen for next week’s Armageddon, scheduled for Tuesday, and Archangel Gabriel has discovered the pleasures of the flesh and is off on a sex marathon. Things are looking grim. Fortunately, Marie is dating the son of God – maybe, just maybe, he can get things straightened out.
Provocative and blasphemous (with added pizza), Apocalypse Next Tuesday is a book full of surprises. Wonderfully light and witty it will keep you laughing from the first page to the last.
David Safier is a German writer and novelist. He wrote the television series Berlin, Berlin for which he was awarded the Adolf Grimme Award in 2003. Berlin, Berlin also won an International Emmy Award for best comedy in 2004. He has written four novels, Mieses Karma and Jesus liebt mich, which together sold two million copies, Plötzlich Shakespeare and Happy Family.
Apocalypse Next Tuesday by David Safier is a light and fun novel with a nice balance between
• faith, • the eternal fight between Good and Evil, • the significance of free will, • difficult situations and decisions, • lighthearted humor, • and a delicate romance.
Marie is about to marry her fiancé, Sven, but she realizes that although she loves him, it is not enough for a lifetime. Marie leaves him at the altar, and moves back to her parents’ house, where she meets Jeshua who works there as a carpenter.
Jeshua is actually Jesus, and he is here on Earth to save humanity again. Marie slowly falls for him, and while she helps him to enjoy the modern world’s investments, like pizza, karaoke, and salsa dance, she has to face not only her pissed off and rude ex-fiancé, but her sister’s cancer, her father’s young, new girlfriend, her mother’s psychoanalyses and new love interest, who is actually the Archangel Gabriel, and finally the Last Judgement.
The story is partly told from Marie’s point of view, in first person, partly from the viewpoints of the Archangel Gabriel and Satan, in third person. I really enjoyed the comic strips by Marie’s sister, Kate.
Apocalypse Next Tuesday is a very entertaining read with thought-provoking ideas, and lots of situation comedy.
Marien elämässä tapahtuu paljon asioita, kuten sulhasen jättäminen alttarille ja isän uuden parikymppisen tyttöystävän kohtaaminen. Yllättävintä lienee kuitenkin ihastuminen puuseppään, joka saattuu olemaan toisen tulemisen tehnyt Jeesus. Tuomiopäivä nimittäin on tulossa varsin nopealla aikataululla, ja kuvioissa pyörivät myös Saatana ja Marien äidin kanssa heilasteleva arkkienkeli Gabriel.
Kirja oli absurdissa lähtökohdassaan hyvinkin viihdyttävä. Olisin kuitenkin kaivannut ehkä vähän syvempää otetta, sillä kevyessä kirjassa välteltiin kaikkia suurempia kysymyksiä, mikä oli lähtökohtaan nähden yllättävää. Vaikka puitteet olivat loistavat, ei höttöinen tarina saanut niistä ihan kaikkea irti. Huumoriarvo oli kuitenki ainakin hetkittäin korkea.
Enough factoids about fundamentalist Christianity and knowledge of Gnostic texts and superfluous legends with some mix of details from Jesus Christ Superstar to seem edgy; the plot falls flat and predictable when the author deviates little from the biblical text except to be provocative. Ultimately, the gimmick wears off quickly and the plot leaves something to be desired. I never really cared about any of the characters and his female character read like someone straight out of Twilight. Really boring, shallow and trivial biblical themes, ultimately boring and uninspired characters.
Safierin edellinen kirja jonka luin taisi olla uudelleensyntymästä - eli niinkuin buddismia. Tässä taas Jeesus tulee uudelleen maanpäälle, hän haluaa elää normaalia elämää pari päivää ennen tuomiopäivää. Hän törmää naiseen jonka elämä on ihan kaaosta, hän on juuri jättänyt miehen alttarille ja joutunut muuttamaan isänsä ja tämän postimyyntimorsiamen luo, siskokin on kuvioissa ja tämän aivokasvain on voinut aktivoitua uudelleen. Eli kaikki on ihan perseestä. Mitä tapahtuu kun näihin kuvioihin heitetään Jeesus, Jumala ja paholainen?
It started out strong, but I did t enjoy the last third of the book. The protagonist became trope of herself and the humor got tired. It was funny and a quick read.
Admittedly I wasn't aware of this novel before I was kindly contacted by the publisher with the question if I would like a copy for review, but when I hit the line in the above blurb that described Satan as a dead-ringer for George Clooney I was sold. So as soon as the now hotly anticipated novel made its way into my hands, I started reading it and I didn't stop until I was finished. Partly because it was short, but mainly because it was that good.
Apocalypse Next Tuesday takes characters from religion and propels them into contemporary times, inexplicably powers and all, and makes it work. You don't have to be a religious expert to understand what is going on though. Hints back to biblical times and fables referenced within the novel are all explained, so even the most atheistic of readers will not get confused by a bush suddenly bursting into flames (to name but one example).
