Unexpectedly sunny versions of some of Scripture’s most famous narratives with some useful takeaways.
A Christian author’s account of humorous stories from the Bible.
The Old and New Testaments have plenty of moments of violence, betrayal, and tragedy, so it may at first seem like a nearly impossible task to enumerate its humorous moments. But Reese (Victorious!, 2017) is nothing if not persistent, and she adopts a jocular tone as she relates various biblical tales in a lighthearted way. When she retells the story of Jonah, for instance, and gets to the point where he stubbornly refuses to prophesy to Nineveh, she writes, “I believe God probably found Jonah’s theatrics comical as well as pitiful, which is why He didn’t wring his stiff little neck and put him in his place.” In writing about Elijah, she describes his struggles against Baal as “more exhausting than John Wick’s fight scenes.” And when she’s writing about rare instances of actual humor in the Bible, such as a scene in which St. Paul literally talks a man named Eutychus to death, her prose is particularly enthusiastic: “He was also a notoriously incessant talker,” she writes. “Yep, you heard right. He was a ‘chatterbox’, ‘motormouth’, ‘chatty-Cathy’, ‘gum-flapper’ aka ‘Sir Talks-a lot’.” This has a cumulative cheering effect, and Reese broadens it in several ways; she includes detailed, colored maps to illustrate the stories, and her textual commentaries skillfully find deeper lessons in them. About the travails of Tamar, for instance, she writes, “One lesson learned here is, don’t let anyone come between you and your dreams because God’s got big plans for you if you’re bold enough to take it.” About Samson, she points out that he acts without fear and tells readers that “we all should ask God for this type of courage in similar situations.” Christian parents will particularly enjoy sharing this book with their children.
Unexpectedly sunny versions of some of Scripture’s most famous narratives with some useful takeaways.Pub Date: April 28, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-981715-18-3
Page Count: 168
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: June 19, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
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