There is no light here at all! No light anywhere, from any direction! An absolute darkness, as cold as ice creeping through it, a darkness where he is alone - for they are never here, no soul here, no other humans, only the dead!
The dead! He is surrounded by the dead.
Everywhere, in every direction, in every corridor and hall, wherever he turns.
He sees, but where does he go? He doesn't know any way to take to get out again, to get out of here, from the kingdom of the dead...
The kingdom of the dead!... He was in the kingdom of the dead... He had applied it in the kingdom of the dead!
Filled with fear. A deep fear. Suddenly he moved, without guidance, in a frenzy, in any direction, feeling the invisible steps, in one corridor after another, trying to find a way out, a way out of the kingdom of the dead... He continued to grope in the void, there, helpless, desperate, asking his soul... Finally, he was walking hunched over through the corridors, clinging to the walls, the walls of death, which he would never get out of...
Finally, he felt a current of warm air rising from the ground, from the other world... He shook himself, half-awake, on the slippery floor, and climbed to be between the columns.
There he stretched out on the ground, rested, and raised his gaze to the dome of the dark sky.
Darkness everywhere. The sky as on the ground. Everywhere...
When Barabas walked the road back to the city, through the Via Appia at night, he felt a great loneliness. And this feeling was not because no one walked beside him or passed by him, but because he was alone in an endless night that falls on the ground on Fridays, alone in the heavens and the earth, alone between the living and the dead. It had always been like this, but he had only realized it now. He walked in the darkness as if he were buried, he walked there with the sadness on his distorted face, the sadness that was a trace of his father's blow. And in his suppressed chest hair, a coin of the slave was dangling and the name of God had been scratched from it. Yes, he was alone in the heavens and the earth.
He had drowned in himself, in his own kingdom of death. How could he get out? Only once, only once, he had united with another, but that was with an iron chain, and only. With nothing, only with an iron chain.
He heard his step fall on a rock on the road. Other than that, the silence was absolute, as if no one else existed in the whole world. From all sides, the darkness surrounded him. No light. No light anywhere. No stars in the sky, and everything was wild, a grave.
He breathed heavily, and the air was hot and dry. As if he was suffocating - or was he the one who was suffocating, the sick one, who had been struck by the plague of death down there? Death! It had always been inside him. It had always been inside him as long as he was alive. Death stalked him inside himself, in the dark recesses of his mind, and filled him with fear. And although he was old now and had no desire to live any longer, it still filled him with fear, too. Although he had wanted more... He had only wanted... No. No. No to die! No to die!

Is there a better quote expressing the horror of solitude, the loss of meaning, and the need for belonging and clinging to something more than this?

One of the novels that allows you, in just a few pages, to reflect on the weakness of man, especially the unfortunate and the unlucky... and gives it meaning...

The novel is about the events that took place after the release of Barabbas, who was set free instead of Jesus. It describes Barabbas' solitude, emptiness, and his search for the meaning of life.

It also presents a picture of the early days of Christianity, including the faith that the early Christians had and the anticipation of the coming of Christ among the simple people who awaited His appearance in their daily lives. In a way, it is a novel that talks about the power of faith/love and the harshness of emptiness.

This story offers a unique perspective on the historical events and the human experiences associated with them. It makes the reader think about the choices people make and the consequences they face.

The character of Barabbas serves as a foil to Jesus, highlighting the differences between their lives and the paths they chose. Overall, it is a thought-provoking and engaging novel that explores profound themes.

Barabbas is a truly pitiable soul. One can't help but feel sorry for him. Through no fault of his own, he becomes embroiled in one of the most momentous events in human history. His life is spared while Jesus is crucified. However, this so-called "resurrection" of Barabbas only serves to make his life more arduous. He is completely unprepared to grapple with all the profound metaphysical implications of this event. In fact, he is constitutionally incapable of understanding metaphysics. All he comprehends is the basic reality of life and the fact of death. He prefers to live simply because he fears death. But suddenly, he is thrust into a complex social web of metaphysical and religious subtleties that he simply cannot fathom. Yet, he must deal with it because there is no escape. He can't simply return to his previous life.

