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Most Helpful Favorable Review
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
The Red Tent
This novel follows the tale of Dinah, the daughter of Jacob barely mentioned in the Old Testament. In the Hebrew Bible, she is seen as a young girl who a handsome prince took advantage of, and that the following slaughter was the result of her family defending her honor...Read More
This novel follows the tale of Dinah, the daughter of Jacob barely mentioned in the Old Testament. In the Hebrew Bible, she is seen as a young girl who a handsome prince took advantage of, and that the following slaughter was the result of her family defending her honor.
I went into this book solely expecting a rich, entertaining story and that's what I got. I never read the story in the Bible, so I didn't have any expectations in regard to being accurate.
I learned much from this book and I could picture the vivid scenery. The way it was written was just so beautiful. Scenes that I would have otherwise found awkward were handled tenderly with grace. This family saga is a tribute to women and mothers everywhere, even those we have forgotten. I saw some reviews saying how this book treated men poorly and two-dimensionally, but I disagree. Dinah treated her male relatives with respect, and her later hatred of them was for personal reasons only- not just because they were men. The reason the men weren't as fleshed out as the women is simply because Dinah did not know them as well. She was surrounded by women, so that's what would have stuck with her.
It seems the more impressed I am with a book, the less I have to say about it. Overall a beautiful, sad story about womanhood and family that I whole-heartedly recommend.Show Less
I went into this book solely expecting a rich, entertaining story and that's what I got. I never read the story in the Bible, so I didn't have any expectations in regard to being accurate.
I learned much from this book and I could picture the vivid scenery. The way it was written was just so beautiful. Scenes that I would have otherwise found awkward were handled tenderly with grace. This family saga is a tribute to women and mothers everywhere, even those we have forgotten. I saw some reviews saying how this book treated men poorly and two-dimensionally, but I disagree. Dinah treated her male relatives with respect, and her later hatred of them was for personal reasons only- not just because they were men. The reason the men weren't as fleshed out as the women is simply because Dinah did not know them as well. She was surrounded by women, so that's what would have stuck with her.
It seems the more impressed I am with a book, the less I have to say about it. Overall a beautiful, sad story about womanhood and family that I whole-heartedly recommend.Show Less
posted by Awesomeness1 on April 16, 2010
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3 out of 11 people found this review helpful.
Not what I expected...
For the most part, I hated this book. It is not biblically accurate and that is what I expected. I love to read about stories that everyone knows and loves from other perspectives like Wicked for example. Excellent book. However, the book doesn't stay true the actual st...Read More
For the most part, I hated this book. It is not biblically accurate and that is what I expected. I love to read about stories that everyone knows and loves from other perspectives like Wicked for example. Excellent book. However, the book doesn't stay true the actual story at all. The best parts are the scenes in Egypt which are completely made up. I do like the love story angle but the parts that we do know, the parts in the Bible, are completely off. She has, for lack of a better word, perverted the story of Jacob and Dinah. I was very disappointed.Show Less
posted by Anonymous on August 1, 2008
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Granolabar
Posted June 23, 2011
An interesting and highly absorbing take on a familiar Bible story.
I enjoyed this book immensely. It is one of those books I would recommend to all women. If history and religion have something in common, it's that both have a tendency to overlook the lives of women. Who are usually only mentioned as the mother of this man, or the wife of that man. This book does a nice job of filling in the blanks with a fictional, yet realistic, story of the women behind one of the most famous stories in the Old Testament. An alternative version of events as seen through the eyes of Dinah. One of the most interesting aspects of this book, for me anyway, was how different this take on the story is from the one found in the Bible, though they describe the same events.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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The Red Tent
This novel follows the tale of Dinah, the daughter of Jacob barely mentioned in the Old Testament. In the Hebrew Bible, she is seen as a young girl who a handsome prince took advantage of, and that the following slaughter was the result of her family defending her honor.
I went into this book solely expecting a rich, entertaining story and that's what I got. I never read the story in the Bible, so I didn't have any expectations in regard to being accurate.
I learned much from this book and I could picture the vivid scenery. The way it was written was just so beautiful. Scenes that I would have otherwise found awkward were handled tenderly with grace. This family saga is a tribute to women and mothers everywhere, even those we have forgotten. I saw some reviews saying how this book treated men poorly and two-dimensionally, but I disagree. Dinah treated her male relatives with respect, and her later hatred of them was for personal reasons only- not just because they were men. The reason the men weren't as fleshed out as the women is simply because Dinah did not know them as well. She was surrounded by women, so that's what would have stuck with her.
