The Life of Our Lord: Written for His Children During the Years 1846 to 1849

Written by Charles Dickens

Narrated by David Aikman

"I am very anxious that you should know something about the history of Jesus Christ. For everyone ought to know about him. No one ever lived who was so good, so kind, so gentle, and so sorry for all people who did wrong or were in any way ill or miserable, as He was."- Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens wrote The Life of Our Lord around the same time he was finishing David Copperfield, but to listeners raised on a diet of Dickensian wit and indignation, his rendering of Jesus' life may come as something of a surprise.

Dickens approaches his subject with simple reverence, retelling the New Testament in a manner suitable for young children - who were, in fact, his only intended audience. Originally written for his own children, it wasn't until the death of Dickens' last living son that the manuscript was finally published in 1934.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Oasis Audio
• Release date: Oct 1, 2010
• ISBN: 9781608147632

Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English writer and social critic. Regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era, Dickens had a prolific collection of works including fifteen novels, five novellas, and hundreds of short stories and articles. The term “cliffhanger endings” was created because of his practice of ending his serial short stories with drama and suspense. Dickens’ political and social beliefs heavily shaped his literary work. He argued against capitalist beliefs, and advocated for children’s rights, education, and other social reforms. Dickens advocacy for such causes is apparent in his empathetic portrayal of lower classes in his famous works, such as The Christmas Carol and Hard Times.

Reviews for The Life of Our Lord

[tkcs-3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a nice book to read each year as a reminder of the reason for the Christmas season.

[scheibe_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I think that Dickens misses the whole point of the life of Christ. He defines Christianity as doing your best to earn God's forgiveness. While I agree that it is good, noble, right, etc. to be kind to others, that is not the essential component to Christianity. I also was struck with what appeared to be antisemitism (Jesus vs. the Jews). That idea ignores the fact that Jesus and his 12 disciples were Jews themselves.

[wktarin · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Diluted by the re-telling.

[bogopea · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A sweet, sweet story. I can picture his children at his knees while DIckens reads this to them.