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369th out of 386 books
—
59 voters
The Garden
In the beginning ... There was the Serpent, there for Eve's awakening, and for all the days since. Teacher, mentor, companion, friend, and more. There was God. The Creator. Quick to anger. Dangerous. Majestic.
There was Adam: as God said, a joy to behold.
And there was Eve.
These four hold the future in their hands. And only Eve -- or perhaps the Serpent, too -- wonders what...more
There was Adam: as God said, a joy to behold.
And there was Eve.
These four hold the future in their hands. And only Eve -- or perhaps the Serpent, too -- wonders what...more
Hardcover, 403 pages
Published
April 14th 2004
by HarperTempest
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A twist on the Garden of Eden story. "Adam and Eve are raised separately: Adam by a controlling, jealous and angry God who insists on total obedience, and Eve by the wise and gentle Serpent, who encourages her to ask questions and challenges her to think for herself." God wants to populate the earth and pressures Adam to force himself on Eve. This rape inevitably leads to the disintegration of their friendship. Eve begins a healing process which ultimately helps her make the choice to eat from t...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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First of all, I'm not giving this book one star because I disagree with the way it treats Christianity. I give Philip Pullman an unhesitating five stars because he is a genuinely good author. Aidinoff would like to be Pullman, but lacks the inspiration and the talent. This book is frankly boring, relies heavily on description of the Garden, paints one-dimensional characters (and in a world with exactly four sentient beings, to keep them all one-dimensional for the entirety of a fairly long book...more
NOTE: If you are easily offended by differing views of Christianity, this book isn't for you. Really. It isn't.
On that note, I will not say if I agree or disagree with God and the Serpent's characterization in this novel. It is judged as a character, and not my personal beliefs. I do not wish to cause issues with this, but please be considerate if you read this.
Now, with that out of the way, onto the actual review (which will be short due to spoilers).
I will say that I quite enjoyed this book. T...more
On that note, I will not say if I agree or disagree with God and the Serpent's characterization in this novel. It is judged as a character, and not my personal beliefs. I do not wish to cause issues with this, but please be considerate if you read this.
Now, with that out of the way, onto the actual review (which will be short due to spoilers).
I will say that I quite enjoyed this book. T...more
I'm not partial to religion based fiction novels but this was a "book of the week" at my local library back when I was in high school. I guess I read it back in 2005 and I have to say at the time I really enjoyed it. I can't say of what I'd think of it now but I remember enjoying the idea of a liberated Eve.
I'm unfamiliar with Genesis and the Old (or New for that matter) Testament but the one thing I did have a hard time getting past (from what I remember) was the fact that Aidinoff made it see...more
I'm unfamiliar with Genesis and the Old (or New for that matter) Testament but the one thing I did have a hard time getting past (from what I remember) was the fact that Aidinoff made it see...more
This is not your Sunday school version of Adam and Eve and the Creation. When I read this, I felt creeped out to reading such a "blasphemous" retelling of the story of Eden. Aidinoff's depiction of God as a childish, selfish, bratty being was jarring. But the story is fleshed out, risky, and I loved how the book played out -- petulant God and all. In the afterword, Aidinoff says the reason she wrote the story was because she felt there were so many holes in the Genesis Creation story that she wa...more
I read this book several years ago and it still resonates with me, which is saying something with my memory. Not a typical retelling of the Garden of Eden scenario but one that makes you think about two young naive teens left to their own devices to figure things out, but with the "help" of two mentors - Eve's Serpent and Adam's God. In this version the Serpent is the much kinder and gentler of the two but no one can say our Old Testament God is a kind one. He is viewed more as a scientist in th...more
I found this book on a whim in a used bookstore outside of my hometown some years ago. I picked it up because of the biblical reference made by the cover and didn't think much of it-I mean, it was a dollar or so. Lucky for me I did because this book, though not the most well written literature of all time (though can that really be expected of any young adult fiction or author not named Bronte or Dickens?), was thought provoking and opened up a discussion I never would have thought to explore wi...more
I don't recommend this book if you're deeply religious because it portrays God as selfish, impatient, childish, and needy. That said, this was an extremely creative alternative look to what happened in the Garden of Eden and what led Even to eat the forbidden apple. It questions the meaning of freedom and free will and the traditional portrayal of women in the Bible. Better still, the descriptions of Eden and the surrounding world are absolutely beautiful and you get to experience the world thro...more
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An interesting take on the traditional Garden of Eden story. I do agree with the author that the God of the Old Testament does often come across as a petulant, immature being. That's the problem with putting too much stock in any god from ancient times, as I see it. The Serpent in this story represents Wisdom. I also agree with the ultimate conclusion that Adam and Eve needed to leave the Garden in order to be truly free, even if that also means suffering. The alternative was to serve as "God's"...more
AMAZING book! I would love to read more by this author- her keen wit and unique way of looking at the world is admirably shown through the eyes of her protagonist!