And despite the heavy religious theme running throughout the story (I say 'despite' because it could wrongly give prospective readers the impression that this is a bit of dry reading), this novel is very, very funny. With Satan favouring his looks as either George Clooney or Alicia Keys, and God making an appearance in the form of Emma Thompson serving a cup of tea whilst in an English country house (the epitome of Britishness), you know you're in for a humorous ride.
Another reason why I really enjoyed this is because it was such a quick read. I finished it in about two hours, which made it a welcome change from the daunting bulky novels weighing down my to-read pile. It also makes it ideal if you want to take a brief break from such an intense and vast volume by turning to a lighter book (literally and figuratively). The language used is simplistic, which added to the novel being an easy read, and with the story interspersed with newspaper style comics you'd almost assume this is a children's book. Though filled with grown-up themes and prone to taking the mickey out of religion, this is very much a novel aimed at adults.
Apocalypse Next Tuesday is one of the most bizarre yet strangely alluring books I've ever read. Don't let the fantastical take on the biblical story fool you into thinking that this is just a wild ride on a satirical roller-coaster, because there is also an incredibly good story within the novel. It's about love, family and mortality just as much as it is about fancying a hot carpenter who looks like a Bee Gee and can walk on water.
The description in the blurb compares this to Life of Brian crossed with Notting Hill, but I would say it was more like Bridget Jones’ Diary crossed with Good Omens, crossed with Bedazzled.
The story follows Marie, a young adult who is struggling with all aspects of her life – romance, friendship, career, family relationships and religion… she doesn’t believe in God, or Jesus or anything else you might find in the Bible. Which makes it awkward when she gets a massive crush on Jesus. Especially as he’s only back to do his bit for the Apocalypse. Which will be next Tuesday, if all goes according to plan.
Marie is the least likely saviour’s girlfriend material you can imagine, as not only does she not believe in Him, but her entire thought-processes seem to revolve around judging other people’s love lives and obsessing over snogging Jesus and ogling his rear. She does manage to spare a little time in her busy lust-and-envy schedule for worrying about her beloved sister Kata’s health and her reluctant acceptance of the Messiah in her life does lead to her slowly re-evaluating her priorities in an attempt to be a Biblically-approved better person.
In between the rom-com shenanigans, there is some light exploration of morality, faith, and the importance of free will via Marie’s very modern and understandable struggle to reconcile traditional Christian stories and rituals with her world of salsa dancing, takeaways and Mel Gibson films.
The most touching aspect of the story was the relationship between sisters Kata and Marie, highlighted with Kata’s mini “Sisters” comic strip throughout, which was absolutely wonderful and my favourite part of the book. As an older sister myself, I definitely related to Kata and her more grounded and rational approach to life and was sending her the atheist equivalent of ‘thoughts and prayers’ in the health challenges she faced.
If you’ve always wanted to see Bridget Jones flirt with Jesus, bicker with the Angel Gabriel, face off with Satan and sip lattes with God-as-Emma-Thompson-in-an-Austen-adaptation, then this is the light-hearted, satirically religious romp for you. Personally, I’d have to stick with Terry Pratchett’s version of the apocalypse that gives us the saviour as ‘Just William’ and friends, with a stick and a small dog, or Robert Rankin’s apocalyptic capitalism, foiled by two unlikely lads with a fondness for drinking pints of Large at the Flying Swan. Both are full of humour and hijinks, but not quite as silly or as obsessed with Jesus’ bum.
Interesting (and unusual) storyline, funny, likeable characters, & taught me a little bit about religion. Glad I picked it up randomly in the library - mainly because of the intriguing blurb which most books don’t have nowadays (petition to bring back blurbs! Bun the review quotes!!)
Satan is George Clooney. The Angel Gabriel is an old priest. Jesus is a Carpenter (That's not really new). And Death is.....
This is a genuinely funny book! The humour in the book is witty and hilarious, something I wasn't expecting from a German! (I know, stereotypical statement. I apologise)
You don't really see books about Romance and Love, with all the awkwardness that comes with it, combined with the idea that the world is going to end, the horsemen will ride across the earth and the people on earth shall be judged.
Underneath the hilarious humour and the overtly Christian motifs, this is a novel that deals with the concepts of Free-will vs Destiny, Good and Evil, Faith, Life (In all it's complicated forms) and Death.
The Basic story is a middle-ish age woman leaves her fiancée at the alter, because she realises she doesn't love him. Only for a few days later to fall in love with Jesus. She tries to deal with woo-ing Jesus, living at home with her Dad and newly married step-mother (who's younger than her), her sharp witted sister, her mother, the angel Gabriel as her priest and her (now vengeful) ex-fiancée who does go a bit Norman Bates with her at point. Oh, and the Apocalypse is scheduled to happen.
