Rating: 
Summary: Hard to put down - I stayed up half the night reading it!
Review: This book is worth reading for anyone who thinks the Bible is sanctimonious and boring. The writing is very easy to read, and I would have gotten through the book much faster except I kept stopping to look through my copy of the Bible (the Oxford Study Bible) to see how it told each of the stories presented by Kirsch. (You don't need to have a Bible handy to read the book -- Kirsch includes quotes from the King James Version for each story -- but I wanted to compare it with one of the latest translations as well.)For those who want to find out more about the *really* sexy stuff in the Bible, "The Song of Songs" by Ariel Bloch and Chana Bloch reveals the real meaning of the allegories and veiled references in the Song of Solomon that would have been readily understood by the piece's contemporary audience but are now mostly missed or explained away.
Rating: 
Summary: Very interesting subject, writing style is hard to read...
Review: This is a book I thoroughly enjoyed. I bought it because it seemed a little more "entertaining" than most books that take a hard look at the Bible, but I was caught off guard by the degree of insight contained within. Not only does Kirsch artfully present six of the "forbidden" stories in such a way that they come alive, but he also offers a good deal of background to help you understand the cultural significance of the stories, as well as some insight into what they say about the whole Bible. The stories are not going to be unfamiliar to anyone who has really read the Old Testament. It's not like these stories are hidden and can only be found "between the lines." They are just stories that seem so preposterous, so dissonent with the message you hear in Sunday School or from the pulpit that rather than look at them, we ignore them. Kirsch makes the argument that not only is that denial not necessary, it's even harmful to our understanding! These stories underscore the humanity of the characters and the writers of the Bible, making it far more rich and interesting than the few sterile verses that constitute the average person's understanding of the bible. The stories he relates in literary form include the tale of Lot's daughters, the rape of Jacob's daughter Dinah, the story of Judah and his daughter-in-law Tamar, how Moses' wife Zipporah saved him from being killed by God, the gang-rape and murder of a Levite's concubine, and the rape of David's daughter Tamar. Coupled with these principal stories is a smattering of other tidbits, including the story of Jacob wrestling with God (and defeating Him!) and the lusty excesses of King David and his sons. You won't believe what you read, and you won't want to put it down! While I highly recommend this book, I only rate it four stars because there seems to be *some* unwillingness to admit the degree to which the stories he relates are radically sexist, and their interpretations as well as their implications stem from a horribily sexist, misguided culture, one which may contribute to the perpetuation of such nonsense to this day. Kirsch is a little too forgiving for my blood, and thus only 4 stars. Otherwise, I have no complaints and will recommend this book frequently.
Rating: 
Summary: Surprisingly Insightful
Review: This is a book I thoroughly enjoyed. I bought it because it seemed a little more "entertaining" than most books that take a hard look at the Bible, but I was caught off guard by the degree of insight contained within. Not only does Kirsch artfully present six of the "forbidden" stories in such a way that they come alive, but he also offers a good deal of background to help you understand the cultural significance of the stories, as well as some insight into what they say about the whole Bible. The stories are not going to be unfamiliar to anyone who has really read the Old Testament. It's not like these stories are hidden and can only be found "between the lines." They are just stories that seem so preposterous, so dissonent with the message you hear in Sunday School or from the pulpit that rather than look at them, we ignore them. Kirsch makes the argument that not only is that denial not necessary, it's even harmful to our understanding! These stories underscore the humanity of the characters and the writers of the Bible, making it far more rich and interesting than the few sterile verses that constitute the average person's understanding of the bible. The stories he relates in literary form include the tale of Lot's daughters, the rape of Jacob's daughter Dinah, the story of Judah and his daughter-in-law Tamar, how Moses' wife Zipporah saved him from being killed by God, the gang-rape and murder of a Levite's concubine, and the rape of David's daughter Tamar. Coupled with these principal stories is a smattering of other tidbits, including the story of Jacob wrestling with God (and defeating Him!) and the lusty excesses of King David and his sons. You won't believe what you read, and you won't want to put it down! While I highly recommend this book, I only rate it four stars because there seems to be *some* unwillingness to admit the degree to which the stories he relates are radically sexist, and their interpretations as well as their implications stem from a horribily sexist, misguided culture, one which may contribute to the perpetuation of such nonsense to this day. Kirsch is a little too forgiving for my blood, and thus only 4 stars. Otherwise, I have no complaints and will recommend this book frequently.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent introduction to biblical scholarship
Review: This is a fun way to get into biblical scholarship. The author starts with Biblical stories that can be hard for us to understand because they seem very immoral and strange (Why did Lot offer his daughters to the men outside his door? Why did Tamar want to seduce her father-in-law? What was the night attack on Moses?). He then provides some history and understanding of the era and what may be behind the writing. I came away from this book thinking of how much richer the Bible is than I had ever imagined! For example, two stories may have been combined by an editor. Or the author may have had a personal axe to grind(attacking the Benjaminites in another story). Or the translator may have mistranslated some of the words. It helped me to see what a fascinating subject this is---combining history, language, customs and a lot of detective work!
Rating:
Summary: Lovely little book
Review: While I may not agree with all of Kirsch's interpretations, I think this was a generally good book. I found the glossary and study guide were especially helpful. "Harlot..." inspired me to look deeper into the Bible's many levels of meaning. After reading the book, I realized what connotations may lay behind many calls for a return to "biblical era ethics and morals." Kudos to Kirsch for providing new and different points of view on the ancient text.
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