Adey Horton has spun a panoramic tapestry, selecting the best parts of the apocryphal books about young Jesus and arranging them in a highly entertaining narrative. Accompanying art works show the influence of the legends and tales on Christian art through the medieaval and renaissance periods. Horton's feat is amazing. The actual apocryphal books referenced are far from 'complete' or intriguing - the brilliance is in taking disassociated works, some of which are barely known, and weaving the lot into a whole. The research is impeccable and includes sources from the best scholars, with many obscure works of particular interest. Excellent though the scholarship is, those looking for entertainment in reading this book shall not be disappointed. The writing is wry, engaging, and witty. Those whose main interest in art can only have their understanding of religious paintings enhanced. I would highly recommend this book, which I must have read twenty times. It is totally absorbing, yet light-hearted enough to be a relaxing 'read.'
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