A Time for Judas

Morley Callaghan is one of the finest Canadian writers I have come across. His themes may not always appeal to a broad readership, since they are sometimes fairly parochial in nature, giving him a wide claim to being a genuine "Canadian" author (rather than North-American). However, he is a truly international writer as well, of a calibre I've not often encountered. Perhaps his career didn't quite have the impact of Ernest Hemingway's (with whom he was quite friendly in the thirties) or Graham Greene's, but the quality of his work puts him very much in their class. "A Time for Judas" is a good example of this. Callaghan takes us, in a Gore Vidal-like fashion, back to the time of Christ and recounts a marvellous tale set in and around Jerusalem. It is not only well-written and exciting, but as a purported account of the "true" events of the time (left to be discovered on papyrus centuries later), it falls into a sort of mystery tradition which is very hard to pull off, from a writing point of view. With complete confidence, Callaghan tells a tale which will thrill and perhaps even enlighten you, and have you seeking out more of his work. Fortunately, there is a relative abundance so find this one if you can.