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There are countless good reasons to read The David Story, Robert Alter's new translation of the story of King David (beginning in I Samuel and ending in I Kings 2). In the book's introduction, Alter contends that the story of David is "probably the greatest single narrative representation in antiquity of a human life evolving by slow stages through time, shaped and altered by the pressures of political life, public institutions, family, the impulses of body and spirit, the eventual sad decay of the flesh. It also provides the most unflinching insight into the cruel processes of history and into human behavior warped by the pursuit of power." Alter's translation is more literal than the King James version, which makes his rendering of Scripture newly immediate and jarring. (When Samuel anoints David in I Samuel 16, for instance, "the spirit of the LORD gripped David from that day onward.") This David Story is worth reading for the footnotes alone, which describe in vivid detail the mechanics of sheep-shearing festivals, sacrificial feasts, and other cultural phenomena that add depth and life to this familiar story. --Michael Joseph Gross
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
From Library Journal
In his latest effort, Alter (Hebrew and comparative literature, Univ. of California, Berkeley) has produced a compelling literary translation of the story of the beginnings of the ancient Israelite monarchy and of one of the Bible's most colorful characters. He argues hereAas he did previously, in his translation of Genesis (LJ 8/96)Athat this story is a literary whole rather than merely a stitched-together collection of independent bits. Alter's translation bears a resemblance to the King James Version (sans "thee" and "thou"), which he considers a true literary translation. But in many instances, his version surpasses King James's by more accurately reproducing the rhythm, syntactical arrangement, and word plays of the Hebrew text. His faithful representation of the Hebrew wawAtranslated as "and"Agives a sense of the story's forward movement and leaves some current translations, in which subordinate clauses often obscure the waw, seeming flat. This is a translation for readers; recommended for all collections.ACraig W. Beard, Univ. of Alabama at Birmingham Lib.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
And there was a man from Ramathaim-zophim, from the high country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah son of Jeroham son of Elihu son of Tohu son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
And there was a man from Ramathaim-zophim, from the high country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah son of Jeroham son of Elihu son of Tohu son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. Read the first page
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Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
A fine rendering of the text, the commentary is more spotty,
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This review is from: David Story (Paperback)
Alter provides a fine rendering of the text of I and II Samuel, giving us a modern translation that does its level best to bring Hebrew texture to modern English. That being said, there is the story of the text and then there is the story of the commentary. Alter takes a decidedly cynical view of David - David is declared "Machiavellian" in the introduction and all his words and actions are interpreted politically throughout, unless there is no political motivation. There are interesting insights to be sure - noticing the subtle changes between orders given and orders carried out in the Bathsheba episode, for instance.Alter gets the political and kingly side of David right, but gives the human short shrift, other than portraying David's decline in the latter part of II Samuel. I would advise to enjoy the text and use the commentary judiciously.
5.0 out of 5 stars
thoughtful and insightful translation,
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This review is from: David Story (Paperback)
This is a thoughtful and insightful translation. In fact, this is Robert Alter at his best, insisting that we see the scriptures as a literary text with literary ambitions and techniques. The translation is free of the desire to create purple prose passages, and is based on deeply considered textual analysis. It was both very enjoyable to read, and a revelation as to the meaning of the text. Definitely a book for anyone interested in the Books of Samuel.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good cross reference,
By
This review is from: David Story (Paperback)
I picked this up while doing study of David and I and II Samuel and it proved to be a interesting reference point, with all the commentary, as well as providing a great alternative text. The attempt to closely preserve the nuances of the original language made the reading more interesting, but also a bit daunting.Overall, I highly recommend it for anyone interested in getting deeper into the David story.
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