Reading Mark

Today, before we Christians begin to read a gospel, we already know the lines of the story. It was the same at the start. The first readers or hearers of each gospel knew the story as well as the evangelist. Each evangelist put a 'spin' on a familiar story. The reader will ask: why is he telling the story like this? One of the joys of studying the gospels is a growing appreciation of the literary sophistication of the evangelists.
From the introduction

In this popularly written, accessible book Wilfrid Harrington explores the Gospel of Mark, which he declares is his favorite gospel, with emphasis on why Mark tells the story the way he does. In part one, the author backs up his appreciation of the literary sophistication of Mark by outlining his technique. He demonstrates that Mark is, indeed, a gifted storyteller and talented writer. In part two, he discusses the centrality of the cross to Mark s account of Jesus. His theology is a theology of the cross, and Mark s Jesus is the most human of the gospels.
The author admires most the evangelist s realism. He confirms his conviction that the cross is indeed the heart of Christianity the cross as understood by Paul and Mark and the author of Revelation. Mark s theology is a theology of the cross, and Mark s Jesus is the most human in the gospels.