Barabbas's viewpoints are far from mature or sophisticated. He isn't exactly an atheist, as being an atheist requires grappling with God-issues. He is just a man with a simple, narrow, materialist view of life and a basic fear of death. The course of his life after being spared brings him into contact with believers, but he cannot bring himself to believe. Nevertheless, because he happened to be present at certain events in Jesus's life, he ends up strengthening the faith of others who didn't witness these things firsthand. Barabbas seems to tweak his stories slightly to please his audience. This could be seen as a commentary on the folly of those whose faith is strengthened by anecdotal evidence alone. But it also demonstrates the power of pure faith, regardless of its foundation. This is one of the major themes of the book: the contrast between faith and lack of faith and how each affects an individual's relationship with death. There is no definitive stance on the authenticity of Jesus as the Son of God or the claims of his followers. It is simply the story of a poor wretch who suddenly finds himself in a world that is beyond his comprehension.

Lagerkvist's spare and unadorned prose is the ideal medium for this subject matter. There is nothing superfluous in the text. This starkness casts everything written in a clear, desert-like light that easily penetrates the book/mind barrier with minimal distortion, thereby stimulating the maximum amount of thought and allowing for free contemplation.

Barabbas, the man who was released instead of Jesus Christ to be crucified, is a figure on the margins of history. Only this situation is mentioned about him. The questions in the story about religion and its history, and whether it is really religious hints that only the sincere understand or a long-term self-deception throughout history. His difficult questions for believers, their lack of understanding and belief, the anticipation of disappointment and the oppressed for the sincere who does not experience any betrayal. The change that befell him after seeing Christ, as if he was possessed by another spirit, his constant striving behind something he himself does not know, his restless spirit that finds no rest in faith or unbelief. The most important scene in the story when he gets lost in the cemeteries like a zombie, dark and always alone. He does not want this, he does not want to get lost in nothingness and oblivion alone.

In the end, the story does not win for a view, for all possibilities are equal for belief or unbelief. It is rather a matter of choice, perhaps for comfort in the last scene and the meeting between him and Saint Peter, who at the beginning of the story seemed like him, confused and wondering why what happened happened, but he chose belief and his heart was at peace.

It is a matter of choice or as Naguib Mahfouz said, "Thanks be to God who saved our existence from chaos in this world and from perdition in the afterlife."

On the margin of the story, there is one of them who described the slaves' conditions in the Roman Empire, so you know that this world does not need a sincere as much as it needs a pure to get rid of the shackles.

This is undoubtedly the best book I have ever read regarding faith or the absence thereof. The volume depicted here contains the translation that I perused.

Barabbas, a figure from the New Testament, holds a significant place in this story. In the scriptures, as the crowd gathers to witness the crucifixion of Jesus, they are given the choice of which prisoner to set free. Surprisingly, instead of Jesus, the crowd opts for Barabbas, whose crime remains somewhat ambiguous. He could have been a thief, a murderer, an agitator, or something else entirely. For the remainder of the novel, Barabbas finds himself in a state of turmoil. He is unable to embrace Christ wholeheartedly, yet he also cannot revert to his pre-Christian way of thinking. He is not necessarily condemned, but the fact that he was set free while Jesus was crucified in his place deeply disturbs him.

Undoubtedly, Barabbas represents the Everyman. I believe Lagerkvist presents him in this novel in a manner similar to how Everyman was presented in Medieval morality plays. Barabbas is the embodiment of the post-World-War-Two man, grappling with his conscience and longing for clarity that seems elusive.

The idea that underpins this book is truly brilliant. A man who has been sentenced to death by crucifixion is acquitted at the last minute, just like in Dostoevsky's works. However, his acquittal comes with a condition: another man must be crucified in his place. Oh, the guilt! But wait; the man who will be crucified in his place is Jesus Christ. Oh the guilt.

I mean, it's a 10/10 elevator pitch, although perhaps a bit too obvious. But Lagerkvist never takes the easy way out. That being said, and this could be an issue solely due to the translation, this book can be a total bore to read at times. And that's despite the sparse prose, frequent use of metaphor, and the kind of margins and line spacing you'd expect from a first-year student trying to make a 2000-word paper look like a 3000-word one. So why is it so boring? I have no idea (maybe it's the translation?). Still, the ending ties up quite neatly, and by the time you finish the book, you can't help but acknowledge (and appreciate) the equally troubling and necessary questions Lagerkvist has raised for those who are brave (or crazy) enough to admit they believe in something or someone.

In conclusion, while the book has its flaws, it also has some truly thought-provoking aspects that make it worth reading.

