Par Lagerkvist, Barabbas

Barabbas

Translated by Lucien Maury
Par LagerkvistVintage 1989
Pages: 144

Barabbas is the acquitted; the man whose life was exchanged for that of Jesus of Nazareth, crucified upon the hill of Golgotha. Barabbas is a man condemned to have no god. "Christos Iesus" is carved on the disk suspended from his neck, but he cannot affirm his faith. He cannot pray. He can only say, "I want to believe."