Japanese Drama

I have read only two plays from the Japanese theatre tradition, but I liked them both. "Abstraction" is very short, but it reminds me of the work of Japanese film directors like Kurosawa and a classic like Rashomon. The nature of identity and truth is slippery in this piece. At the same time, there is definite evidence of classic Japanese virtues like duty, decorum, and masculinity/patriarchy.
The second play I read is one of the Japanese Noh dramas called "Nakamitsu." What a tragic piece. The theme of duty is prevalent and is the source of much of the tragedy and in my case near anger and revulsion at what happens to some of these characters. However the themes of sacrifice, courage, and honors make for a powerful experience.
I think it is important to read works like this that are outside of the more familiar Western theatrical tradition.
Czar

Young Marlowe

This was my first experience reading Christopher Marlowe. It was amusing to read this play after watching Shakespeare in Love and the scene when all the actors perform the lines about the face that launched a thousand ships.
Marlowe does have some nice lines in Dr. Faustus, but overall I'm not that impressed. I don't see how Marlowe can be considered a possible author of Shakespeare's plays from this work.
To his credit, Marlowe does give a full portrait of Faustus. We see his arrogance and always his fear. In some ways, the play becomes more dramatic as it draws to its end. Faustus himself is the only fully-developed character in my opinion.
This seems like a play of someone whose best work is still to come.
Czar

Marlowe's Jew

Christopher Marlowe's Jew of Malta is a much more developed and mature piece of writing than Dr. Faustus. It is longer and better-written. In addition, there are numerous well-developed characters like Barabas and his daughter Abigail.
However, as you would expect, this play is ripe with anti-Semitism and Barabas is totally unredeemable and his servant is even worse.
The plot is better developed than in Faustus, but I feel the ending is a bit rushed. It still is not of the caliber of The Merchant of Venice, but it stands up well.
Czar

Jesus in Hiding

Donald Spoto is a former priest and academic who is now best known for writing well-researched and thoughtful biographies of Hollywood stars like Marilyn Monroe and Marlon Brando.
Spoto writes well and The Hidden Jesus: A New Life is not a book for specialists, though it is informed by Spoto's former career and his training. It would be a good introduction for someone interested in the academic study of Jesus and the field of Christology.
Spoto is a wonderful storyteller and this books flows effortlessly. As a gifted biographer, Spoto has an ear and eye for tone and detail. The "new" material would be Spoto's chapters on ethics and morality. I think Spoto does an excellent job focusing on the human aspect of Jesus. His final chapters are compelling and inspiring. A reverent and hopeful life of Jesus.
Czar

How to write a Gospel

The best part of Three Gospels is the preface where Reynolds Price talks about how he came to write his "gospels." I enjoyed his discussion of the literary aspects of this project. Price is conversant with the scholarship on the Gospels, but is never pedantic. His gospels are fine. It is an exercise that makes sense, not that his versions are improvements on the originals. You do see these often familiar stories in a new light.
His own gospel is interesting, but not particularly memorable. This book could be a great teaching tool for a class on the scriptures or even for a more liberal approach to "Bible Study."
Czar

The Journey of a King

In my opinion, Ben Jonson pales in comparison to Shakespeare. From the beginning of Henry IV, Part 1, I can see ample evidence of the mastery of Shakespeare as a dramatist. The relationship between Falstaff and Hal, the characterization of Hotspur, the King, and the attendants are just some examples of Shakespeare's talent.
To see Hal go from being a drunken rich boy to a man beginning to find his way and assert his will as he comes to term with his destiny is so well-done and believable.
He's not there yet, but you see glimpses of him as a King.
Czar

A Journalist's account of Yeshua (Jesus)

If I could rate a book a 0, this would be the one. The Gospel of Yeshua: A Fresh Look at the Life and Teaching of Jesus is certainly not a critical study of Jesus, which is fine, but I find little that is "Fresh" that is also not just goofy, if not absurd.
Johnson claims that Jesus went to other countries to learn about other faiths, but has no evidence or citations to back up this assertion. He claims that Jesus would not use his miraculous powers to give people material comfort, but what would you call the "miracle of the loaves"? In typically Protestant fashion, he downplays or denies "The Anunciation" and the prominence given to Mary in The Gospel of Luke.
He also keeps the bias about Jesus being all about Love and not beginning caught up in the Law, though Jesus does say that he is the fulfillment of the Law too.
I'm not sure his method of combining the Gospel accounts and adding his own works, but footnotes or some idea how he came up with these accounts would be nice.
Johnson has Jesus as a practitioner of Eastern meditation, but again there is no clear idea where this comes from!
Don't waste your time with this book, there are many, nearly any other "biography" of Jesus that would be better than this one.
Czar