I’ve been desiring to read this book ever since I witnessed the film (1961) adapted from it, starring Anthony Quinn, during my boyhood.

Recently, when I had an opportunity to purchase a used copy of the translation of this book (the original being in Swedish), I seized the chance.

It is a slender book, and I just initiated reading it last night.

There was no problem. It was an effortless day’s reading, with several intervals.

Although I watched the movie many years ago, I recall the plot rather well.

To be honest, the movie presents a more concise story.

This is not astonishing, though, as the screenplay was assembled by the highly esteemed English playwright/screenwriter Christopher Fry.

The movie is not necessarily superior or inferior, but at times, the film progresses the main character from one phase of his life to the next with more logical connections to the plot development.

I did relish the book, but perhaps due to its brevity, it doesn’t truly offer more than the movie.

Barabbas is the first book of a five-volume novel series, a pentalogy (trilogy, tetralogy, pentalogy; it makes sense).

The next four are all even shorter, so I am taking them with me on an upcoming trip in approximately two weeks.

They will serve as excellent books for the forthcoming extremely long plane journey.

Essentially, this is a story that delves into the pathos of unbelief. In the final minutes of the authority of organized religion in the West, this book must have held a profound sense of personal significance for many sentimentally post-Christian academics. The first half of the book brings to mind kitschy Catholic art, lacking a certain depth and sophistication. However, it isn't until the second half that Lagerkvist's naïvist style undergoes a remarkable evolution, transforming into something that is clearly recognizable as Nobel-worthy. It serves as a sort of foil to Shusaku Endo's "Silence", which tackles the same questions in a more compelling and engaging manner. Nevertheless, this book remains well worth reading for anyone who is religiously inclined or finds themselves in a state of religious confusion. It offers unique perspectives and insights that can stimulate thought and reflection on the complex themes of faith and doubt.

A short story that is capable of introducing the reader to the character of Barabbas, the prisoner who was released and (Jesus of Nazareth) Jesus Christ peace be upon him was crucified instead of him. Through the story, one will also learn about an important and detailed period in the early emergence of Christianity, represented by the spiritual division among the adherents of the Christian religion despite the non-acceptance of their religious removal neither by the Romans nor by the Jews, who were the important faces of society at that time. The Christians were debating among themselves about their religion, arguing over the principles of Christ, and they were striving with their souls and choosing willingly - like any adherent of a new religion - the religion that is rejected and that must accept its repetition and passage no matter how great the danger. Barabbas was a difficult test not only for himself but for every Christian in that era. While he was entrenched in his doubts between faith in the prophethood of Christ and heresy in the evidence of his prophethood that he saw with his own eyes, his very name became a test for the hearts of the Christians. Could they apply the slogan of Christ (love one another) even with the man who was replaced by Christ on the cross? Does their faith in the principles of Christ change in their treatment of a friend from an enemy or is it the same in both cases? An enemy like Barabbas in this world, for he killed his father Elihu and also killed many people, and like their corpses, he stole and spread corruption on the earth! Would the Christians accept his repentance after a wavering faith that was conflicting within him? The prophethood of Christ was fulfilled that he would suffer and be killed for the sake of his followers and then rise again. His followers believe in the fate that awaits him as he informed them, but their loathing and rejection of Barabbas and their description of him as evil is a contradiction between the believer in the words of Christ about his fate and the follower of human nature to the point of ignorance in the condemnation of Barabbas!

The climax of the story's creativity:
The words of the Prophet of God as he is hanging on the cross and darkness blinds the eyes and opens the insights:
My God.. My God.. why have you forsaken me?
(Words that negate the perfection of divinity, for they are truly human words of doubt from the mouth of the Prophet. It will be difficult for the adherent of a new religion who is surely preaching it, and it is an invitation to reflection that I wished I had given it more space in the story)

The words of Barabbas as he is hanging on the cross and addressing the darkness that will receive his spirit:
To you I surrender my spirit..
(What prevailed in Barabbas at the end of his day? The good of tomorrow or its evil?)

Is there a percentage of doubt in every certainty no matter how strong it is? And is there certainty in the heart of every doubt?




