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Summary: Fleshing out a familiar story
Review: My women's book club chose The Red Tent as our first assignment, and I am so glad that we did. As a religion major in college and a former long-time Sunday School-kid, I was familiar with the main stories of Genesis (Jacob's ladder, Rachel at the well, Joseph and the Pharaoh, etc.), but this novel gave those familiar stories a new depth. By expanding the events in those twenty or so chapters of Genesis dealing with Jacob and his family into a fictional narrative, Diamant has succeeded in providing a rich, emotional story of generations facing religious, political and cultural changes. Dinah and her mothers - both real and adopted - are strong, three-dimensional characters who help provide a view of what life might have been really like in the time of Genesis, including the joys, the conflicts, and the struggles that women faced. This was an excellent book, and I can't wait to discuss it with my book club!
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Summary: A Most Beautiful Piece of Literature
Review: Dinah is mentioned briefly in the bible as Jacob's daughter who is raped by a prince. In this book, Diamand brings to her readers the rest of Dinah's story as she imagines it to have happened.
With the coming of the new moon, the women of the camp enter the red tent to wait out their monthly bleeding. This is where Dinah spends her childhood, being the only daughter among the four sisters wedded to Jacob. There she learns the life stories of Leah, Rachel, Zilpah and Bilhah, all of whom she calls her mothers.
The book is divided into three sections, all different phases in Dinah's life. Diamand writes of Dinah's relationship with each of her brothers and the circumstances which led her to flee from her family and curse their names.
The story of Dinah, the blessed midwife and mother of a prince of Egypt, is one of beauty. The majority of the Bible focuses on men, as if women had no part to play in the history of humanity. The Red Tent shows the world that women are just as strong and sound-minded as men.
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Summary: The Red Tent
Review: What a wonderful story about woman. Could not put the book down.
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Summary: Not very entertaining
Review: But it is an enriching read that brings to life the ancient ways in which women's "nature" was dealt with in primitive society.
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Summary: Couldn't put it down!
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is beautifully written, and delves into the minds of women during a particular time period in a way that any modern woman can relate to. Relationships, coming of age, the role of family, and love are all explored in this fictional account of the life of Dinah. Throughout the book, it seems as though Dinah is recounting the story of her life and family to you, personally. However, it must be kept in mind that this is a work of fiction, the idea for which came from a brief passage in the Bible. Many of the reviewers who didn't like this book cited inaccuracies with the Bible. Well, this is not the Gospel - it is fiction, and never claims to be the word of God. And it is no detriment to the book whatsoever. I loved this book, though it was a bit depressing at times (but not enough to make me wish to stop reading). There is a message of hope within it, and Diamant's exploration of emotions and humanity are well done and easily read. I highly recommend it.
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Summary: Stunning fiction, impressive history.
Review: This work was a delight, and really brought the concept of life in ancient times alive in a rare and compelling manner. I loved the way the main character evolves; how the PR that's been reported about her life didn't match true events; and the sheer humanity of her generation and their lifestyle. I thought this book brought genuine insight into the teachings of the Bible, and wish there were more like it.
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Summary: A wonderful gateway into the world of our founders
Review: Upon recieving THE RED TENT, I had been very reluctant and unwilling to commit to such a long and seemingly difficult book. I was unsure I wanted to even read about a biblical character that had nothing to do with my life, but by the second sentence of the first page, I knew this book was made for me. Upon meeting Dinah, her friendly and mysterious tone serves for an amazing story telling that seems almost common, as though Dinah and you, yourself, are sisters. Through Dinah, a deep, and sometimes depressing, light is shone uopn the ancient lives of women and "the red tent"; the place where the "women" went every month and rested during their cycle of life. Being the only girl in the story, Dinah is expossed to much as a child that most women are only introduced to much later on in their lives. Her story is filled with hate, tears (both good and bad), scandal, revenge, honor, but most of all, it's filled with love. This tale is one that is most nessesary to not only read, but to pass on to our daughters, and hers after that, and so on. It's important that Dinah's story is never forgotten and her memory lives on inside us all...Please read this, for the sake of your self. No dissapointment is possible.
