A brilliant (and oddly prescient) satire. With Messiah, Vidal offers a skewering criticism of organized religion, the politics behind it, and its far-reaching ramifications in a manner that is at once humorous, intelligent, and bone-chillingly accurate. While the subtle wit and deadpan snark that characterize Vidals writing are present in Messiah, a bleak and ominous tone dominates the novel, befitting its narrative. Messiah is a fantastically engaging and smart novel, and had me contemplating its characters and story long after I closed its covers.