As a retelling of the Creation story, this takes the cake. The complexity of the characters, the challenging societal commentary, and beautiful storytelling make this book my new favourite.
It doesn't hurt that this story challenges the traditional patriarchal telling of the Creation in an insightful and complex, yet thoroughly enterta...more
As a retelling of the Creation story, this takes the cake. The complexity of the characters, the challenging societal commentary, and beautiful storytelling make this book my new favourite.
It doesn't hurt that this story challenges the traditional patriarchal telling of the Creation in an insightful and complex, yet thoroughly enterta...more
I read this book in 2004, which means I would have been 14 years old at the time. I picked the book out randomly at Barnes & Noble one day and remember just really falling in love with it. Not at all because of it's religious foundation (that meant little to me), but because of how refreshing it was.
By now, if you've read the summary or others' reviews about this book, you probably know: This is a take on the story of Eve, as in, Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden. From her perspective, y...more
By now, if you've read the summary or others' reviews about this book, you probably know: This is a take on the story of Eve, as in, Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden. From her perspective, y...more
The Garden is a retelling of the the biblical story of The Garden of Eden. Now, if we take a second to ignore the fact that this story is the basis of God creating the universe and is considered religious text, this book is just another retelling. Granted, it's not about Cinderella or Pride and Prejudice but it follows the same format of taking a story that already exists and retelling it from a different point of view.
Now, I am not Christan or even very religious, so for me personally I didn't...more
Now, I am not Christan or even very religious, so for me personally I didn't...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Not really what I had in mind -- overall, a disappointing read. This is Old Testament God to the max and a little overdone. He is childish, surly, impetuous, temperamental, and overall a giant asshole. The Serpent on the other hand, is charming, patient, kind, wise, warm and protective. The story is really about Eve though, and told from her point of view.
She begins "life" as an innocent, totally a blank slate. The Serpent is her teacher, as appointed by God, who is busy "educating" Adam. The s...more
She begins "life" as an innocent, totally a blank slate. The Serpent is her teacher, as appointed by God, who is busy "educating" Adam. The s...more
I am not devoted to any religion, so I feel thats why I enjoyed this book more. It gives a different perspective on what it was really like in the Garden of Eden. The author portrayed the Serpent as the wise and caring one, and God as a person who wanted complete devotion and perfection from Adam and Eve. I recommend this book to anyone who is open to many religious possibilities.
In the beginning, there was Eve and Adam. Adam was raised by God, and Eve by the Serpent. At first, all are happy together, but something terrible is done to Eve. As she recovers, she and the Serpent explore the world outside the garden. As Eve experiences life unleashed, the seeds are planted for the temptation of the apple.
Aug 12, 2011
Maria
added it
Adam and Eve are living in the Garden, with God and the Serpent. That's pretty much where the similarities to the traditional tale of the Garden of Eden end. God is an overbearing tyrant, who demands to be told on a regular basis how wonderful he is. A
Fascinating alternate POV of Adam and Eve's time in Eden. I really enjoyed it, but I have to admit it left me a little empty when I finished. I'm not sure why I didn't experience that 'satisfied, full' feeling I associate with finishing a good read...
