What do you think?
Rate this book
The King David Report
In this retelling of the biblical story, King Solomon commissions Ethan the Scribe to write the official history of King David. In return for the finest cooking in the land and the wages of a minor prophet, Ethan must write a proper record, full of glory and battles, statecraft and honor--a tribute to David and, of course, to Solomon, his heir. But as Ethan explores the story, he finds another life hidden behind the iron curtain dividing past from present: the story of a David who seduced, lied, bragged, and plundered his way to power. Ethan wonders: which life should be reported in the King David Report?
Written by one of Germany's most acclaimed dissident authors, The King David Report is both an analysis of the writer's obligations to truth, and an astute satire on the workings of history and politics in a totalitarian state.
Written by one of Germany's most acclaimed dissident authors, The King David Report is both an analysis of the writer's obligations to truth, and an astute satire on the workings of history and politics in a totalitarian state.
254 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1972
9 people are currently reading
475 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
December 30, 2019
This story is an alternative, satirical take on the Old Testament account of King David (I Samuel through I Kings, chapter 2).
Many decades ago, I earned an advanced degree in theology and Biblical studies. Before reading this book, I refreshed myself on the latest archaeology. As Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Silberman observed in their scholarly work, David and Solomon: "we can now say— as we will argue in considerable detail throughout this book— that many of the famous episodes in the biblical story of David and Solomon are fictions, historically questionable, or highly exaggerated." Although, later in their book, they have to admit that the only actual archeological reference to David is to the "House of David" from a dig in 1993. That's it!? Not surprisingly, Protestant fundamentalists and Likud Zionists want to make much of this one reference than is justified.
Revisiting the Old Testament was a reminder of what a primitive document it is, full of fables and, more seriously, fostering violence in both ancient and modern Israel (kill "every man, woman and child" in the name of Yahweh) and paralyzing apocalyptic fantasies from Christian fundamentalists. I say paralyzing because if Jesus is to return any minute (as he has been expected to do so for two thousand years now) then why bother with the stewardship of the Earth or anything else long term?
The novel itself is a lot of fun. It's written in a mock-formal style. The author did his own research. The premise is that King Solomon assigns a scribe named Ethan to compile and write an account of Solomon's father, King David, in part to justify Solomon's own rule. Needless to say, Ethan comes up with a very different story than what's in in the Old Testament.
There is no ebook available for this volume, but it was relatively easy to find a used paperback copy at a reasonable price.
Many decades ago, I earned an advanced degree in theology and Biblical studies. Before reading this book, I refreshed myself on the latest archaeology. As Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Silberman observed in their scholarly work, David and Solomon: "we can now say— as we will argue in considerable detail throughout this book— that many of the famous episodes in the biblical story of David and Solomon are fictions, historically questionable, or highly exaggerated." Although, later in their book, they have to admit that the only actual archeological reference to David is to the "House of David" from a dig in 1993. That's it!? Not surprisingly, Protestant fundamentalists and Likud Zionists want to make much of this one reference than is justified.
Revisiting the Old Testament was a reminder of what a primitive document it is, full of fables and, more seriously, fostering violence in both ancient and modern Israel (kill "every man, woman and child" in the name of Yahweh) and paralyzing apocalyptic fantasies from Christian fundamentalists. I say paralyzing because if Jesus is to return any minute (as he has been expected to do so for two thousand years now) then why bother with the stewardship of the Earth or anything else long term?
The novel itself is a lot of fun. It's written in a mock-formal style. The author did his own research. The premise is that King Solomon assigns a scribe named Ethan to compile and write an account of Solomon's father, King David, in part to justify Solomon's own rule. Needless to say, Ethan comes up with a very different story than what's in in the Old Testament.
There is no ebook available for this volume, but it was relatively easy to find a used paperback copy at a reasonable price.
August 10, 2024
לסקירה מפורטת בעברית ואנגלית, קישור לבלוג שלי -
https://sivi-the-avid-reader.com/דוח-...
https://sivi-the-avid-reader.com/דוח-...
June 16, 2021
יש קטעים מאוד מייגעים בספר הזה, ומכאן הורדת כוכב אחד. היו גם קטעים שהתקשיתי להבין מה מתרחש בהם באופן מדויק, ואני לא בטוחה אם זה היה אשמת התרגום - למרות שבסך הכל אפשר לראות מלאכת מחשבת ראויה לשבח בעבודה על תרגום הספר הזה.
אחרי ששמנו את הסייגים בצד, אני שמחה מאוד שהמשכתי לקרוא אותו. מדובר בספר מתוחכם, יצירתי, חתרני ורלוונטי מאוד.
אחרי ששמנו את הסייגים בצד, אני שמחה מאוד שהמשכתי לקרוא אותו. מדובר בספר מתוחכם, יצירתי, חתרני ורלוונטי מאוד.
April 17, 2013
Most readers would like to think, that Heym wrote something about the bible, but I would say he used the history only for telling something about modern times. By careful reading it becomes clear that David is Lenin and Salomon is Stalin. The camouflage was necessary to avoid the censorship of the communist authorities, because that what Heym is going to say about these Bolsheviks is not very pleasant for them. He shows us very clear how Stalin tried to represent himself as a heir of this not really sympathic Lenin and how he was able to change history in order to achieve his goals.
