Official Review: Enjoying Genesis: The Bible in Rhyme
Posted: 24 Sep 2016, 15:47
[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Enjoying Genesis: The Bible in Rhyme" by Marcia Goldlist.]
4 out of 4 stars
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Enjoying Genesis by Marcia Goldlist is a unique take on standard bible stories.
Told completely in AABB rhyming style, the book of Genesis is turned into a work of epic poetry. The story begins in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. Then moving onto Noah as he builds his Ark for the coming flood. Then it jumps forward to Abraham and follows his journey as he meets his wife Sarah. Together they begin to build a great nation with their children and grandchildren. In simple wording and well flowing rhymes, the stories come to life and are easy to understand. As the author perfectly titled it, you will be throughly enjoying the book of Genesis.
From a young childhood, I have heard various stories of the bible, yet I have never taken the time to really read more than a few passages at a time. To be completely honest, the bible tends to be boring after a while, so many Thou Shalts and other olden age words that make my eyes glaze over after long periods.
When this book became available, I was immediately drawn to it, hoping that I would find reading parts of the Bible easier. I have to admit that at first it felt very corny to me. The rhymes were simple. However, they proved to be very effective. Before I knew it I was out of Eden and following the story of Noah.
“God told Noah exactly how to make an ark of wood,
And only what was in this ark would survive; Noah understood.
So Noah set about making the ark which was to be three levels high,
So that he and the animals and their food would all stay dry."
Reading was easy, and the rhymes flowed naturally as the story progressed. I was able to revisit old stories that I had known from a young age and learn new parts of the bible that I had never read about or understood.
A funny part is about Jacob’s sons Levi and Simeon. When they found out that their sister Dinah had been wrongly abused by a prince, they made a bargain with him. He would be allowed to marry their sister, if he and all the men in his city were circumcised. Three days later, every man had undergone the treatment and were still in immense pain. Levi and Simeon raised up against the city and killed all the men in vengeance of their sister. While it’s a violent part, I found their plan to be very clever.
There really were no flaws I could find in this book. It is a different interpretation of the bible, it followed the stories exactly and did not add anything that shouldn't be there. While the rhyming was different for me to read, it was easy to enjoy after a few pages. The editing was great, I found no misspellings or grammar errors.
I would highly recommend this book to everyone! Whether you are sharing this with a child or reading the book of Genesis on your own. Even though it is a book of the Bible, I think that all walks of faith could find enjoyment out of it. It reads more like a collection of stories than it does a book of commandments. I eagerly look forward to her next book Enjoying Exodus. I would rate it a 4 out of 4 stars!
******
Enjoying Genesis: The Bible in Rhyme
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like Lauren M's review? Post a comment saying so!
4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Enjoying Genesis by Marcia Goldlist is a unique take on standard bible stories.
Told completely in AABB rhyming style, the book of Genesis is turned into a work of epic poetry. The story begins in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. Then moving onto Noah as he builds his Ark for the coming flood. Then it jumps forward to Abraham and follows his journey as he meets his wife Sarah. Together they begin to build a great nation with their children and grandchildren. In simple wording and well flowing rhymes, the stories come to life and are easy to understand. As the author perfectly titled it, you will be throughly enjoying the book of Genesis.
From a young childhood, I have heard various stories of the bible, yet I have never taken the time to really read more than a few passages at a time. To be completely honest, the bible tends to be boring after a while, so many Thou Shalts and other olden age words that make my eyes glaze over after long periods.
When this book became available, I was immediately drawn to it, hoping that I would find reading parts of the Bible easier. I have to admit that at first it felt very corny to me. The rhymes were simple. However, they proved to be very effective. Before I knew it I was out of Eden and following the story of Noah.
“God told Noah exactly how to make an ark of wood,
And only what was in this ark would survive; Noah understood.
So Noah set about making the ark which was to be three levels high,
So that he and the animals and their food would all stay dry."
Reading was easy, and the rhymes flowed naturally as the story progressed. I was able to revisit old stories that I had known from a young age and learn new parts of the bible that I had never read about or understood.
A funny part is about Jacob’s sons Levi and Simeon. When they found out that their sister Dinah had been wrongly abused by a prince, they made a bargain with him. He would be allowed to marry their sister, if he and all the men in his city were circumcised. Three days later, every man had undergone the treatment and were still in immense pain. Levi and Simeon raised up against the city and killed all the men in vengeance of their sister. While it’s a violent part, I found their plan to be very clever.
There really were no flaws I could find in this book. It is a different interpretation of the bible, it followed the stories exactly and did not add anything that shouldn't be there. While the rhyming was different for me to read, it was easy to enjoy after a few pages. The editing was great, I found no misspellings or grammar errors.
I would highly recommend this book to everyone! Whether you are sharing this with a child or reading the book of Genesis on your own. Even though it is a book of the Bible, I think that all walks of faith could find enjoyment out of it. It reads more like a collection of stories than it does a book of commandments. I eagerly look forward to her next book Enjoying Exodus. I would rate it a 4 out of 4 stars!
******
Enjoying Genesis: The Bible in Rhyme
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like Lauren M's review? Post a comment saying so!