Although the Bible isn't a fairy tale (although I suppose some may think it is), I really like fractured fairy tales, and this book was a very interesting alternate tale of what could have happened with Adam and Eve while they were living in the Garden.
I enjoyed this book! I enjoyed the clever way that Eve and Adam are written and I liked the serpents character. Was not thrilled about the character of God but I can understand the writers take and appreciate her creative view.
This is supposed to be for YA, which I think of from 12-17 years old, but I wouldn't recommend it for anyone under age 14 because of the sexual parts. Otherwise it was really interesting and made me think about Adam & Eve more.
pretty interesting, the creation story from eves point of view, not for the faint of heart,(spoiler) an almost rape is contained, beware.
Provides an interesting view of a story from another point of view
Provides an interesting view of a story from another point of view
Sep 04, 2011
Anisha
added it
At first I thought it was plot-less...but by the end the author definitely made some connections and tied things up. Easy to read, very interesting perspective, and it definitely made me think. I would definitely recommend it.
WARNING! This book contains sex - both consensual and non-consensual.
Imagine the first book of Genesis with Eve and Adam played by sixth graders. The girl is into math and science because she's too young to know how girls are "supposed" to act, while the boy just wants to play hackey sack.
Meanwhile, the serpent is played by Robert Oppenheimer (I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds) and God is played by Kenneth Bainbridge (Now we are all sons of bitches).
Yeah, it gets bad. Eve suffers the mo...more
Imagine the first book of Genesis with Eve and Adam played by sixth graders. The girl is into math and science because she's too young to know how girls are "supposed" to act, while the boy just wants to play hackey sack.
Meanwhile, the serpent is played by Robert Oppenheimer (I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds) and God is played by Kenneth Bainbridge (Now we are all sons of bitches).
Yeah, it gets bad. Eve suffers the mo...more
I read this at least seven years ago and I still think it is fabulous. This is what started me off down a historical fiction path, this re-imagining of biblical personalities (and I'm not religious at all, so not offended by authors' visions). I liked this Eve so much, and her growth and adventures had literally nothing to do with a boy, which is nearly unheard of in YA FIC. Of course Adam does play his part, his and God's story are less fleshed out but clearly defined. This isn't about hating m...more
An interesting idea - the Garden of Eden from Eve's point of view (and the serpent's not such a bad guy after all), but so badly written I could weep.
I read this book at the recommendation of our teen-aged nanny. It's a very interesting retelling of the creation of Adam and Eve. When God creates Adam and decides to raise/train Adam himself. The serpent, usually characterized as Satan, asks to be able to raise Eve. The book begins with Eve's first moments of consciousness. The Serpent is a supportive parent, teaching Eve everything she needs to know about the Garden. God is characterized as self-centered, out of touch with what's happening in...more
This is an alternate version of the Garden of Eden story. The characters are handled in unexpected ways, with Eve serving as the heart of the tale. Adam is her companion but not the ideal mate. Instead, the Serpent is Eve's closest friend (view spoiler)
God is a terrifying and sometimes harsh deity, often distant, while The Serpent comes off as sympathetic, a confidante and advocate for Eve, who shows her the true beauty of th...more
God is a terrifying and sometimes harsh deity, often distant, while The Serpent comes off as sympathetic, a confidante and advocate for Eve, who shows her the true beauty of th...more
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This book examines the biblical creation story in more detail. It's an interesting retelling that gives more credit to Eve than is usually given.
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Educated at Smith and Columbia, Elsie V. Aidinoff has lived in Paris, Brussels, Hong Kong, London, and New York. She has been involved in education most of her life, starting in 1965 as a tutor in a junior high school with the New York City School Volunteer Program (now Learning Leaders). Since 1980, she has worked at the Children's Storefront School, a tuition-free independent school in Harlem, a...more
More about Elsie V. Aidinoff...
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