It seems the more impressed I am with a book, the less I have to say about it. Overall a beautiful, sad story about womanhood and family that I whole-heartedly recommend.3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted August 1, 2008
Not what I expected...
For the most part, I hated this book. It is not biblically accurate and that is what I expected. I love to read about stories that everyone knows and loves from other perspectives like Wicked for example. Excellent book. However, the book doesn't stay true the actual story at all. The best parts are the scenes in Egypt which are completely made up. I do like the love story angle but the parts that we do know, the parts in the Bible, are completely off. She has, for lack of a better word, perverted the story of Jacob and Dinah. I was very disappointed.
3 out of 11 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted July 1, 2010
Highly recommend reading this book.
A friend commented on Facebook that she was reading this book on WeRead. Since I received a Nook for Mother's Day, I have been adding books I'd like to read to my Wish List. I immediately went to Barnes & Noble to see if it was in ebook form. I purchased it and found it to be an excellent book. It is a book that could be read in one sitting if a person were inclined to do that. The author is very graphic in describing the behavior of the men and the interactions between the men and women. The women of this day had a very hard life and suffered greatly in child birth and their daily living. It was very easy to fill great compassion for Dinah and all that she endured. Knowing the Bible story of Joseph and his brothers, I wondered if that aspect would be included in the story. It was, however not as told in the Bible. It is a work of fiction, I kept telling myself. However, I did not want the story to end. In the end, Dinah did find happiness in her life.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Binxy_Books
Posted June 27, 2010
UNFORGETTABLE
As soon as i read the first page of this book i just wanted more and more. This is a touching book with such realism you'll think you're with dinah the whole time through her adventure. Its a heart-wrenching/warming story that you will want to read again and again.(which i have done!)...you will not regret getting this book. 10000000% recommended!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted April 8, 2010
It's ok I guess
I thought I would like the story line of this book better, but it's not as good as I thought it would be. It's a page turner in the sense that you want to know what comes next, but sometimes the theme of the story drags on and even though detail is needed (since the theme of the story is women and their menstrual cycle etc.) I still lose interest in the story. It's been an annoying read actually. I was thinking of recycling the book, and not even donating it since I don't really think it's that great of a book.
2 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Lisa61
Posted June 29, 2009
Tini girls book club
My book club read this book last month. New to us, but out for awhile. We loved it. Very interesting perspective. Followed scripture for the most part, but author did use poetic license with most characters. Did not care for her portrayal of Joseph in Egypt. That depiction was one of the few that I found to conflict with scripture. Otherwise loved the book and have recommended it to friends.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Angie45
Posted May 2, 2009
Loved this book
This book is a wonderful spin on the women of biblical times. We read the bible, written by men, and it's mostly about the men. This book goes into the dwellings and shows us what the daily lives of the women of those times might have been. While it is written through the author's imagination, it is a very interesting and plausible reality. The book gives life to the women who held the families together. I absolutely loved it and was disappointed when it ended. I wanted more.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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eochicka
Posted April 7, 2009
Interesting
I am a christian, and this book kind of gave you that fictional aspect of what might have happened in the lives of the women as they are not really talked about in the Bible. The plot and setting is based on fact, the story line "is what it is". There were a couple of parts that made me cringe because I felt they were sensationalized, unkuth and unneccessary, but over all it was thought provoking. I wouldn't hold it any higher than a fictional story. I would never read it again.
2 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted July 28, 2003
This is a Womans book...
I truly loved this book!! Im not a very religious person and have not read the Bible, but this story is amazing! Its about time you hear something of the women of that time..and what a story Dinah has to tell!! I rarely cry reading a book,but at the end of this book when all is said and done I felt so overwhelmed, I cried and cried!! Do yourself a favor and read this book!!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted April 23, 2002
Not Blasphemous!
