Rachel and Leah: Women of Genesis, by Orson Scott Card
This third installment of Orson Scott Card's "Women of Genesis" series was noteworthy because it casts Leah, --the daughter of Laban notorious for tricking Jacob into marrying her-- in a sympathetic light. At the end of this novel I was left feeling wistful about Leah's predicament, and felt that Jacob definitely chose the wrong daughter to fall in love with. Card writes an interesting story without contradicting the Bible's version of Jacob and Leah and Rachel (although certainly embellishing it, providing additional motivations and a look inside the heads of the characters that we don't get in the biblical account.)
I didn't enjoy this installment as much as I did Sarah or Rebekah. The pacing in Rachel and Leah seemed to be a bit off compared to the earlier two books. Maybe it was the way Card tried to tell four stories at once. Although Zilpah and Bilhah are both in the biblical account, the story gets stretched too thin when Card tries to cover all four story lines, and the two servant girls really don't contribute too much to the conclusion --certainly not enough to justify the number of pages devoted to them. I think if Card would have cut much of this material and focused on the two sisters, Jacob, and Laban the novel might have felt "tighter" and the final result more satisfying.
That aside, I have enjoyed this series and would recommend it. However, the first two books were more enjoyable than the latest.
PUBLISHER: Forge Press, 2005. ISBN: 0-765-34129-8.
See also: Sarah and Rebekah, by Orson Scott Card.
Showing posts with label biblical fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label biblical fiction. Show all posts
Rebekah
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13.4.04
Rebekah: Women of Genesis, by Orson Scott Card
As he did in his previous novel Sarah, Orson Scott Card has once again told a fascinating tale about a biblical character, making Rebekah come to life in a way that is both plausible and profound. The wife of Isaac and mother of Jacob and Esau, Rebekah comes across as intelligent yet humble, beautiful yet modest, and strong-willed yet obedient to her own sense of God's calling.
My one quibble with the novel was that some dialogues between characters seemed overly long, discussing a point to death from all possible angles. Yet even this seemed plausible in the context of the novels ancient setting. In a society with no television or other forms of distraction, I imagine people did have very long conversations with each other. The slower pace of life "back then" would also provide longer time to reflect on ones actions.
Card is able to flesh out a biblical story yet not detract from it. Racing through this exciting installment in the lives of the matriarchs, I found myself noticing broader biblical themes that I had not noticed through reading the Bible alone. In addition to providing a great story that is exciting to read, Card's greatest achievement may be in pointing us to the biblical story, and serving as a helpful guide in its interpretation.
PUBLISHER: Forge (Tom Doherty Associates, LLC), 2002; ISBN: 0-765-34128-X
SEE ALSO: Sarah, by Orson Scott Card
As he did in his previous novel Sarah, Orson Scott Card has once again told a fascinating tale about a biblical character, making Rebekah come to life in a way that is both plausible and profound. The wife of Isaac and mother of Jacob and Esau, Rebekah comes across as intelligent yet humble, beautiful yet modest, and strong-willed yet obedient to her own sense of God's calling.
My one quibble with the novel was that some dialogues between characters seemed overly long, discussing a point to death from all possible angles. Yet even this seemed plausible in the context of the novels ancient setting. In a society with no television or other forms of distraction, I imagine people did have very long conversations with each other. The slower pace of life "back then" would also provide longer time to reflect on ones actions.
Card is able to flesh out a biblical story yet not detract from it. Racing through this exciting installment in the lives of the matriarchs, I found myself noticing broader biblical themes that I had not noticed through reading the Bible alone. In addition to providing a great story that is exciting to read, Card's greatest achievement may be in pointing us to the biblical story, and serving as a helpful guide in its interpretation.
PUBLISHER: Forge (Tom Doherty Associates, LLC), 2002; ISBN: 0-765-34128-X
SEE ALSO: Sarah, by Orson Scott Card
Sarah
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28.8.03
Sarah: Women of Genesis, by Orson Scott Card
Sarah is the first book in what promises to be a great series of novels about the women of Genesis. As of this writing I know that a second book, Rebekah, is already out in paperback, and there may be more stories in hardcover. In any event, Sarah stands on its own as a fine piece of story-telling about the wife of a great biblical patriarch --illustrating the oft-neglected significance of the women in the Bible. Sarah is a helpful corrective to this tendency, showing her partnership with Abraham in a plausible, imaginative and meaningful way while still respecting the outlines of scripture.
