The Gospel According to Larry

The Gospel According to Larry (2001), by American author Janet Tashjian, follows a young prodigy as he creates an alter-ego named Larry, who becomes a viral sensation bent on dissuading people from materialism.

Its themes include the pros and cons of capitalism, the nature of celebrity, the potential of activism, and public persuasion. Except for the preface, the novel is told in the first person, with photos and typed speeches (called sermons) from the protagonist interspersed throughout.

17-year-old Josh Swensen is a prodigy growing up outside of Boston, Massachusetts.  Three years ago, his mother died, so he and his stepfather, Peter, moved to Maine. Josh is immensely gifted and, when he was two, passed his time solving algebra problems.



The novel opens with a “Note to the Reader.” The author, Janet Tashjian, supposedly met Josh Swensen in a grocery store. He tells her he has a good story for her to write. She doubts this, but reads his manuscript anyway. She’s impressed by it, and all that follows is supposedly written by Josh.

Josh opens his narrative by talking about his best friend, Beth, whom he has been in love with since they were sixth graders. Beth tells him to help start a group at their school dedicated to the site www.thegospelaccordingtolarry.com. Inspired by Henry David Thoreau (who championed a simple life and supported civil disobedience), Beth loves everything that is posted by the anonymous author on the site. Little does she know the author is none other than Josh. Josh keeps his secret, and helps Beth found the club.

Josh continues posting online as Larry. This alternative persona preaches to the internet about more enlightened values: questioning who should be famous and why, being aware of marketing ploys that get people to buy more things. His ultimate goal is to make the world a better place. If he could impress Beth so much that she wants to be with him—he wouldn’t argue with that.



But Beth is currently involved with a jock figure named Todd. Larry doesn’t understand what Beth, a very intelligent girl, sees in Todd, and they fight over the relationship. They eventually make up, but after Larry/Josh writes a “Sermon” about recognizing useless relationships, Beth dumps Todd.

Some of the images “Larry” posts come from Peter’s work. Peter is an advertising man. One day, Josh takes mock-up ads from Peter’s briefcase. With Photoshop, Josh alters the models displayed into something grotesque. Josh makes the models appear malnourished and carrying oxygen tanks. These images end up going viral.

While the site grows more and more popular, Josh remains something of an ostracized nerd at school. He also has to find unique ways to keep his online identity hidden. Especially after Bono from U2 produces a song about anti-materialism in response to “Larry’s” site.



Josh goes on a three-day trip into a desolate area of the woods. He thinks about whether he should continue with www.thegospelaccordingtolarry.com, or terminate the website and live as a hermit in nature, far away from culture, like Henry David Thoreau.

After Josh’s nature trip, he returns home to learn that U2 has planned a massive music festival in his honor. It is to be called Larryfest. The whole concert is to be ad-free in an attempt to help people reconnect with their most innate sensibilities. Josh supports Larryfest, and tags along with Beth. They two grow closer romantically, and Josh is tempted to divulge the secret of his alter-ego.

Meanwhile, a random internet user named betagold claims to know Larry’s identity, and threatens to reveal it unless he willingly comes forward or stops working on www.thegospelaccordingtolarry.com. "Larry" refuses.



Beth comes over to Josh's house, and the two flirt. But when Josh leans in to kiss her, she stops him, saying that she still wants to be with Todd the jock. Hurt and defensive, Josh becomes very angry. He yells at Beth to get out of his house.

Just when it seems things couldn’t get any worse, betagold knocks on Josh’s door. She has invited a flock of reporters, and Josh’s identity is now exposed.

In reaction to the revelation of "Larry's" identity, the website receives more than 255 million hits. It literally becomes the most popular website on earth.



But Josh’s personal life has dovetailed. Beth feels betrayed; she doesn’t want to speak with him as she feels real friends wouldn’t keep a secret like that for so long. The media frenzy over the real identity of “Larry” has completely overwhelmed the message that Josh wanted to convey.

When he comes across the word “pseudocide,” or faking one’s suicide, Josh decides to do just that. Josh finds that the gospel according to Larry isn’t changing people’s minds; it’s actually becoming subsumed into the capitalist processes it was criticizing—something that the public can simply consume to feel good once more.  Larry has become one of those celebrity figure Josh hates. Josh decides to “kill” Larry.

Five weeks pass, and Josh fakes his death by assuming another fake identity—Gil Jackson—and throwing his clothes in the river. The media reports seem to believe his suicide was real, and a funeral is held. Beth and Peter are devastated.



Josh had counted on returning to his normal life in about a year, once the media frenzy died down, but after monitoring the internet, he finds that the rumors about him are only multiplying; it would be impossible to return to his normal life.

In the epilogue, Janet Tashjian tries to locate several people to add to Josh’s remarkable account. But Josh has successfully hidden himself. She reaches out to Beth, but she’s no longer interested in Larry, and is out of the US helping workers’ rights in developing countries. Janet doesn’t think Josh should have faked his death, but she finds his “sermons,” as well as his impulse to change the world for the better, inspiring.