Glory

Christs nemesis Judas Iscariot remains a shadowy figure in the four canonical gospels, which give contradictory reasons for why this rogue disciple betrays Christ. But how would Judas himself explain his motives? In Glory, Italian modernist Giuseppe Bertos final novel, Judas finally tells his side of the story. From his perspective, Jesus is the betrayer, a would-be political activist and social reformer who fails to live up to his promises. And by fulfilling his predestined role in the drama of Christs death and resurrection, Judas himself is partly responsible for humanitys salvation, enabling them to be redeemed by Christs sacrifice. As the novel probes into the psychological motivations behind his rejection of Jesus authority, Judas emerges as a compelling conflicted character, a man who seeks to have agency even when he knows his actions are being scripted by a higher power. Through Judass searing tortured monologues, this late masterpiece from one of Italys greatest writers investigates deep questions about the nature of faith, rebellion, fate, and free will.