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  <title><![CDATA[The David Story: A Translation with Commentary of 1 and 2 Samuel]]></title>
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  <description><![CDATA[There are countless good reasons to read <em>The David Story</em>, 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 &quot;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.&quot;  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, &quot;the spirit of the LORD gripped David from that day onward.&quot;) This <em>David Story</em> 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. <em>--Michael Joseph Gross</em>]]></description>
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    <![CDATA[The David Story: A Translation with Commentary of 1 and 2 Samuel]]>
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    <![CDATA[There are countless good reasons to read <em>The David Story</em>, 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 &quot;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.&quot;  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, &quot;the spirit of the LORD gripped David from that day onward.&quot;) This <em>David Story</em> 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. <em>--Michael Joseph Gross</em>]]>
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  <read_at>Mon Sep 22 18:43:55 -0700 2008</read_at>
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    <body><![CDATA[Reads almost like a novel.  This book elucidates the *character* of the protagonists, not just their actions in the familiar stories.  Alter's knowledge of Hebrew shows the nuances of speech that show David's cunning political savvy and Saul's shocking mental breakdown.  For the first time, I'm seei...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/31773025">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
  <id>69169237</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Chanté]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The David Story: A Translation with Commentary of 1 and 2 Samuel]]>
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    <![CDATA[There are countless good reasons to read <em>The David Story</em>, 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 &quot;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.&quot;  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, &quot;the spirit of the LORD gripped David from that day onward.&quot;) This <em>David Story</em> 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. <em>--Michael Joseph Gross</em>]]>
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    <body><![CDATA[My summary of this book in seven words is: Anointment by God isn't a good thing.  Human beings being as fallible as they are, it is inevitable that they will be a disappointment and ultimately punished for their bad behavior.  Alter is a great translator and his footnotes are helpful for the most pa...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/69169237">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
  <id>74767928</id>
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    <id>2820806</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Rob]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The David Story: A Translation with Commentary of 1 and 2 Samuel]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>4.34</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>35</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[There are countless good reasons to read <em>The David Story</em>, 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 &quot;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.&quot;  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, &quot;the spirit of the LORD gripped David from that day onward.&quot;) This <em>David Story</em> 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. <em>--Michael Joseph Gross</em>]]>
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    <body><![CDATA[Very readable translation and interpretation of these Old Testament books.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/74767928]]></url>
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      <review>
  <id>44688947</id>
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    <id>1258773</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Douglas]]></name>
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    <![CDATA[The David Story: A Translation with Commentary of 1 and 2 Samuel]]>
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  <average_rating>4.34</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[There are countless good reasons to read <em>The David Story</em>, 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 &quot;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.&quot;  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, &quot;the spirit of the LORD gripped David from that day onward.&quot;) This <em>David Story</em> 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. <em>--Michael Joseph Gross</em>]]>
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    <body><![CDATA[Really good.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/44688947]]></url>
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      <review>
  <id>3095933</id>
    <user>
    <id>182835</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Crystal]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Seaside, CA]]></location>
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    <![CDATA[The David Story: A Translation with Commentary of 1 and 2 Samuel]]>
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  <average_rating>4.34</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>35</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[There are countless good reasons to read <em>The David Story</em>, 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 &quot;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.&quot;  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, &quot;the spirit of the LORD gripped David from that day onward.&quot;) This <em>David Story</em> 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. <em>--Michael Joseph Gross</em>]]>
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    <rating>4</rating>
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    <body><![CDATA[This book was required for my class on I &amp; II Samuel. the class was interesting, and so was the book. It's definitely not a devotional, though, so don't buy it on that assumption.  Some of Alter's theories about the story of David were unappealing to me, not to mention offensive occasionally. as a s...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3095933">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3095933]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3095933]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>20843405</id>
    <user>
    <id>1053051</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Alessandro]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Brooklyn, NY]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The David Story: A Translation with Commentary of 1 and 2 Samuel]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172962573m/233468.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/233468.The_David_Story_A_Translation_with_Commentary_of_1_and_2_Samuel</link>
  <average_rating>4.34</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>35</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[There are countless good reasons to read <em>The David Story</em>, 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 &quot;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.&quot;  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, &quot;the spirit of the LORD gripped David from that day onward.&quot;) This <em>David Story</em> 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. <em>--Michael Joseph Gross</em>]]>
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  <read_at>Fri Jun 06 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Apr 23 20:05:51 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Mar 20 15:44:44 -0700 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[Samuel 1 &amp; 2, among the few books of the Bible worth reading (along with Genesis, also translated by Alter, and the book of Job), Alter does an excellent job with what some might call the world's first novel.  David, unlike most of the personalities in the Bible, undergoes real character development...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/20843405">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/20843405]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/20843405]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>80406219</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Jennifer ]]></name>
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    <![CDATA[The David Story: A Translation with Commentary of 1 and 2 Samuel]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>4.34</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>35</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[There are countless good reasons to read <em>The David Story</em>, 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 &quot;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.&quot;  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, &quot;the spirit of the LORD gripped David from that day onward.&quot;) This <em>David Story</em> 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. <em>--Michael Joseph Gross</em>]]>
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