Leave it to Heinlein to make blasphemy lame.

Job is a mix of the flavor of early Heinlein with a gritty hero and his girl slugging it out against a hostile world for about the first 17 chapters. From there, we learn that an essentially Christian view of the world is correct and we witness apocalypse and see heaven and hell... Heinlein style. His view of heaven with arrogant angels running a massive bureaucracy is a page-turning delight.

This may be one of my favorite Heinlein novels. It gets five stars on its own from me but also gets the requisite sentimental rating bonus. I read Job at a commune in Virginia called Seven Oaks, where my older half-sister's mother was a librarian. I had taken a bus cross-country, was listening to a tape of Queen's Innuendo on repeat, and was reading Dune at the time. I was fifteen years old and traveling alone for the first time; it's a week or so that is particularly vivid for me.

At any rate, Job is entertaining as a sci-fi novel and also does a fun job (no pun intended) of bringing out the uncomfortable features of god and satan's personae in the eponymous old testament book.

Definitely worth the read.

This book has the triplet distinction of being my first Heinlein book, a book that in which I read extraordinarily fast, and of being one of the funnest books I've read in a long time.

I first came to this book, attracted to the premise of a modern retelling of the Book of Job, and curious as to what an author could do. Heinlein decided not to pursue a completely serious adaptation of the book and instead choose to merely adopt the basic premise - what would happen if the world constantly shifted in subtle ways, and what would that do to a person? What if they had someone to go on the journey with, too?

The result is a book that is not very thought-provoking, or stimulating, or even memorable. In fact, this book is going straight onto my PaperBackSwap list, and onto Amazon if the book will sell for more than $0.01.

However, that is not to say the book is _bad_. Quite the opposite - this book is incredibly entertaining! I haven't had this much fun reading a book in a very long time, and for that it deserves my recognition. I was often surprised that I was so engrossed in the story, wanting so much to find out what would happen next. It's not a memorable time, but it is a very _fun_ time.

Heinlein's writing is superbly funny. Written from the third-person, it includes numerous self-deprecations, internal conversations, and funny ways of phrasing things, using devices such as mock outrage. Fortunately, it turns out the main character's mind is entertaining, and it's often very amusing to follow his thoughts as he attempts to squirrel through another situation problem. I also enjoyed the tongue in cheek descriptions of certain things, like "hollow-grams." Heinlein constantly makes reference to things that are commonplace in our world but foreign in the world of the main character, making it appear at first that he is stepping into our realm and that this is being played for cheap laughs. However, once more reading goes on, it becomes apparent that the new-fangled inventions of each of the worlds that the main character visits are similar but not quite identical to the things in our world, and then the laughter becomes tinged with a touch of uncertainty and discomfort. Excellent writing.

If there is a flaw, it's that most things, places and characters aren't very memorable. The world shifts so many times that eventually it all blends together. However, this is not much of a hindrance. In fact, a potential deal-breaker becomes a flaw as Heinlein acknowledges it and is able to get away with it because he works it into the main character, who is understandably overwhelmed and a little peeved to discover, once again, that he has to continue moving and traveling because the money he earned last night as a dishwasher is no longer legal tender. The formula works until the last portion of the book, when Heinlein attempts to start a few things together and it doesn't succeed as well as it could because the rest of the book has trained us not to care too much, to pay attention to things like we would a movie that has the barest excuses of a plot to justify transferring its characters from set piece to set piece.

RATING: 4 stars (I like it, but I don't love it). I had a lot of fun reading this book, and unlike a lot of other books I found that it was a _pleasure_ to read this, instead of feeling like it was a chore or an obligation. The writing is deliciously clever and funny and I wish I could write like this. But, the plain fact of it is that I remember very little of what happened, and I have no strong desire to re-read or revisit the book, or to find out more about the characters. For that reason, the book will not stay on my bookshelf and I will try to get rid of it. But, it will remain in my memories.

TL; DR: Enormously fun, but not memorable or stimulating.

A bit long but very much classic Heinlein from what I can remember of other books read long ago. "Is this hell? Or Texas?" Funny.

I really don't read a lot of fiction but I first read this book as a young man when I was reading all of Heinlein's work. As I recall this was around the time the man died so that probably will date me a bit for some of you.

In his later books he seemed to be sticking with more of a formula than in the early books and this book seemed to kick off his alternate universe and history section. I think it was also probably one of his best works overall but I'll get into that.

