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Summary: The Red Tent: not just another "women`s novel"
Review: This book is one of the most fascinating reads that I`ve encountered in the last 5 years! I suppose that I am kind of its target audience. After all, I`m female, I love the Bible and history, and I like learning about women in different cultures. But there`s plenty in this story to interest you no matter what your gender and personal likes [though it does help if you`re into anthropology a bit]. It`s all about an ancient Hebrew woman called Dinah, who is mentioned briefly in the Biblical book of Genesis. Diamant fleshes out her tale quite extensively, giving us both an individual woman`s life story and a well-researched view of an ancient women`s culture which celebrates every stage of the life cycle. The most vivid and well-written section, I feel, deals with the history of Dinah`s mother and aunts, which segues into an account of her idyllic childhood spent under their tutelage. Each family member has a special quality or skill which she emulates, and she evantually becomes a talented midwife like her aunt Rachel. In Dinah`s world, menstruation is not a shameful secret or galling inconvenience, but instead is celebrated as a joyful entrance into womanhood. It also obtains one`s admission to the Red Tent[although Dinah, as the only girl in her family, is allowed to stay there from childhood]. There is a role for every female in Diamant`s ancient society. Dinah, Rachel, and Dinah`s friend Meryt are midwives; her mother Leah is a skillful weaver and baker;Werenro is a singer and mystic. There are disturbing forebodings of how these matriarchal ways will be eliminated and absorbed into the male culture, as in the story of Werenro, raped and mutilated because she serves female deities. But there are also signs of hope that the original kinship among women will be regained. The male characters in the novel also must undergo rites of passage and of emotional growth: for example, Joseph, Dinah`s half-brother, has to deal with his sense of displacement in Egypt and with bitterness toward their father and brothers. The story is amazing in its ability to get one both loving the characters and enjoying the historical details: kind of like a combination of Alice Walker and Mary Renault. My only major beef with the plot is that the transition from Dinah`s former life in Palestine to her new one in Egypt is a little too neatly done: would`nt it have been more of a financial and emotional struggle? But this certainly does not deter from the overall message of the book. Definitely worth reading and re-reading.
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Summary: God Works in Mysterious Ways--Dinah is Proof
Review: That's exactly what the book is--a journey. It is a timeless one that each and every woman makes, no matter what the culture or the time. Understanding traditions that are different from our own was difficult, even back in Bible times. Share Dinah's journey from girl to grown woman, loved family member to outcast, and back to loved family member once again. This is a book to treasure and a book to share with everyone you know.
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Summary: Superb Retelling of A Familiar Story
Review: Upon finishing The Red Tent, I was struck by the strong similarities it had with The Mists of Avalon. The most obvious similarity is that both books retell a familiar story from the point of view of a (previously) minor female character. However, I thought that the strongest links between The Red Tent and The Mists of Avalon were those that make them successful fiction. Both books have vivid settings, realistic characters, strong dialogue, and an epic scope that is respectful of the original source material. Still, The Red Tent should not be seen as a ripoff of The Mists of Avalon. Instead, it is a stunningly original work that shares many characteristics with other successful retellings of old myths. Those who are familiar with the original tale and those who aren't will find a fascinating story that is worth reading.
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Summary: Fufilling Read for Women
Review: Our book club read "The Red Tent" and thoroughly enjoyed it. We are made up of Christian women, and while "El" the God of Jacob doesn't act as a character in the book, we found the Jewish and pagan perspectives insightful. Most of us hadn't thought about the harsh life women during Dinah's time would have endured and were especially pleased with the fortifying relationships the women had with one another. I liked the romance between Jacob and his wives and relished the birthing stories. Dinah's encouraging relationship with four mothers inspired me to be more positive with my own daughter. Diamant definitely brings the passions of Dinah to life in a way that the Bible totally leaves out. We found the ending satisfying as well. I've recommended it as a very good read to my friends. Don't expect the typical Biblical characterizations here - Diamant reads deep into the character's circumstances and creates motivations and dialog based on them. A worthwhile read and purchase!
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Summary: An unusual read
Review: This novel is based on the story of Jacob in the Bible, but it is written from a woman's point of view. The story is told by Dinah, daughter of Jacob and his four wives. The Red Tent is where the women go when having their periods or giving birth, so five days out of the month they are in the tent. Not a bad idea if you get bad PMS! Maybe we should bring it back!Anyway, if you are not familiar with the Old Testament of the Bible, you may want to read the story of Jacob first before you read this novel as it will help to make more sense to you. If you are familiar with the Old testament, you will probably enjoy the story more than your typical religious lesson would allow. It is a good way to learn more about the Bible if you find reading the Bible too dry. The author tends to personalize the characters very well which makes them easier to identify with--she makes them more human and realistic. I enjoyed this book!
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Summary: obsessed with sex
Review: I found the book to be teribbly obsessed with one thing, and one thing only - sex. While realizing that Biblical people were human and certainly procreated, this book seemed to be more about one woman's fictional sexual growth than about the truths that are in the Bible. The book jacket says that this book is the way the Bible would have been written if it had been written by a female. I think not.
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Summary: A worthwhile read
Review: This was one of the best books I've read in a long time. Diamant's female characters are fully realized,beautiful and flawed. Neither are they secondary to the men-- they have their own tales and culture that in many ways is completely distinct from their husbands and brothers.
This book artfully renders the mother-daughter relationship in a time when no one paid much attentions to daughter or mothers.
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Summary: Wow!
Review: I read this book with no expectations of enjoying it. Was I ever surprised. I found Anita Diamant to be a fantastic story teller, and would highly recommend this book. For me, it was one of those books I had a hard time setting down, and I was sad when it ended. I just wanted to keep reading and reading.
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Summary: A great piece of fiction
Review: A wonderful book overall and a nice job at a very popular theme --giving voice to minor characters. I was surprised that this was not a particularly biblical book. The seed of Judaism is only a small part of the story, and the God of the Bible has no real presence. This is why I do not agree with some reviewers who are upset with the book as "not historical fiction," or somehow lacking true biblical knowledge. While I believe Ms Diamant is very familiar with the stories on which this is based, I also believe she was writing fiction - a story from the perspective of a woman at the turn of the 21st century. I found the story compelling and extremely readable.
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Summary: Roots of a long, long war...seeds of love eternal
Review: The Red Tent was a gift to me from my sister-friend, Diana. I began reading it in late August, 2001...completing it in short time, enjoying every unfolding scene. I began to realize that this "ancient story" is one that has not ended, but has continued over hundreds and hundreds of years.
In an effort to take in the events of 9/11...to understand " the roots of our world in conflict" I re-visited The Red Tent and found a story that now has become a daily focus in our media. The story of the tribal woman and her humble, compassionate ways of serving, in order to survive in a world dominated by raw male, animal instinct.; his warring nature. Reading The Red Tent, you will find a study of the roots of men at war and the constant effort of tribal women to plant seeds of love...with each passing of the lunar cycle for them comes a new opportunity. The keys to understanding the mystery of this current cycle of challenges we know as modern life, are given in this wonderful story. I applaude Ms. Diamant's storytelling skill and the colorful pictures she paints with her words. This book is a blessing. Share it with your son, your daughter and your mom...Don't miss it!
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