This short story delves deep into the complex themes of faith, doubt, forgiveness, and the true meaning of following a religion. It presents the character of Barabbas as a symbol of the challenges and contradictions that early Christians faced. The story makes the reader question their own beliefs and values, and forces them to consider how they would respond in similar situations. The use of the words of Jesus and Barabbas on the cross adds a powerful and poignant element to the story, highlighting the contrast between their fates and the choices they made. Overall, this is a thought-provoking and engaging story that offers a unique perspective on an important period in history.

The story also explores the idea of the spiritual division among early Christians. Despite their shared belief in Jesus as the Messiah, they were divided over how to apply his teachings in their daily lives. This division led to arguments and debates, as well as a struggle to define what it meant to be a true Christian. The character of Barabbas serves as a test for the Christians, forcing them to confront their own prejudices and biases. Would they be able to forgive and accept a man who had committed such heinous crimes, or would they let their hatred and fear cloud their judgment?

In conclusion, this short story is a powerful and moving exploration of faith, doubt, and forgiveness. It offers a unique perspective on the early days of Christianity and the challenges that its adherents faced. The use of vivid language and powerful imagery brings the story to life, making it a memorable and thought-provoking read. Whether you are a Christian or not, this story has something to offer, as it forces us to question our own beliefs and values and consider how we would respond in the face of difficult choices.

After World War II, people suddenly became very interested in existentialism. This is understandable - after the Holocaust and a war with over 70 million deaths, there was a need to think about the meaning of life. In the world of literature, this immediately manifested itself in four Nobel Prizes for more or less existentialist writers (maybe more, to be honest, I don't quite have an overview of which of the Nobel laureates in that period can be called existentialists): Hermann Hesse, Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre and of course Pär Lagerkvist. What these four writers have in common (I think, I haven't read Sartre) is that they are primarily interested in ideas: literature as pure literature, language, does not play a major role. But除此之外, there is a rather large variation in quality: Camus writes quite well, Hesse is close to the worst I have read in my life - and I have otherwise read quite a lot of bad literature.
Unfortunately, Lagerkvist is closer to Hesse than Camus. While Camus is not only interested in his characters as expressions of ideas, but also as people, and also sometimes lets a little poetry find its way into his language, Lagerkvist is on Hesse's wagon when it comes to the lack of any sense of what makes literature literature.
Barabbas deals, as the title suggests, with Barabbas, the man who was pardoned instead of Jesus. We meet Barabbas on the day of Jesus' crucifixion and follow him in the many years afterwards, as he ponders what this strange man is to mean in his life. This is actually a quite fine starting point for a religious drama: Jesus is literally dead for Barabbas, but the question is then whether he is also dead for all others - whether he is the son of God.
Unfortunately, this question is the only thing Lagerkvist is interested in. The language and character portrayal are indifferent to him, as long as he can be allowed to ask big questions about Faith. This means that the sentences become annoyingly bad. Here, a woman tries to understand Barabbas' strange fits:
"But then she thought of it. And it was when by chance she heard that he had associated with the crazy people who believed in him who had been crucified when Barabbas himself was supposed to have been! Then it dawned on her! Of course it was that which made him special. That was of course the reason. They had of course filled him with their madness. Anyone could go completely crazy from associating with that kind of nuts. They thought that the crucified one was some kind of savior or whatever it was, who was going to help them in some way and give them everything they asked for, and he was also supposed to become king in Jerusalem and drive the beardless devils away, yes, she didn't know exactly what it was they taught and wasn't interested in that either, but they weren't right in the head, that everyone knew."
Lagerkvist would not be able to write a sentence without irritating filler words like "jo" and "vel", even if his life depended on it. The sentences are constantly pedagogically doubting with repetitions and insertions like "or whatever it was", there is never "not", but "not at all", "apparently" is one of the favorite words - in short, Barabbas is written in more or less the same language as one uses to talk to children, and it is also felt mostly like a children's book. One could object that the above quoted is indirect speech and therefore should be written like that, but firstly, an unusually large part of this novel is indirect speech, and secondly, even what is not indirect speech is also written like that - as if the narrator gets confused about his own story. In addition, the language is characterized by repetitions; the same sentence appears with small variations several times in a row:
"He speculated about which of the slaves could be Christians. [...] But he asked no one. He couldn't figure it out by asking if there was anyone who knew. It wouldn't have been that difficult. But that's not what he did."
Pär, please, help me poor stupid reader! I don't understand! Did Barabbas ask if anyone was Christian? I'm really in doubt! My text-analytical abilities are not sufficient for this, did Barabbas ask anyone if they were Christian? He could well have done that. Did he do it? Did he? Did he? Thank you, Pär, for answering my 4 questions, which were otherwise the same, each with 4 identical answers.
That Pär Lagerkvist writes from the assumption that the reader is an idiot is what it is. If he at least told a more or less story, it could more or less be forgiven. But none of the people seem real, and especially the women are as much paper figures as possible. They are literally either whores or madonnas - literally, because one woman is a whore, the other is the Virgin Mary and the third oscillates a little between the two without ever being in the least bit of a middle ground.
Well, fair enough, Lagerkvist is indifferent to language and characters and all the good things about literature, but are there at least some interesting existentialist questions being discussed? I don't think so, quite frankly. In the past almost 70 years, religious questions have become indifferent. Asking me if I believe in God is a bit like asking a peasant in the Middle Ages, just with the opposite sign: for the medieval peasant, God is a physical reality around him and doubt does not exist, and in the same way, but the opposite, it is absurd for me to even think about my relationship to religion: to be religious is so far outside my imagination that I can't even imagine considering it. Lagerkvist can of course not help this himself, but this is where his book could have been saved from being good literature: I also don't have much in common with Shakespeare's fictional world, but his plays are still great to read because they are good. And my own atheism does not stand in the way of enjoying an interesting theological discussion either, but with the emphasis on interesting. Is Jesus the son of God? and what is the meaning of life? are really boring questions that it will be difficult to get me interested in - unless one just puts the considerations in the head of a well-written, believable and 'rounded' fictional character. Unfortunately, Barabbas as a character is neither well-written, believable nor rounded - he is mostly just an excuse for Lagerkvist to be able to philosophize boringly in his children's language.
https://endnuenbogblog.blogspot.com/

