Robert A. Heinlein is known for writing bold works and I have read quite a few of them in my day. I sincerely believe "Job: A Comedy of Justice" was the boldest yet. It has the rapture in it for crying out loud. And, typical of Heinlein, it has strong characters and astute theoretical ponderings. Heinlein was an outstanding story teller. This is his work at among its best. I picked it up, in part, because I had recently read Jung's book, 'Answer to Job' covering similar topics.
I grabbed my copy off of eBay for next to nothing. It was a former library book, I think, but I tore the library labels off at some point while reading it. It had one small tear on one page, but, otherwise, was in great shape.
The book was about 440 pages in length, but it went quickly as Heinlein books seem to do. It was that engaging and interesting. The main character, Alex, gets warped to another universe really early in the book and spends the bulk of the remainder of the book shifting between universes in the multi-verse. Each one had unique histories and cultural identity. His warping, after his first change, included a companion in Margarethe. They live as husband and wife though Alex had been previously married in his original universe. He initially tried to resist the sin of having a second partner as a wife, but wasn't able to.
Alex, who goes by Alec for the bulk of the book, tries to make a living as they go generally by washing dishes. It's a simple but necessary job, and he does it without grumbling. They are both survivors and just getting by. It's a nice feature to a neat cycle.
Alex, a minister by trade, is intent on leading Margarethe to salvation through acceptance of Jesus Christ. This goal is admittedly driven more by his care for and love for Margarethe than by his vocation. After the rapture, he finds that he is unable to locate Margarethe in heaven or even in hell and is quite distressed by the fact. I have relatives and close friends whose souls I worry about and I can empathize with hoping for their salvation even while enjoying one's own. It worries me. It gives me a heavy heart. Converting people is difficult.
I enjoyed "Job: A Comedy of Justice" quite thoroughly. It is one of the stronger Heinlein books I have read and, coming from that author, that says a lot as most of his works are quite effective and enjoyable.
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