Caballo de Troya, by JJ Benítez. 35 years of a classic saga

Yes, I have read it. Whole. Well no I lie it fits me The day of the lightning, I have it there and I have been postponing for an endless list ahead. But it won't be long. The rest has been falling since they gave me the first one when I was 15 years old. But there are already 35 who have passed. The Trojan Horse saga remains one of the best-selling, popular, and controversial of all. And its author, JJ Benitez, an authority on the subject of science fiction and occult issues, is also a Historical already.

Controversy in his day, like everything that touches religion and the dogmas of faith, today it is no more than a reading at least particular. The question of whether it leaves an imprint or not depends logically on the eyes with which it is read. And of course it is very appropriate for these dates of Easter, specifically, its first and most popular title. Few texts so exhaustive, descriptive, intense and completely away from the "official version" to first recount the three days of Passion of Jesus of Nazareth and later a good part of his life and work. Of course, for believers and unbelievers.

The Carpenter and I

Go ahead a nuance that should be made clear to the reader: on the verge of 15 years, my education was that of every son of a neighbor in Spain in the 70s and 80s catholic, apostolic and romanesque. First one EGB (yes, I survived her pretty well) in a Girls' College of Sisters of Charity. And then the just started BUP (yes, it was not so terrible either) in a small institute in a town of The Deep Stain.

I mean, a normal teenager but what had suffered a very recent and huge loss in the soul. So the spirit that sheltered me then walked with the revolutions typical of that age plus the immense pain, unfair and incomprehensible, but with which you must learn to live too soon. But the Carpenter always liked me and I couldn't ask him for an account. Maybe one day he gives them to me. Now I still like him. And I have read this series over the years without that sympathy having changed.

Why one read Troy Horse being a believer nor does any faith shake him nor does he have reason to abjure it, nor is that reading taken as an affront, a joke or an insult worthy of excommunication for the author and readers. In his day it did happen.

Controversial, controversial ... Nah. One more reading.

Whenever one speaks, writes, or discusses High Instances (call yourselves what you want) you risk get into a scrub if you are not careful or you lose the forms. You know, sex, religion and football can cause world wars.

The scrubbing that JJ Benítez got into, world authority of the paranormal universe and with UFOs in between, with Troy Horse it was considerable. It started with a intrigue initial present tense, in the best tradition of the novels of manuscript searches and derivatives, where the researcher has to decipher a thousand enigmas and go to a thousand places until he finds the documentation that he puts in his hands a mysterious character.

From there he went on to tell, in the voice of that unknown protagonist and with all sorts of technical terms and more abrupt narration, a extraordinary and super secret North American military project (of course) successfully developed for travel in time. The question is to see where they go (there are so many great moments in the History of Humanity ...) and they decide for it.The last days of the life of Jesus of Nazareth.

Time travel and history lessons

Two are chosen after one exhaustive and very complete preparation not only physical, but also psychological and of course without religious beliefs of any kind. Elisha, (codenames, of course), a engineer that stays in the module to control everything; Y Jason, military high grade and doctor, Which will be the explorador, whoever does the fieldwork in Judea in the year 30 with the aim of get as close as possible to the figure of Jesus.

As a premise that cannot be absent in these cases, they have absolutely forbidden to intervene in some event that could change the course of history. And another question is that neither the present nor the past nor the future is one free from the unforeseen.

Once in the past, the History lesson begins that Jason is recounting in the first person. Thus, the narrative of what happens to him is peppered with endless footnotes, sometimes spanning an entire page, of data collected from historical sources that are supporting, or also changing, the protagonist's perception of what he had studied and what is really found.

So we have this aspect of Roman historical novel that delights the fan of the genre. The protagonist's meeting with, for example, Pontius Pilate It is one of those not to be missed. But of course, the ENCOUNTER with capital letters It is one of those that you do not forget because of the exceptional narration of the moment, told with a intensity of those so real that if you've gotten into the story (and you've gotten into it), you get to recreate it as if you also had the Master in front of you, as from that moment you also get to call it. And leave the Carpenter thing for a more collegial atmosphere.

Pure science fiction. Or not?

From there you already join the band. La character gallery and facts that are paraded through the books is endless and gives for Jason and Elíseo to go chaining trips. From the well known (or not) disciples, those of Sanhedrin, the risen Lazarus, or, in later titles, María (a pro revolutionary, very much to the taste of the current patio), her other sons and brothers of Jesus, the Magdalena or visionary and half mad John the Baptist and the most unhinged still king Herod.

But above all teacher, with whom they will meet in more time jumps, for example, being younger and dedicated to building boats. And with whom they will engage long and deep conversations that, without a doubt, if they are the author's product, I keep taking off my hat because of the intensity achieved. And above all for the humanization and humanity gifted to a character of the category of Jesus of Nazareth, independently, I repeat, to the beliefs of each one about him

Ultimately

Because you have to read everything and if it is a historical, spiritual saga, also in the form of a self-help manual, a very sui generis and even a romance novel, Troy Horse it is one of the best.

Series Troy Horse

1. Jerusalem (1984)
2. Masada (1986)
3. saidan (1987)
4. Nazareth (1989)
5. Cesarean section (1996)
6. Hermon (1999)
7. Nahum (2005)
8. Jordán (2006)
9. Cane (2009)
10. The day of the Lightning (2013)