Although Diamant's depiction of the life of Dinah may differ from the version given in the Bible, this does not make her tale invalid. The many details in the book make it clear that the time period and status of women has been researched to the very utmost...whereas during the time of the Bible, women were not given a voice...these things were ignored. It was a highly moving tale... and who is to say that Joseph did not become selfish, or that Dinah was not in love with Shalem? Would Dinah have been asked before her history was recorded so briefly? A moving, captivating read, that I would recommend not only to women but to anyone willing to keep an open mind.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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ParkerEE
Posted February 27, 2012
Extraordinary story
The Red Tent is about Dinah, daughter of Jacob, who is one of the characters in the Bible. It tells the story of life growing up during Biblical times and the struggles for women. It starts of with Dinah living with her mothers and their responsibilities in the community. Their connection with each other helps them through the struggles they endure because they have to live with someone with different beliefs and on his own mission of shaping Christianity. We then follow Dinah to Shechem where she learns to become a midwife and falls in love with a prince, Shalem. After they are married, her brothers, Levi and Simon, slaughter her husband because they felt he had taken their sister without permission. Dinah is then left with Shalem's mother, Re-Nefer, and they run away together to Egypt to live with her brother. In Egypt, Dinah raises her son and remarries. Eventually, she is confronted with her past when she runs into Joseph, Jacob's son. But is able to go back to her life in Egypt, leaving her past behind her. Dinah's story is one of empowerment and overcoming of obstacles. What I really liked about this was that it didn't feel like a Biblical tale but an almost non-fiction documentary on the women's life in ancient times. I recommend this book because it provides insight on a more difficult time and how women have always been fighting for their freedom and a place in history.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted February 1, 2012
Couldn't put it down
I stayed up way too late every night until I finished this book. Great story-telling and fantastic imagery made me feel like I was there. (I also think this red tent idea sounds fantastic!)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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abundantdoc
Posted August 4, 2011
Great viewpoint
This is a wonderfully written book that has a great viewpoint of what could have taken place during the biblical times. The story is believeable because they take actual stories from the bible and use them, although they are not technically correct on some of the timelines. Overall, this is a fabulous book that gives a unique perspective on life as a woman in biblical times.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Danester
Posted August 29, 2010
Love it and wish we still had the tents
It would be so cool if we continued to have these tents for women to go to. I for one think there is wisdom to the old ways. As I get older I enjoy the company of women more and more for comfort and humor. I imagine what today's world would be like if women did have a place to go and just be with one another. I think many of our young women would not be making the tragic and lonely choices they make if we had this kind of environment for one another. I know its unpopular but I even think the many wives might not be such a bad idea either, maybe that is the solution to divorce. Maybe we're not supposed to have one man to one woman? Just a thought.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted August 19, 2010
Best book I have read
This is my favorite book. I never go back and re-read books but this one I keep coming back to about every 1.5 years.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Utterly Breathtaking!
What a beautiful, moving, earthy story. You are guaranteed to breathe in the dust and swirl your fingers through the waters of the Nile in this jewel. Fiction...but fascinating. Faceless names will come alive as the story of Dinah unfolds. Don't miss this one or the laughter and tears it will bring.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted April 11, 2010
Food for thought
Wow!! How imaginative the author was in this delightful book. You get to know the women of this story very well. The story takes us back to biblical times and peers into the life of Jacob's wives and only daughter. It is amazing how this story makes you want to go back and read the biblical text to see how much of Dinah's life and story were missing. The diabolical plot of Dinah's brothers and the weakness of Jacob even though he was to be the beginning of Isreal. The plot brings you reaching for more and wanting knowledge of what did really happen then and what the women and especially Dinah were thinking. Great book to read and I had to finish it as quickly as possible as I was gripped by what would happen next. The story of women of the Bible is greatly missing and this is a wonderful fictitious view of what may have been the lives of the women of Isreal in those times and how history can be told by different point of view or fantasy. I recommend this book to all, it was facinating and a must read!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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kathygKG
Posted April 6, 2009
CAPTIVATING!
Clearly written and imaginative. The author's words worked as a kind of paintbrush that created clear and vibrant scenes, landscapes and personalities. So descriptive it was like being in the background of the Red Tent, eavedropping on personal experiences. Although fictional, it remains a possibility, and that is a thrilling idea. A must read for any woman who feels that female characters, although represented, didn't have a loud enough voice in the Bible. The book made me proud to be a woman and all the more curious as to who the woman of the Bible really were, what they felt, what the said and what they thought.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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A celebration of Womanhood
This book was recommended to me by another woman in a group which I belong to and I must say it is one of the better books that I have read in a long time. Although the book is not accurate when compared to the events of the Bible (although it was published by men so the perspective is slanted toward the masculine perspective), it gives a fictional account of the time through the eyes of a woman. It also celebrates the transformation from a girl into her womanhood, shows the fellowship of women and demonstrates the strength that they gather from going through common experiences that no man could ever understand.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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