Official Review: The Bible According to Eve

[RachelEmmanuel]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Bible According to Eve" by Hadassah Alderson.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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It was the description - which states that the book is a religious retelling of the stories of the women of the Hebrew Bible, written from a female perspective - that drew me to read The Bible According to Eve by Hadassah Alderson. As a Christian, the Torah holds a place of great value in my life, because I believe it to be divinely inspired by God and the genesis of my faith. While not claiming to be a scholar, I consider myself fairly well versed in the five books of Moses, having read them several dozen times over my lifetime. The women of the Torah are especially important to me because I see them as heroines and role models, mothers to entire nations birthing the three major religions of the world. I expected to read the stories that I know and love written from their point of view, and I was excited at the prospect.

As soon as I started reading the book, however, I realized that the description of the book was- to put it mildly- inaccurate. While the female characters in The Bible According to Eve are all in the Torah, the stories written about them were completely unfamiliar. After doing some research, I discovered that the stories in Alderson's book of poetry are actually taken from the Midrash: an ancient commentary on the Torah. While I do not intend to comment on another belief or faith, it is immediately evident that some of these stories are different and often contrary to traditional beliefs.

One of the poems in The Bible according to Eve states that Adam had a wife before Eve. Another mentions Isaac being molested by Ishmael. Another poem details the unrequited romantic affection that Leah's maid, Zilpah, harbored for Leah. Yet another declares that Moses' Egyptian mother never tasted death but was taken directly into heaven. These are just some examples of the stories that I took exception to in the book. My issue is not with the stories themselves- I understand that they have a place in the Orthodox faith- but with the assertion that these stories are Biblical. And while I'm sure there is an argument to be made for semantics as far is what is considered Biblical, I believe the ethical thing would have been for the author to have clarified that this book actually narrates the stories of the Midrash. This would then give readers such as myself, the opportunity to decide whether or not we wished to read a narrative that is, in some cases, offensive to our own beliefs.

As far as the poetry is concerned, the narrative is free verse. It cleverly blends the ancient with the modern.The language is strong at times and pretty at other times, and flows well. My favorite poem was the story of Ruth and her romance with Boaz. This book would probably do well with those who believe in the Midrash or with people who are interested in the stories contained in it.

There are a few typos in and I believe the book would benefit from another round of editing. In an attempt to be fair, I am rating this book 3 out of 4 stars, basing it solely on my opinion of the quality of the poetry. Had my opinion of some of the content of the book not been colored by my religious beliefs, I believe I would have enjoyed it more.

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The Bible According to Eve
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[AnnOgochukwu]

Awww. I understand your feelings about this book. When I saw the title of the book, I too was eager to read your review and know what it was about. I had imagined it was a fictional but correlating account of the women's story - something similar to Francine Rivers' work, or something like the last book I read 'The legacy of Job's wife '. But I was kinda shocked by your examples of the ideas the book contains.
I think it's commendable that you were still able to give this book a fair score, despite that you disagree with its content. And, I enjoyed reading your review.

[RachelEmmanuel]

Thanks for the comment! I tried finding out more about the book before I read it but I couldn't find any full reviews. I'm glad I'm able to provide some information so that other readers can make an informed decision about whether they want to read this book.

[Elvis Best]

I have read most of the stories in the Bible that I wonder how this book retells them. Thanks for the insightful review, Rachel. Excellent work!

[Priyanka2304]

Although I am not that religious, but I would love to see how this book is different from the actual bible.