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Summary: Not entirely satisfying
Review: This isn't a badly written book, but it isn't very satisfying, either. The story is very grim (if I'd remembered this part of the Old Testament I would probably not have been that interested in reading this novel), and because the author has chosen to span Dinah's entire lifetime, it ends up feeling rather episodic, with several long expanses of time summarized very briefly. The characterization is fairly well done, but Dinah's two love affairs aren't very believable. Both men are absolutely perfect in every way, and when she first meets them, there is no awkwardness as they're getting to know each other -- in fact, in both cases, there's no dialogue at all. They walk together in perfect companionship, without the need to speak to each other, and go straight to bed to make perfect love. I could have ignored this if it happened only once, but because it happens twice, it feels like the author didn't want to do the hard work of showing the beginning of these relationships in a believable way.
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Summary: On my top 10 list!
Review: I was hesitant to read The Red Tent at first- I wasn't looking for a heavy, religous book. I decided to read it because my mom kept telling me how much I'd love it. It turned out to be one of the BEST books I've ever read. It is a very colorful story set in an exotic time and place about as far from my life as you can get! It is a book that I feel all women should read- and read together if they can! Diamant does a wonderful job of exploring the many complex and important relationships women share with each other throughout their lives. It is a beautiful story- I promise you will not be disappointed!
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Summary: Thought provoking and entertaining work of fiction
Review: This is a fictional account of the Dinah story, which like most concerning women in the Bible, is told very, very briefly. So no matter what Diamant chose to write, much of it would have to be invented. I can understand why some would be upset at the changing of events, such as Joseph's encounter with Potiphar's wife. But I do not understand the hubbub concerning the male characters in the story. First of all, many of the patriarchs were loved by God because of their faith, not beacuse of any inherent goodness, much like Christians are saved through grace and not because we are qualified. Many of these men were polygamists, something Jesus condemned in the New Testament, and however you look at it, being a 2nd 3rd or 4th wife couldn't have been a holiday for any of these women. Jacob cheated his brother, Abraham prostituted his wife (to Pharoah b/c he was afraid), David used his power as king to sleep with another man's wife and have that man killed. These were great men b/c of their faith in God and their willingness to repent and trust in God over and over again, and ultimately to follow that God whereever he led them. That does not mean that they were perfect (or great) husband or fathers. Look at how David handled the rape of his daughter. One reader didn;t like the way that Diamant changes the circumstances of Dinah's "rape". I find equally disturbing the storyline in "Unspoken" (francine rivers) that has Bathsheba harboring a hidden love for David. The Bible says only that David saw her, wanted her, slept with her, and killed her husband to get her. Let's not forget that under Jewish law, a married woman who was raped and did not cry out for whateever reason was killed. An unmarried woman in the same circumstances was married off to her rapist. The Red Tent does not present a particularly endearing portrait of males, but why would it? Women were property - their lives were completely controlled by men. Females slaves cost less than male slaves. Any injury to a woman had to be paid to her male guardian. Men were never barren in the Old Testament (a few were too old), only the women were...The family trees only occasionally mention a woman's name, etc, etc... Deborah was an exception. Esther, well those of you who know your Bible history also know that the book almost didn't make it into the canon (not b/c it centers on a woman, but in part, b/c it does not appear to focus on God)
The point of all this - in an unequal system, there is going to widespread abuse and of all the characters in the Bible, women were often the most vulnerable and didn't have the rights that they do today. It is unreasonable to suggest that a story told from a woman's point of view would make no mention of their frustrations and difficulties living in such a society. You've got how many women married to one man, and he really only loves one of them. It's not an enviable situation..... Finally, the Jewish nation was monotheistic, but that is after God called them as a people to serve Him. Before that time, they likely engaged in idol worship. We know for certain that some of them continued to engage in idol worship and hold on to superstitions and unGodly practices throughout the centuries, b/c God continually called them to task for it. How many times was Israel punished for serving other gods? It's been a while since I read the book, but I really enjoyed it b/c it was about women and it addressed some of the touchy issues that "religious" fiction often fails to touch. Of course, I am familiar with the Old Testament and I have read the Biblical version of this story. I also know that the OT contains many very disturbing and violent stories concerning God's people. I think that depending on how you read it, The Red Tent can encourage you to really think about the lives of the countless women who lived in Biblical times, but go unnamed or unmentioned.
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