The novel frequently swaps from the Marie (the narrators) perspective to that of the "supernatural" perspective. This is mainly split between Gabriel's view to that of Satan. All while in-dispersed with cartoon drawn by the narrators sister.
I really enjoyed this book. It's humorous, engaging and does cause you to think about the subjects raised through the discussions within the book.
Marie's life is not going as she planned. Now in her mid-thirties and working a dead-end job in the small German town of Malente, she finds herself back living with her dad after leaving the only man who will probably ever want to marry her at the altar. On top of that her mum has hooked up with the local Reverend and her dad has fallen in love with a 25-year old internet bride from Belarus.
Just as she is resigning herself to remaining in her childhood room for the rest of her days the calm, kind and very handsome Joshua walks into her life. Little does she know that her new crush is actually Jesus and he is on a divine mission before the Judgement Day Armageddon, which is scheduled for next week. Meanwhile Satan, disguised as George Clooney, is busy recruiting the four horsemen of the apocalypse and he soon discovers the small town has a surprising amount of suitable candidates. Will Marie be able to get a date with the hunky carpenter before the end of the world or will God scupper her plans?
This is a highly imaginative and very funny story from the popular German writer David Safier. It has been perfectly translated and the author's dry humour jumps out from every page. The flawed protagonist is endearing, exacerbating and completely believable, even when dealing with unbelievable situations. A comedic look at human relationships, life values and love that will leave you smiling.
I read the English version of this book, titled "Apocalypse Next Tuesday".
Apocalypse Next Tuesday/Jesus Loves Me, was not the book I expected. I thought that the Apocalypse may have played a bigger element to the story than it actually did. But instead it was invested more in a very thorough and well planned build up than the actual event itself. (I'll admit it, I was looking forward to a little hell fire). Considering the blurb on the back on the copy I have summerises most of the novel on one page.
But overall I enjoyed the style and direction of the book, and felt invested in the characters and their stories. Even the more biblical elements. The sketches that were in my version of the novel were lovely just to break up the text a little. Marie’s relationships with the other characters were definitely what made me want to read this story, I loved how her family were written and was invested in her interactions with Joshua/Jesus.
My reasoning for only giving it 3 stars is the fact that it took me a long time to read, despite not being a really large book. So it didn’t completely hook me in the way some novels do.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
David Safier has written a wonderful novel. I especially loved the comic strips throughout the book and how they complimented the story. The novel engaged me from the beginning, the writing style flowing easily and a nice pace to events. No slow build ups here!
Funny, cute and ironic, are the three words I'd use to describe this novel. It brought a smile to my face whilst reading. The characters were very realistic as well, with genuine faults and insecurities that were played out throughout the novel. The ending was unexpected which was a pleasent surprise, which I loved.
I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
I picked up this book because it sounded absolutely insane and I was not disappointed. It was so silly and fun and stupid. I liked the comics that were scattered throughout as well. However I think there have been some translation issues. There were so many typos and grammatical errors, and I am pretty sure that the translator got sarcasm confused with irony, so that whole running joke made no sense. Anyway, a bit of fun if you need a break from reading something serious. The end was predictable but that was part of the charm as no part of the story up until that point was what you would expect.
Funny, a little silly, great cheer me up read. It made me laugh, had a few surprises and I liked the way it ended. Great read for when you want something a little lighter but with enough substance not to feel like you've read it all before.
this book came to me free through Good Reads first reads.
Juoni oli tässä pääasiassa hahmoja unohtamatta, ja mielenkiintoinen tausta oli koko tarinalla. Pidin myös siitä, kuinka eri hahmojen valinnat vaikuttivat tapahtumiin myöhemmin, niin kuin elämässäkin on tapana käydä. Kirja tuntui jotenkin aika ronskilta, vaikken oikein tiedä miksi. Suosittelen, olisi saanut 5 tähteä, jos loppuhuipennusta olisi hieman hiottu.
I enjoyed reading this book. It was fun and light and the character of Jesus made me happy (because this is likely the way the historical Jesus would behave). I wasn't too into the slutshaming Marie subjected her stepmother to, but otherwise 'Apocalypse Next Tuesday' was a nice read.
On vaikea arvostella kirjaa, joka on yhtä aikaa hauska ja ihan älytön, nokkela ja epälooginen, hiomaton. Kevyttä ja nopeaa lukemista, mutta silti myös ajatuksia herättävä. Jokin näissä Safierin poskettomissa kirjoissa kiehtoo.
Luin aikaisemmat David Safierilta suomennetut teokset vuonna 2013 ja pidin molemmista. Tuomiopäivä ensi tiistaina jatkaa samalla hulvattoman sekopäisellä linjalla. Hörähtelin ääneen useaan otteeseen lukiessani.
Inhosin tätä kirjaa jo ensi sivuilta lähtien ja vain sinnikkyys sai kahlaamaan loppuun. Jos tämän piti olla hauska, niin minä näin tämän lähinnä kornina ja typeränä.