A lyrical but simplified rendition of the Bible that divorces verses from their literary contexts.
Writing that “the purpose of this book is to display wonderful verses selected for their beauty,” Gebhart and Graul provide readers with encouraging extracts as they walk them sequentially through the Bible book by book. With only a handful of verses presented from each book, the collection largely leaves out narrative passages as it zeroes in on motivational lines. The chapters on Exodus, Numbers, and Joshua, for instance, omit the underlying stories of the Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt and the 40 years spent wandering in the desert before conquering the Promised Land. Instead, they focus on verses like Numbers 6:24-26 (the only passage from Numbers in the volume), in which God promises to “make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee.” Some books, such as the Song of Solomon in the Old Testament and 2 Thessalonians in the New Testament, are skipped entirely. Likewise, none of the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox deuterocanonical books that were in the original King James Version of 1611 appear in this compilation, which makes for a distinctly Protestant biblical survey. Like some of Gebhart’s other works, such as Favorite Bible Verses (2015), this uplifting volume is an easily digestible introduction to the Bible in its aversion to problematic, violent, and controversial passages. The authors’ choice to use the poetic lyricism of the King James Version complements this approach, which emphasizes style and inspiration. But without narrative passages or editorial commentary, many of the verses come without any of the prerequisite context needed to fully grasp their meanings. Additionally, while the authors suggest in the foreword that they, in part, wrote the work because “Scripture can prove scripture,” the lack of editorial guidance will cause readers to parse for themselves which verses seemingly “prove” others. By reducing the Bible to feel-good aphorisms, the collection also counterproductively risks turning a complex, ancient holy book into an extended greeting card chock-full of clichéd one-liners.
A lyrical but simplified rendition of the Bible that divorces verses from their literary contexts.Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-53-748111-1
Page Count: 258
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A virtuoso performance and an ode to an undervalued medium created by two talented artists.
The veteran actor, comedian, and banjo player teams up with the acclaimed illustrator to create a unique book of cartoons that communicates their personalities.
Martin, also a prolific author, has always been intrigued by the cartoons strewn throughout the pages of the New Yorker. So when he was presented with the opportunity to work with Bliss, who has been a staff cartoonist at the magazine since 1997, he seized the moment. “The idea of a one-panel image with or without a caption mystified me,” he writes. “I felt like, yeah, sometimes I’m funny, but there are these other weird freaks who are actually funny.” Once the duo agreed to work together, they established their creative process, which consisted of working forward and backward: “Forwards was me conceiving of several cartoon images and captions, and Harry would select his favorites; backwards was Harry sending me sketched or fully drawn cartoons for dialogue or banners.” Sometimes, he writes, “the perfect joke occurs two seconds before deadline.” There are several cartoons depicting this method, including a humorous multipanel piece highlighting their first meeting called “They Meet,” in which Martin thinks to himself, “He’ll never be able to translate my delicate and finely honed droll notions.” In the next panel, Bliss thinks, “I’m sure he won’t understand that the comic art form is way more subtle than his blunt-force humor.” The team collaborated for a year and created 150 cartoons featuring an array of topics, “from dogs and cats to outer space and art museums.” A witty creation of a bovine family sitting down to a gourmet meal and one of Dumbo getting his comeuppance highlight the duo’s comedic talent. What also makes this project successful is the team’s keen understanding of human behavior as viewed through their unconventional comedic minds.
A virtuoso performance and an ode to an undervalued medium created by two talented artists.Pub Date: Nov. 17, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-26289-9
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Celadon Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
PERSPECTIVES
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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