"KAREN ARMSTRONG IS A GENIUS." --A. N. Wilson As the foundation stone of the Jewish and Christian scriptures, The Book of Genesis unfolds some of the most arresting stories of world literature--the Creation; Adam and Eve; Cain and Abel; the sacrifice of Isaac. Yet the meaning of Genesis remains enigmatic. In this fascinating volume, Karen Armstrong, author of the highly acclaimed bestseller A History of God, brilliantly illuminates the mysteries and profundities of this mystifying work. "A lyrical chronicle of one woman's wrestling with Genesis that can serve as a guide to others . . . As notable for its scholarship as it is for its honesty and vulnerability." --Publishers Weekly "Armstrong can simplify complex ideas, but she is never simplistic." --The New York Times Book Review
Karen Armstrong makes reading the Bible a smooth and liberating experience. The brilliance of Armstrong's analysis of Genesis lies in her ability to draw together the story, the contemporaneous situations of the characters and the writers, and the relevance of themes amid multifarious contradictions, then hold them up for us to contemplate. Edifying and engaging, this short but impressive book comes complete with the entire Genesis text.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
WILLING TO FREE YOURSELF FROM A MYTH?:
WILLING TO FREE YOURSELF FROM A MYTH? READ CAREFULLY THIS BOOK, AND KAREN ARMSTRONG WILL SHOW YOU THAT, IF YOU THINK THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD, IT IS NO MORE THAN THE WORDS OF MANY MEN THAT THOUGHT AND FELT THEMSELVES AS GODS. AND MANY OTHERS, ALONG THE YEARS, TURNED THOSE TALES INTO SACRED WRITINGS THAT WERE TRANSMITED TO THE WESTERN SOCIETY AS SUCH, FOR HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF YEARS... READ IT, PROOF IT, PROFIT IT. DAVI GONCALVES, Ph.D.
Disappointed: neither novel, nor scholarly, nor orthodox, nor objective, nor enjoyable:
Background: my reason for purchasing: I had to read this book for a class called "The Bible as Literature." No, the book definitely does not constitute a literary analysis of Genesis! One cannot miss Armstrong's hostility toward the God of Genesis. Sadly, her hostility toward the book's most important character blinds her to both the spiritual (sorry for using a word that can mean almost anything, depending on your background) meaning and an objective understanding of the plot and character... more info
A thoughtful book:
A book that anyone with intelligence should find very interesting and worth reading. A different view of Genesis.
Insightful reading which misses the major meaning of 'Genesis':
This book is often insightful in regard to the major characters of characters of 'Genesis' and the situations they are involved in. It takes too the modest approach that 'Genesis' cannot be simply understood and explained. It gives the idea that whatever reading we make we should be left with a sense of humility at the mysteries of the work.
Armstrong in a sense sees humanity as wrestlers with the angel. Like Jacob we are struggling with the text , and out of this struggle should come some higher... more info
