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Reading Genesis Hardcover – March 12, 2024
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INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
One of our greatest novelists and thinkers presents a radiant, thrilling interpretation of the book of Genesis.
For generations, the book of Genesis has been treated by scholars as a collection of documents by various hands, expressing different factional interests, with borrowings from other ancient literatures that mark the text as derivative. In other words, academic interpretation of Genesis has centered on the question of its basic coherency, just as fundamentalist interpretation has centered on the question of the appropriateness of reading it as literally true.
Both of these approaches preclude an appreciation of its greatness as literature, its rich articulation and exploration of themes that resonate through the whole of Scripture. Marilynne Robinson’s Reading Genesis, which includes the full text of the King James Version of the book, is a powerful consideration of the profound meanings and promise of God’s enduring covenant with humanity. This magisterial book radiates gratitude for the constancy and benevolence of God’s abiding faith in Creation.
- Print length352 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherFarrar, Straus and Giroux
- Publication dateMarch 12, 2024
- Dimensions5.85 x 1.15 x 8.55 inches
- ISBN-100374299404
- ISBN-13978-0374299408
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Praise for Reading Genesis by Marilynne Robinson
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Editorial Reviews
Review
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
"Extraordinary . . . a writer’s book, not a scholar’s; it has no footnotes. Its power lies in the particular reading it gives us of one of the world’s foundational texts, which is also one of the foundations of the Pulitzer Prize-winning author’s mind and faith. We want to know what Robinson thinks of Genesis for the same reason we’d want to know what Tolstoy thought of it.” ―Francis Spufford, The New York Times Book Review
“Alluring, contemplative . . . Robinson considers the weighty issues in clear-eyed prose; her close readings compel us to imagine these characters anew . . . The selling of Joseph into Egyptian bondage is an artful essay unto itself, gleaming like a Fabergé egg amid cerebral analysis.” ―Hamilton Cain, Boston Globe
“Like so much of Robinson’s writing, [Reading Genesis] is alive with questions of kindness, community and how to express what we so often struggle to put into words.” ―David Marchese, New York Times Magazine
"The genius of Reading Genesis lies in its collapse of the space between the holy and the mundane, the metaphysical and the physical." ―Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic
“[Robinson] occupies a unique place in American culture today . . . readers look to [her] for a certain kind of book that no one else provides―gracious, grave, radiant, and revelatory, with a distinctly anachronistic tinge . . . As a work of biblical commentary, Reading Genesis might be a departure from the historical novels and collections of essays that she is known for, but it is also a natural next step.” ―Briallen Hopper, New Republic
“A brilliantly fresh reading of familiar stories, highlighting both the small details we might miss and the large-scale shifts in understanding that the storytelling represents . . . [Reading Genesis] invites us to take time in reading the stories again, in the company of an exceptionally wise and perceptive storyteller, one of the foremost novelists today in the English language . . . a work of exceptional wisdom and imagination, a real model of how to read the biblical text with the eyes of an adult faith.” ―Archbishop Rowan Williams, The Telegraph (UK)
“Marilynne Robinson has managed to thread the theme of goodness into her entire body of work . . .[In] Reading Genesis, she does it once again, unfolding a tapestry of ideas drawn from her keen exploration of the first book of the Bible . . . [Robinson] seeks a deeper understanding of goodness that transcends any particular faith tradition.” ―Joan Taylor, Christian Science Monitor
“[A] rich and provoking study . . . Robinson finds a way to produce a powerful meditation on hope at a time when that virtue is generally in short supply . . . In luminous prose she challenges a modern reader to understand just how unusual a book Genesis is, pregnant with meaning that stretches to our own day.” ―Julian Coman, The Guardian (UK)
“Robinson’s sharp literary eye and clear, lyrical prose shine new light on some of our oldest stories . . . Readers will find astute insights on the power and gravity of human agency, and even some hope.” ―Delaney Coyne, America
"In this illuminating work of biblical analysis, Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist Robinson, whose Gilead series contains a variety of Christian themes, takes readers on a dedicated layperson’s journey through the Book of Genesis. The author meanders delightfully through the text, ruminating on one tale after another while searching for themes and mining for universal truths . . . [A] luminous exegesis." ―Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Robinson skillfully melds her literary interpretation with her theological one . . . Like the biblical book it explicates, Robinson’s offering is demanding, intense, and best read slowly." ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A literary, scholarly, and personal reading of Genesis . . . Throughout this deeply involving and enlightening exegesis, Robinson links Genesis to the profound dilemmas of our time." ―Donna Seaman, Booklist
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Farrar, Straus and Giroux (March 12, 2024)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 352 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0374299404
- ISBN-13 : 978-0374299408
- Item Weight : 1.11 pounds
- Dimensions : 5.85 x 1.15 x 8.55 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #4,372 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Marilynne Robinson is the author of the bestselling novels "Lila," "Home" (winner of the Orange Prize), "Gilead" (winner of the Pulitzer Prize), and "Housekeeping" (winner of the PEN/Hemingway Award).