July 5, 2019
ספר מעולה, מרתק ומעניין. המלך שלמה וההנהגה שמסביבו מטילים על איתן האזרחי, היסטוריון וסופר, לחבר את דו"ח המלך דוד, כדי להעצים ולהלל את דמותו של המלך דוד - וכפועל יוצא מכך להלל את דמותו של שלמה המלך, בנו. לספר כמה רבדים. רובד אחד הוא הסיפור המקראי על דוד לעומת שאול - והגלוי והנסתר בו (יוכי ברנדס עסקה בנושא בכמה מספריה), אבל הרובד היותר משמעותי הוא סיפורו של איתן ועמידתו - ונפילתו - מול כוחות ההון-שלטון וכוחות התעמולה והשחיתות של שלטון שלמה, המהווים משל הן לתקופות מההיסטוריה (לי עלתה בראש תקופתו של סטאלין) ולמרבה הצער - גם לתקופתנו שלנו.
July 26, 2016
If the Biblical stories of King David leave you wondering how such a man came to be revered, this will compound the puzzle. Heym posits a historian, Ethan the wise, whom King Solomon coerces into writing a history of David that will lay to rest any questions about the right of his younger son, said Solomon, to sit on the throne. Ethan undertakes a serious investigation to get the facts for his document, searching out the witnesses and victims who have been sidelined by David himself or later by Solomon, as the royal son carries out his inherited vengeance/coverup. As Ethan learns that the truth behind the rumors is even worse than he feared, he struggles to write a history that reveals David’s ugly deeds between the lines of the sanitized biography he spins out to preserve his life.
Meanwhile, Heym is doing the very same thing as he reveals the way the Communist state wields terrifying power, via his historical novel. The forced confessions, manufactured missteps, mad houses for the inconvenient, and legions of thugs in Ethan’s ancient Israel are certainly meant to mirror Stalin’s legacy. At the very end of the book Heym explains his purpose in writing the book:
"As I sometimes read the Bible, it occurred to me that this section of it represented more than a fine oriental fairy tale or an edifying parable. Behind the stories of giants and prophets, of beautiful women and ugly murders, there emerged the account of a revolution which developed according to its inherent laws, and which found its completion in the establishment of the state by David. What a character, this David ben Jess--a killer who maintains close personal ties with God, a brigand who doubles as a pet, a tyrant who from a dozen hardly settled nomadic tribes forges a nation.”
A revolution developing according to its inherent laws--suggests both the historical dialectic that was used to predict Communism and, ironically, the progression from idealism to tyranny that Heym perhaps concluded Communism was bound to lead to, in Stalin and the Gulag. The state certainly silenced Heym, refusing to publish his work after 1963.
The book is actually written in English, and is an odd combination of Biblical constructions, contemporary idiom and ironic comments. (Heym, a native German, spent many years in the US and continued to write in English after he moved to East Germany after WWII.) I enjoyed it, but would certainly have understood it on more levels if I knew more about East German and Soviet politics of the 30s through 50s--clearly the characters at Solomon’s court had particular counterparts in Stalin’s coterie.
Meanwhile, Heym is doing the very same thing as he reveals the way the Communist state wields terrifying power, via his historical novel. The forced confessions, manufactured missteps, mad houses for the inconvenient, and legions of thugs in Ethan’s ancient Israel are certainly meant to mirror Stalin’s legacy. At the very end of the book Heym explains his purpose in writing the book:
"As I sometimes read the Bible, it occurred to me that this section of it represented more than a fine oriental fairy tale or an edifying parable. Behind the stories of giants and prophets, of beautiful women and ugly murders, there emerged the account of a revolution which developed according to its inherent laws, and which found its completion in the establishment of the state by David. What a character, this David ben Jess--a killer who maintains close personal ties with God, a brigand who doubles as a pet, a tyrant who from a dozen hardly settled nomadic tribes forges a nation.”
A revolution developing according to its inherent laws--suggests both the historical dialectic that was used to predict Communism and, ironically, the progression from idealism to tyranny that Heym perhaps concluded Communism was bound to lead to, in Stalin and the Gulag. The state certainly silenced Heym, refusing to publish his work after 1963.
The book is actually written in English, and is an odd combination of Biblical constructions, contemporary idiom and ironic comments. (Heym, a native German, spent many years in the US and continued to write in English after he moved to East Germany after WWII.) I enjoyed it, but would certainly have understood it on more levels if I knew more about East German and Soviet politics of the 30s through 50s--clearly the characters at Solomon’s court had particular counterparts in Stalin’s coterie.
June 2, 2014
Dieses Buch kann ich einfach nicht weiterlesen. Habe bis zu S. 164 durchgehalten, ab da reichte es mir endgültig.
Ich gebe zu, als Parabel auf die Spiele der Politik ist es tatsächlich hervorragend geeignet.