It follows the adventures of a man (a preacher as I recall) who suddenly finds the world is changing and he is shifting through variations on the reality he had grown up in. He finds himself in a world where Zeppelins are the primary air transport not jetliners, and in another he finds himself in Hell and it's whole lot like Arizona with the Devil a retired businessman. I think it's the irreverent side of the book that always liked and why i actually read it twice which is rare for me.

For instance without giving too much away there is a scene where two demons who are tasked with catching sinners as they are cast out of Heaven with what amounts to large butterfly nets are in an argument of sorts. One of them says basically "well if that's true then I'll be a flying pink ape" or words that effect and as they are between Heaven and Hell God hears this and having a bit of a sense of humor (as the whole book suggests) there is a sudden flash of lightening from on high accompanied with the smell of burnt pink monkey fur. God has struck the demon with a lightening bolt and turned him from a fearsome demon bat like wings into a little pink monkey with feathery wings. As I recall this occurs just as Job plummets pass on his way to Arizona but the pink monkey is pissed at his buddy who is laughing at him and they forget to catch him in the net.

Generally speaking I always liked Mr. Heinlein's earlier works but like any literary study you should read them all to get a picture of the guy over the course of his life. He lived to be around 90 as I recall and some of the later works were a bit formulaic but I always thought this one stood out along with many of his best early titles. In no small part because it was in fact pretty funny with the hero apt to show up in unfortunate spots completely nude as he shifts through universes but also because in some sense it also speaks to a deeper meaning.

He takes the title from the biblical book of Job which is about a contest between God and the Devil to see if the later can tempt a righteous man to renounce the former. That's essentially the premise here as well but in Heinlein's work he throws in a decidedly modern cast to the story. As bad as things get there is usually a silver lining or at least a punchline to be had.

Along with Stranger In A Strange Land I recommend this title for the casual reader looking for a new author who has not read any of his works. I would suspect that Stranger In A Strange Land is easier to find among the used paperbacks than this one but if you find you like Heinlein I'd recommend you keep an eye out and give it a read if you can.

This is the first book by Heinlein that I have read, and it will probably be the only one of his that I read.

Even though I found the book quite interesting and containing a surprising lot of theology as well as a Bible verse at the top of each chapter, still I am not inclined to recommend it to others.

I guess my positive thoughts about the book turned negative with the Rapture and all that happened after that.

Still, I don't regret having read this book, and others with religious / theological backgrounds would no doubt find it quite interesting.

One of the best books I have ever read. The utter disregard for any of the societal norms of the time, or any of the organized religions makes this a must read for any pure thinking person!! It will force you to consider alternative viewpoints to your own closely held dogmatic views.

So. This book.

It was probably one of the greatest adventures i've read on a long long while. Following Alexander "Graham" "alec" Gergermester through all the tribulations, dimentional jumping and pure anarchy of reality he was placed, how he learns to become more than a simple follower of the "word of god" how he tries to save everyone he meets to His grace, even lucifer himself, though he didnt knew at the moment, how he is faced with reality, how he learns to respect his "wife", the women who chooses to be with him, but also chooses to be herself, much to his raising conflict, how she respects him but still has her own beliefs and none of his prude attitudes toward sex or "modesty", well... Alexander is sent to a travel around realities where he becomes more and more human, but still has love for others first in his heart, and tries to save them all when he can.

It felt like i went with him for the hundreds and hundreds of years that it took for him to grow, you feel the weight of the time and still is an easy read, you are shown a picture of heaven and a picture of hell, and of what lies beyond, and its extremelly interesting.

its funny in many places how Alexander and Marga find themselfs having worked their backs off to just end in a different reality, where all the money they carry means nothing, its funny to pretend for a moment and see what the world would be if no one invented electricity, or aviation, or oil motors, or if this all was invented a few decades before we know it. Its a really fun set of universes, and its a really fun book

To start, it is the year 1994, and in Alexander Hergensheimer's world, there are no airplanes, television, computers or traffic lights. Their only form of aeronautic transportation comes in the form of dirigibles. The world is incredibly moralistic, with abortion now termed a capital offense. A "federal law making the manufacture, sale, possession, importation, transportation, and/or use of any contraceptive drug or device a felony carrying a mandatory prison sentence of not less than a year and a day". Swearing is a crime liable with punishment in the stocks in the form of public nudity and ends with wrongdoer voluntarily leaving the community. Dresses cover all the skin and Women Do Not Have The Vote.