There are already many beautiful and interesting reviews.

I just add one reflection: “Love one another”, an innovative idea that we take for granted, but which at the beginning of humanity was not so obvious and much less intellectualized, and which this book highlights with a strong realizing force.

This simple yet profound concept has the power to transform our relationships and our world.

In a society often characterized by division and conflict, the call to love one another stands as a radical and revolutionary message.

It challenges us to look beyond our differences and see the inherent worth and dignity in every person.

The book seems to remind us of the importance of this fundamental principle and encourages us to put it into practice in our daily lives.

By doing so, we can create a more harmonious and compassionate world, one where love prevails over hate and understanding over ignorance.

Jesus was indeed the Original Most Interesting Man in the World. On that fateful Easter morning, when he rose and appeared to the apostles with Dos XX in hand, they wasted no time in penning their outlandish tales and anecdotes about him. These stories have continued to emerge over the past 2000 years. As we move further away from that paragon of perfect humanity, our curiosity grows, and we inch closer to his acquaintances. Colm Toibin's The Testament of Mary comes to my mind, and it even seems to have been inspired by this very book. Lagerkvist notes Mary's disapproving look upon Jesus at Calvary, as if admonishing him for being more than he could be. It's a striking resemblance, if not a carbon copy, of Tobin's Mary.

But then there's Barrabas, perhaps the most despised man in the Passion story. We can have sympathy for Pilate as he attempts to free Jesus. We can even have some sympathy for the Sanhedrin/Pharisees as their religion is under attack. And we can pity Judas, who momentarily chose money but, in a way, is redeemed in the reader's eyes as he realizes his mistake, casts away the money, and takes his own life. But Barrabas is simply caught in the middle of it all. In Gibson's Passion of the Christ, he greedily wags his tongue and laps up the crowd's pleasure at his name. He has been variously characterized as a murderer, rapist, thief, and perhaps most accurately, an insurrectionist. He is let off, and likely he doesn't even know why or how lucky he is. Lagerkvist attempts to have Barrabas understand this.

At best agnostic, Barrabas voices a message almost as beautiful as the gospel: "I want to believe." Because it contains the most fundamental impulse that follows religious belief; that of doubt. The fear of whole commitment. There is nothing for Barrabas to lose by believing in the man who died for him, in fact, died for the whole earth. If he could embrace it, he would likely overcome his guilt. But the doubt is something Barrabas seemingly does not choose. It is part of him. Rather, it has chosen him as cruelly as God chose to set him free.

Review #14 of "Year of the Review All Read Books"