Sin, schmin: `God on a Harley' gives commandments for the '90s
Well, even if there were, Joan Brady brings up the novel idea that maybe, thousands of years later, things have changed and the rules don't apply to all people.
The first comparison that came to mind after reading God on a Harley was that it was like a cross between The Celestine Prophecy and The Bridges of Madison County . The scary thing is that the book jacket says this, too.
Read Joan Brady's God on a Harley and learn that God screwed up. He really didn't intend the Ten Commandments to apply to everyone. For Christine Moore, the main character, God comes up with only six commandments. "Forget all the sin stuff," He says.
So don't feel bad about lying, stealing or fornicating any more. It's the '90s, and the new rules are actually a spelled-out version of, "To thine own self be true." The six new tenets are:
1. Do not build walls but learn to transcend them.
2. Live in the moment, for each one is precious and not to be squandered.
3. Take care of yourself, first and foremost.
4. Drop the ego. Be real. And watch what happens.
5. All things are possible all of the time.
6. Maintain Universal Flow. In giving, something is gained, and it is an act of generosity to receive.
While the message is compelling and appealing, the storytelling that goes along with it is sappy and trite, and the writing is on a par with anything by Robert James Waller (who, incidentally, lives in my hometown).
The message, of course, is not revealed at the novel's beginning. Christine must discover it for herself. Watch Christine metamorphose from an insecure nurse in her late 30s who has been unlucky in love (and pretty much everything else) to a confident and peaceful woman who finds love and serenity by following the six new commandments. She sheds her makeup, the blonde highlights in her hair and a little weight, too. She learns to attract men, not just approach them.
She owes her change to help from God incarnate -- as a handsome biker named Joe, that is. This book presents the Second Coming in an easy-to-swallow gelcap form. Über sensitive male Joe makes an even kinder, gentler and cooler Prince of Peace.
This book didn't really make me feel any better. I have, after all, recently been confirmed as a bitter sophomore woman, and to find out that Christine doesn't see the light until she is in her late 30s didn't really cheer me up much. But hey, nice try.
In this book, Jesus calls himself Joe, short for Joseph of Nazareth. This is where the Bridges of Madison County comparison comes in. Joe is Robert Kincaid, only he discourages the romantic feelings that Christine has for him.
It's a quick, light read (only 147 pages) and entertaining enough, even if I did fall asleep immediately after I put it down.
This item appeared in the Arts & Entertainment section of the November 17, 1995 issue.
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