Geraldine Brooks' The Secret Chord
Historically, I have been a huge fan of Brooks' novels, so a book about KING DAVID, flawed hero of my people, should have been a slam dunk. And it IS very well-written, don't get me wrong! But like, if you have ever read the story of King David in the Torah, none of this is surprising (though I had managed to forget just HOW MUCH rape there was). It's interesting that the whole thing is narrated by David's prophet Nathan--who is writing the story of David's life, presumably the version that later appears in the Torah, warts and all. And I liked the glimpses of little Solomon (man, how great would a novel about Solomon be!). I guess this just left me feeling a little flat, though it was a really engaging read and definitely evocative. It just didn't feel like it gave me any new insights or perspectives. That's hard, though, when working with a story this old. B+.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released in October.
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