Based on texts from Genesis 11-23, the Book of Abraham in The Pearl of Great Price, plus Orson Scott Card's historical research and unique interpretation of early biblical history, this book is a page-turner. I've read Card's science fiction, fantasy, mainstream novels, and now religious fiction. In every genre he is a powerful storyteller, creating characters that are vibrant, believable, and interesting. Sarah is no exception in this regard. She's depicted by Card as a strong, passionate woman whose relationships with husband Abraham and (for the purposes of the novel) sister Q'ira (Lot's wife) form a gripping dynamic that drives the plot forward from Ur-of-the-North, through Egypt, and finally to the Promised Land.
One very useful part of the novel, for those who are worried about what is true and what is made up in historical fiction, is the author's afterword at the end of the book. Here Orson Scott Card cites a partial bibliography, and discusses the historical and artistic choices he made in the telling of his tale. Be warned though --many people I have discussed this book with were so spellbound by the storytelling that they felt let-down reading the afterword. The novel is such a seamless piece of narrative that they didn't enjoy the illusion getting shattered --to a certain extent-- in the afterword as the author fully disclosed his options, choices, and justifications for telling the story the way he did. As one who enjoys deconstructing texts, however, I found the afterword to be a rare treat.
I didn't always agree with the author's interpretive choices. I felt he was purposely harsh in his depiction of Hagar and Ishmael in order to protect Sarah's reputation near the end of the story. Card also sets the time period for Abraham and Sarah as contemporary with the height of Sumerian culture --a choice I feel is centuries too early. Finally, he depicts the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as divine punishment for homosexual acts, whereas I believe that biblical passage is a story about violence, gang rape, and important cultural codes of hospitality. Lot's home town plays a relatively minor role in the novel, however, and setting the action earlier in history than is the scholarly consensus allows Card to explore a fascinating interplay between the religion of the pharaohs, Ur-of-the-North, and Abraham's God.
Quibbles aside, Sarah is a gripping, readable novel that will have you up all night finishing it and tired the next day at work. I heartily recommend it, and am looking forward to future novels in the Women of Genesis series.
PUBLISHER: Shadow Mountain, 2000; ISBN: 1-57008-994-9 (Hardcover Edition)
Sarah is the first book in what promises to be a great series of novels about the women of Genesis. As of this writing I know that a second book, Rebekah, is already out in paperback, and there may be more stories in hardcover. In any event, Sarah stands on its own as a fine piece of story-telling about the wife of a great biblical patriarch --illustrating the oft-neglected significance of the women in the Bible. Sarah is a helpful corrective to this tendency, showing her partnership with Abraham in a plausible, imaginative and meaningful way while still respecting the outlines of scripture.
Based on texts from Genesis 11-23, the Book of Abraham in The Pearl of Great Price, plus Orson Scott Card's historical research and unique interpretation of early biblical history, this book is a page-turner. I've read Card's science fiction, fantasy, mainstream novels, and now religious fiction. In every genre he is a powerful storyteller, creating characters that are vibrant, believable, and interesting. Sarah is no exception in this regard. She's depicted by Card as a strong, passionate woman whose relationships with husband Abraham and (for the purposes of the novel) sister Q'ira (Lot's wife) form a gripping dynamic that drives the plot forward from Ur-of-the-North, through Egypt, and finally to the Promised Land.
One very useful part of the novel, for those who are worried about what is true and what is made up in historical fiction, is the author's afterword at the end of the book. Here Orson Scott Card cites a partial bibliography, and discusses the historical and artistic choices he made in the telling of his tale. Be warned though --many people I have discussed this book with were so spellbound by the storytelling that they felt let-down reading the afterword. The novel is such a seamless piece of narrative that they didn't enjoy the illusion getting shattered --to a certain extent-- in the afterword as the author fully disclosed his options, choices, and justifications for telling the story the way he did. As one who enjoys deconstructing texts, however, I found the afterword to be a rare treat.
I didn't always agree with the author's interpretive choices. I felt he was purposely harsh in his depiction of Hagar and Ishmael in order to protect Sarah's reputation near the end of the story. Card also sets the time period for Abraham and Sarah as contemporary with the height of Sumerian culture --a choice I feel is centuries too early. Finally, he depicts the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as divine punishment for homosexual acts, whereas I believe that biblical passage is a story about violence, gang rape, and important cultural codes of hospitality. Lot's home town plays a relatively minor role in the novel, however, and setting the action earlier in history than is the scholarly consensus allows Card to explore a fascinating interplay between the religion of the pharaohs, Ur-of-the-North, and Abraham's God.
Quibbles aside, Sarah is a gripping, readable novel that will have you up all night finishing it and tired the next day at work. I heartily recommend it, and am looking forward to future novels in the Women of Genesis series.
PUBLISHER: Shadow Mountain, 2000; ISBN: 1-57008-994-9 (Hardcover Edition)
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