She has also written four books of nonfiction, "When I Was a Child I Read Books," "Absence of Mind," "Mother Country" and "The Death of Adam." She teaches at the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop.
She has been given honorary degrees from Brown University, the University of the South, Holy Cross, Notre Dame, Amherst, Skidmore, and Oxford University. She was also elected a fellow of Mansfield College, Oxford University.
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As a lover of stories and a student of the Bible, and someone who is especially fond of the Old Testament stories, this book is challenging and changing the way I look at the Genesis narrative. It ties the narratives together in rich and meaning-filled ah ha moments for me. While drawing contrast and comparisons with other well known sources - such as the Enuma elish - Robinson explains the unique historical purpose of Genesis. This is a well researched and thoughtful work and everyone who loves the Bible and wonders about how it all fits together needs to read and discuss this book.
Nineteen days after its publication date, “Reading Genesis” has attracted only 26 Amazon reviews. I’d argue this has nothing to do with its value or quality. Instead, I fear there aren’t many readers interested in what Robinson is doing here.
This is an excellent book if you’re clear-eyed regarding what it is and is not. It isn’t theology or line-by-line exegesis, though Robinson clearly knows her Scripture and the associated scholarly literature. Nor is it a spiritual meditation, though there are more than a few deep spiritual insights. It’s certainly not apologetics; she betrays no interest in winning debates or making converts of her readers. And frankly, while it’s beautifully written, it’s not an easy read; the prose is dense because her arguments are nuanced.
What then is this book? It’s literary criticism at its best, presented by a first-rate scholar and world-class novelist (Pulitzer Prize, 2005). It’s an eye-opening tour of the big ideas surrounding Genesis: the questions it seeks to address and the answers it proposes; how culture, history, and context inform the message and the way the world perceives it; its relationship to other Biblical and extra-Biblical literature. And the book is far more than a generic survey: Robinson offers her own fascinating perspectives and strong, compelling views, reflecting a lifetime of careful study and reflection. She seems especially interested in exploring how the worldview expressed in Genesis differs from that of neighboring contemporaneous cultures. I particularly liked the way she holds up to the light the profound and important ways in which Genesis is spectacularly unique.
Robinson is Christian, so Genesis is of course spiritually important to her. But “Reading Genesis” will appeal to readers who see things differently, including those outside Judeo-Christian traditions. Cultural literacy in the Western world demands knowledge of the Bible; its impact is so pervasive we often don’t even recognize it. Regardless of your views on spirituality and religion, this book will enlighten and enrich you without the slightest hint of proselytizing.
I do have one complaint that I share with other reviewers: I was surprised and frustrated that the book has no citations. Robinson rarely even provides chapter references for Scriptural passages she’s discussing or quoting. I’m confident she had reasons for this quirky stylistic choice, but I think it was a mistake. She frequently observes that “there’s a note in my Bible that says…”. This strikes me as an odd phrase in a work of this kind; I think it feels amateurish rather than homey, and it fails to give credit where it’s due. I suspect the publisher of her Bible and the author(s) of its notes would agree.
If Ms. Robinson is interested in communicating her ideas, I hope she rewrites a second edition. She could get some editorial comments from readers not familiar with theology, religious literary criticism and cross-cultural criticisms of creation stories.
I wondered about Ms. Robinson being (supposedly) proud about having no footnotes. I believe that particular comment in the book was directed towards her critics, however footnotes would be helpful to the average reader. A glossary, a few references would be friendly. Instead it seemed like the book was "throwing down a gauntlet" of sorts as in "argue with this if you wish". I just was hoping for some insights on Genesis. Perhaps I need to get a doctorate in literary criticism or theology, or both.
A fortunate thing in picking up this book (as part of a church discussion group) is that I bought one of her fiction books and very much enjoy it! I found it magical. The writing carried me away. I did not have to google anything.
Writing a book in the world of ideas is a different sort of matter than writing fiction. It really is nice for an author to care about being clear in their presentation of ideas.
Top reviews from other countries
It would have made a great article, a punchy paragraph but it should not have gone on, and on, to be a book.
I’m not being nasty or personal or offensive. This wasn’t for me. Sorry