However, on a cruise ship trip, he finds it all gone awry as one unfortuznate tourist tour to the Polynesian islands finds him walking through fire...and into another universe. He is no longer Alexander Hergensheimer. He is now Alec L. Graham, a man with questionable associates, who has an affair with his stewardess, Margrethre, and one million dollars in his safety deposit box on the ship. Amazingly enough, he learns to cope pretty well with everything. That is, until, for some ridiculous reason, the ship hits an iceberg, in the middle of the Southern seas at that, and he ends up in another universe...again, but this time, with Margrethe at his side.

And from there, Alex and Margrethe experience one world change after another, until they grow faster and faster in frequency. In the midst of all this, Alex is convinced the End of Days has come, and that God is showing the beginning signs of His Apocalypse. As Alex struggles to try to save Margrethe from her heathen ways, their time runs out, and the problem is taken out of his hands.
In Heaven, Alex finds that it's not all it's cracked up to be. And that, horribly, Margrethe is nowhere to be found. From Heaven to Hell, he struggles to find her. And as he begins to realize that maybe all is lost, Satan comes to his rescue, with insights that his mind yearns to disbelieve. As they go to a Higher Power, higher even than God, Alex struggle to make sense of it all, and to put into context what is really important to him, his faith...or Margrethe.
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The title of this book is apt, and ironic. It parallels the tale of Job in the Bible, wherein he suffers many trials, before finally finding happiness. I always found it, extremely offensive in the end, that it was nothing but a game between God and Satan. God trying to prove the loyalty of Job, and Satan saying otherwise. In short, Job was a tale of how God plays with our lives. And in this book, God plays with Everything. He plays with a man's reality, his beliefs, and even his faith. And Satan becomes the sympathetic one, a trickster who possesses something God does not have, the ability to understand human emotion. Because at some point, the trickster knows when to stop, but the deity does not. This book encourages questions. Such as, how can people worship a God who is so far apart from the human experience, that he does not understand their pain, pleasure, or love? God is the Alien. And Satan, though he may be evil, but through his countless centuries of human interaction, has in some small part of him, the knowing of a Human.

It was amusing to read through all the different versions of Earth, and see how many ways people span the spectrum from extreme fanaticism, to extreme liberalism, and how machines range from antique technology, to the advanced. It was also interesting to see how a man, Alex, from a very religious background, would react to such changes. Would he waver in his faith, or be true to it? And would Margrethe, the woman in this tale, be able to cope with the changes brought on by her relationship with this man?

They are both very different people. Alex was at times, a bigot, a chauvinist, and no doubt if he had had the opportunity, he would have denounced homosexuals and feminists as well. However, even he could not escape the changes these constant peeks into a different dimension, have wrought on his character.

The title of this book is truly apt, as it really is a fun ride through the different versions of Earth, and eventually, Heaven and Hell. In the midst of it all, Alex is a believable character truly epitomizing the behavior of his original worlds. Alex, with his supremely moralistic upbringing, sometimes borders on bigotry and chauvinism in his thinking. The only fact which saves him from being a revolting character, is his minds ability to adapt and keep his mouth closed. I guess what saves him from behaving abominably, was that no parts were written were he was ablt to meet homosexuals and feminists. If he did, I'd be interested to see what behavior he'd show. Both he and Margrethe were blessed with hardworking and pleasing characters which enabled them to survive in the many different worlds they dwelt in for a time. Alex would preach, but it was inoffensive. His, somewhat bumbling behavior endeared him to people. Margrethe was beautiful, as well as a good soul. As Lazarus Long would say, "she was innocent in her lechery."

The most delightful surprise in this book, was the Rapture. I admit, I was expecting something more along the lines of wormhole opening in space. I guess, I really should have clued in on all the hints dropped (especially the title). I was irritated at first, the way a little kid expects a basketball for X-mas, but he gets a football instead. Well, I guess I'll just have to admit to myself that I can't always predict the twists in a story. Sometimes, we just get things wrong.

In the aftermath of the Rapture, I was treated to a picture of Heaven and Hell, that I never expected to see. Heaven, is as place of strict rules, and a permanent hierarchy. It's revolt to any liberal thinker and burgeoning activist, because I'm sure, in this type of place, you can't instigate a revolt and change the status-quo. I, myself, believe that democracy is a myth, however, I do enjoy the illusion of it. However, the Heaven being shown, strips you of all your illusions. The rule in Heaven is RHIP, "Rank Hath It's Privileges." There is no Golden Rule. Instead, there's a three-level ranking system. Angels on top, Saints in the middle, and Humans at the bottom. Again, I doubt God would stand for a reenactment of the French Revolution in his stratospheric territory.

