Book of Genesis [Hardcover]

 

 

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R.Crumb's work, well known to many people and re-introduced to many more through Tery Zwygoff's documentary is by turns hilariously subversive or bitingly satirical. But the comic action often obscures his masterful ability as an illustrator.

In the Illustrated Genesis - he joins the ranks of Durer and Dore; so finely wrought are the compositions, so psychologically forceful are the figures, so cunning the draftsmanship that the work does honour to both the artist and the bible.

Expectations of a darkly satirical read are not surprising, they were mine as well - but I was wrong and glad I was. The unique character of this work is that EVERY aspect of the 50 chapters is depicted from the most well-known stories - Adam and Eve, The Tower of Babel, Noah, Abraham and Isaac, Jacob and Sarah, Joseph and his brothers etc, to the lesser known ones, moments that have perhaps never been depicted before. Crumb is respectful of the text throughout and his exhaustive research shows in the rich historical detail. There is always an artist's perspective at work here however, and the idiosyncratic style of Crumb is never absent. Women are "Crumb" women however they differ from one another. The figures of God and his messengers are solemn and majestic.

A uniquely fine biblical offering, and a masterpiece of illustrative art from a great genius. I heartily recommend it to anyone.

I must admit I did a double take when I saw that this illustrated version of the Book of Genesis sprang from the pen of R. Crumb. For those who aren't familiar with Crumb's work, he's pretty much the father of underground comics, an artist whose provocative work has earned him great notoriety and more than a few charges of racism, sexism, and misogyny from his harshest critics. The women in his artwork tend to be rather buxom, overly sexual, and submissive to the men around them, while his depiction of blacks and other minorities oftentimes seem to be rooted in stereotypes. Of course, any great artist is going to have his detractors, and it must be said that Crumb's true genius lies in his satirical and sometimes subversive take on popular culture. Eschewing mainstream comic book culture and the publishing industry that drives it, he has more than earned his place as a cult hero and countercultural icon of the twentieth -- and now the twenty-first -- century.

Simply put, R. Crumb was one of the last artists I would ever have expected to take on the illustration of a significant portion of the Bible. Even more surprising is the fact that his approach to this illustrated version of the Book of Genesis is not of a satirical or hypercritical nature. This book was a serious effort that involved four years of effort, a great deal of research, and surprisingly serious reflection on Crumb's part. As an agnostic, he approached the Book of Genesis as a work of literature with deep roots in the public consciousness, and he strove to provide a literal presentation of the story (including all of the "begots"). I find a great deal of irony in that last point. At a time when many self-professed Christians and Bible translators are busy molding the words of the Bible to fit their own modern-day beliefs, this man who does not consider the Bible to be the inspired word of God set out to base his work as closely as possible on the original text of the Genesis story.

Will this work offend some readers, especially Christians? Obviously, it will -- and Crumb knows that. Many probably won't get past the "Adult supervision recommended for minors" label on the front cover. This is unfortunate because I -- as a Christian myself -- believe that this book holds great benefit to the faithful. What you get here is an amazingly visual, literal presentation of the first book of the Bible, free of the spin and reinterpretation of modern scholars seeking to reshape the story into something in line with their own personal thoughts and ideas. This is nothing less than an invaluable look at the story of Genesis as it was written. Those who get their panties in a bunch over the inclusion of some "graphic scenes" are obviously unaware that the Book of Genesis is a surprisingly graphic text -- teeming with sex and violence -- to begin with.

I can only marvel at what R. Crumb has accomplished with this unprecedented work, and I must say that I found his several pages of commentary regarding his own thoughts on the story of Genesis quite fascinating and thought-provoking. If nothing else, I believe The Book of Genesis Illustrated truly confirms Crumb's place in the modern-day pantheon of the world's most serious artists. I highly recommend the documentary film Crumb to those interested in learning more about the life and work of this uniquely fascinating artist.

Don't even bother trying to purchase this (signed edition), you will just end up frustrated and disappointed. I pre-ordered this way back in May when the pre-orders first began. You'd think this would have put me near the front of the list. However, obviously Canadian customers are of secondary importance because Amazon just informed me (as of Nov 17th, they took their time notifying) that I will not be receiving it. Why do they even bother listing this for sale in the first place? If their goal is to make their customers angry, well it's working.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Robert Crumb 'Illustrates' a Sacred Work
American comic-book artist Robert Crumb's newest offering, The Book of Genesis Illustrated, purports to be a literal interpretation of the first book of The Bible, in which 'the... Read more

Published on May 9 2010 by P. Crane

1.0 out of 5 stars The Book Of Genesis Illustrated By R. Crumb
I've been waiting and waiting for this book to arrive too, even though it's been in the stores for over a month Chapters.ca has had it since the day it came out. Read more

Published on Nov 22 2009 by Crumb fan disappointed

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