Gott Bewahre

by John Niven

Paperback

About the author

Born in Irvine, Ayrshire, Niven read English Literature at Glasgow University, graduating in 1991 with First Class honours. For the next ten years, he worked for a variety of record companies, including London Records and Independiente. He left the music industry to write full time in 2002 and published his debut novella Music from Big Pink in 2005 (Continuum Press). The novella was optioned for the screen by CC Films with a script has been written by English playwright Jez Butterworth. Niven's breakthrough novel Kill Your Friends is a satire of the music business, based on his brief career in A&R, during which he passed up the chance to sign Coldplay and Muse. The novel was published by William Heinemann in 2008 and achieved much acclaim, with Word magazine describing it as "possibly the best British Novel since Trainspotting". It has been translated into seven languages and was a bestseller in Britain and Germany. Niven has since published The Amateurs (2009), The Second Coming (2011), Cold Hands (2012) and Straight White Male (2013).

He also writes original screenplays with writing partner Nick Ball, the younger brother of British TV presenter Zoë Ball. His journalistic contributions to newspapers and magazines include a monthly column for Q magazine, entitled "London Kills Me". In 2009 Niven wrote a controversial article for The Independent newspaper where he attacked the media's largely complacent coverage of Michael Jackson's death.

Niven lives in Buckinghamshire with his fiancee and infant daughter. He has a teenage son from a previous marriage.

Reviews

[paperfish.reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️
„Gott bewahre“ von John Niven.

„Seid lieb“ mehr wollte Gott nicht von den Menschen. Wenn es nach ihm gegangen wäre, wären wir Dauer bekifft, glücklich und würden die Welt genießen. Statt dessen rennen zu zu viele dem Geld, Ruhm und Macht hinterher. Die Hölle ist reserviert für Rassisten, Kindersch*nder, religiöse Fanatiker, Kriegsverbrecher und geldgeile Machtgierer. Um die Botschaft wieder zu verbreiten, schickt er Jesus nochmal auf die Erde. Warum er dabei ausgerechnet in einer Casting Show landet und warum es Gott nicht interessiert, ob ihr an ihn glaubt, müsst ihr selbst lesen.

Lässt sich gut weglesen und ist in seiner Gesellschaftskritik immer noch relevant. Die Botschaft „Seid lieb“ ist richtig gut getroffen.

ABER: Sehr harte Sprache, sehr explizite, brutale Bildbeschreibung und das reproduzieren von N*gg*, Z-Wort, Schw*cht*l und einigen anderen Begriffen muss man abkönnen und Hinterfragen.