Hell, is as bureaucratic as any Earthian government. You increase or decrease in rank according to your wits, cunning, and manipulative talent. People compete for their place. Of course, you've got those who suffer, and those who enjoy. It's no different from Earth, except you in this place, you can actually see the demons when they talk to you.

This book reminds me a lot of Heinlein's Time Enough for Love, in the way that he incorporates several settings and plots into one story. I also like the irreverence he has for religion, although my own Catholic upbringing hardwired into my head, has made me uneasy at some parts in the story. It's social conditioning though, so I can't quite help it. In the end, again, the story of Job is paralleled. After the many trials and tribulations, Alex and Margrethe are given new beginnings, not to mention new memories. The lives they lost as they journeyed, were replace with new ones. Just as Job's daughters and sons were replaced with new children. However, of these two parallel stories, I prefer Heinlein's. Alex came out of the experience, dispelling his naivety and blind faith, and was reborn, a more discerning and open-minded man. Job, on the other hand, came out of his experience, minus twelve children.

(It doesn't matter to me that they were replaced. They're not goldfish you can flush down the toilet, then go to the pet store to buy new ones.)

The first 200 pages were tedious to read as Heinlen's throws the main character and his mistress into an adventure through parallel universes. Throughout these adventures, religion is continually addressed which later surprisingly serves a purpose to the story. It's somewhat refreshing, yet tiresome, to see Heinlen's female roles reappear in Margrathe and Katie Farnsworth. Heinlen obviously has a clear view of women; he favors women and desires his women to have strong sex appeal, be intelligent, be caring, be independent and strong, have patience, and not have a jealous bone in their bodies and still bow down to the male dominant figure of his books. He clearly shows his disapproval of "nagging" women by Alex/Alec's close-minded legally wedded wife of Abigail. Surprisingly, I inferred a possible racially prejudiced viewpoint in this book by his references to the "crooked" Mexicans and "blackamoors" serving as subservient roles in the kitchen. I will admit these references were slight and not pronounced.

After the "Rapture", the story is finally captivating. Alexander/Alec travels to Heaven, Hell, and back literally for the woman he loves, Margrathe.

Heinlen creatively portrays heaven as a bureaucratic caste system of angels, saints and "creatures" which I found refreshing/unique/hilarious. He clearly shows this R.H.I.P. (Rank Hath Its Privileges) by setting a scene on a bus with the Angels up front, saints in the middle, and "creatures" in the rear; similar to the pre-Civil Rights era. Heinlen adds humor to Saint Peter by having him comfort our protagonist by saying "I could talk with any One of the Trinity [Father, Son and Holy Ghost:].. but reminded me that, in consulting the Holy Ghost we had consulted all of Them." Obviously Alexander wasn't getting any answers from this bureaucratic system.

After a literal fall from Grace, Alex finds himself in Hell in search for Margrathe. Might I add that Heinlen's view of Hell has BEER and alcohol!! Awesome! And hilariously enough, it is run by a City Manager. "Hell isn't very organized. It's an anarchy except for a touch of absolute monarchy on some points." (Readers: I would like to add that I worked in a municipal government for 5 years, and I compared it to Hell most of the time. Apparently, I wasn't too far off the marker.) Satan is a Texan, that has Wagner-like compositions as his own background music (which I have always disliked, so it's quite appropriate).

I found the book witty towards the end. If only the first half of the book was as interesting and different as the latter part.

Job: A Comedy of Justice is a very unfortunate title for a sci-fi multiverse romp with a character unfortunate enough to be caught up in another bet between God and Satan. It's bizarre to say the least, but at its core this is sci-fi, with two characters slipping (magically) from one universe to the next and each time getting caught with their pants down. Literally. One time they transitioned while bathing in a river, leaving them naked and destitute, walking down the interstate completely naked trying to hitch a ride. Well, what would YOU do in that situation?

The title is unfortunate because the philosophy and discussions among characters is too deep (and disturbing, if you're religiously-inclined) to be called comedy. It is funny at times but mostly just moves along at a nice pace with a completely outrageous ending. No spoilers, but, let me just say, when our hero meets St. Peter, he makes a mess of things and then gets to meet "the other guy". And as if that weren't crazy enough, leave it to Heinlein to imagine "God's God".

I've been hard on Heinlein lately. Well, about half and half. Some of his novels I can't finish as they're 1-star rubbish. Others, like this one and Between Planets (and his best works, such as Friday and Mistress), are clearly 5-star stories. So, he was Babe Ruth. (I believe I've mentioned that before). Having read nearly his entire collection now, save for about a dozen minor stories to go, I'll enjoy making up a list of "the best of Heinlein" for future reading again.