Auch die biblische Sprachweise, die der Autor Stefan Heym gewählt hat, ist authentisch und lässt sich sogar gut lesen, nachdem man sich daran gewöhnt hat.
Was mich an diesem Buch ärgert ist aber etwas anderes.
Ich kenne die Geschichte Davids und habe mich viel damit beschäftigt. Deswegen hatte ich mich auch sehr auf die Lektüre dieses Buches gefreut.
Allerdigns hatte ich nicht mit dem Zerrspiegel gerechnet, den der Autor diesem Menschen vorhält.
Heym verdreht David zu einem grausamen Tyrannen, der egozentrisch und machtbesessen seine Ziele verfolgt. Er hurt, meuchelt, ist intrigant, verlogen, selbstherrlich, menschenverachtend und seine Beziehung zu Gott ist nichts weiter als Vergeistigung und nicht für ganz voll zu nehmen.
So geht es das ganze Buch über. Ich hatte das Gefühl, beim lesen würde mir eine gräßliche Fratze entgegen blicken, die absolut gar nichts mit dem König David zu tun hat.
Klar war David nicht unfehlbar und makellos. Die großen Vergehen, die er begangen hat sind ja gemeinhin bekannt, doch solch ein Schreckensherrscher, den Heym aus ihm gemacht hat, war er mit Sicherheit auch nicht. Gerade das war er nicht.
Es heißt doch "David, ein Mann nach dem Herzen Gottes". Was das bedeutet hat Stefan Heym ganz offenbar nicht begriffen.
Ich gebe zu, als Parabel auf die Spiele der Politik ist es tatsächlich hervorragend geeignet.
Auch die biblische Sprachweise, die der Autor Stefan Heym gewählt hat, ist authentisch und lässt sich sogar gut lesen, nachdem man sich daran gewöhnt hat.
Was mich an diesem Buch ärgert ist aber etwas anderes.
Ich kenne die Geschichte Davids und habe mich viel damit beschäftigt. Deswegen hatte ich mich auch sehr auf die Lektüre dieses Buches gefreut.
Allerdigns hatte ich nicht mit dem Zerrspiegel gerechnet, den der Autor diesem Menschen vorhält.
Heym verdreht David zu einem grausamen Tyrannen, der egozentrisch und machtbesessen seine Ziele verfolgt. Er hurt, meuchelt, ist intrigant, verlogen, selbstherrlich, menschenverachtend und seine Beziehung zu Gott ist nichts weiter als Vergeistigung und nicht für ganz voll zu nehmen.
So geht es das ganze Buch über. Ich hatte das Gefühl, beim lesen würde mir eine gräßliche Fratze entgegen blicken, die absolut gar nichts mit dem König David zu tun hat.
Klar war David nicht unfehlbar und makellos. Die großen Vergehen, die er begangen hat sind ja gemeinhin bekannt, doch solch ein Schreckensherrscher, den Heym aus ihm gemacht hat, war er mit Sicherheit auch nicht. Gerade das war er nicht.
Es heißt doch "David, ein Mann nach dem Herzen Gottes". Was das bedeutet hat Stefan Heym ganz offenbar nicht begriffen.
September 24, 2007
A hillarious, penetrating account written from the perspective of one of the compilers of (what becomes) the Bible, who is commissioned by Solomon to write
"The One and Only True and Authoritative, Historically Correct and Officially Approved Report on the Amazing Rise, God-fearing Life, Heroic Deeds and Wonderful Achievements of David, Son of Jesse" henceforward to be known as "the King David Report"
For all the laughs, you really feel you are getting a slice of life from that time period, seen through the eyes of a Jewish Intellectual (one of the first no doubt) who is just trying to survive, if possible, with his integrity as well.
"The One and Only True and Authoritative, Historically Correct and Officially Approved Report on the Amazing Rise, God-fearing Life, Heroic Deeds and Wonderful Achievements of David, Son of Jesse" henceforward to be known as "the King David Report"
For all the laughs, you really feel you are getting a slice of life from that time period, seen through the eyes of a Jewish Intellectual (one of the first no doubt) who is just trying to survive, if possible, with his integrity as well.
August 27, 2017
Very slow start on this, but once I got into it it was very funny and quite insightful.
February 6, 2021
Read this a long time ago.....what I remember is that it was good.
March 24, 2013
Not for everyone.
If you are very interested in the story of King David, then it is fascinating. The prose is superb. Don't laugh, but the font is execrable. Northwestern University Press charges $19 for a paperback that looks as if it were printed on a dot matrix in 1985.
If you liked Heller's "G-d Knows," you will like this even better.
If you are very interested in the story of King David, then it is fascinating. The prose is superb. Don't laugh, but the font is execrable. Northwestern University Press charges $19 for a paperback that looks as if it were printed on a dot matrix in 1985.
If you liked Heller's "G-d Knows," you will like this even better.
February 18, 2018
Fascinating historical novel. Every time I think no, that isn't in the Bible and then double check, sure enough, it's there with a different slant.
January 6, 2024
„Și la ce ți-ar ajuta dacă ai avea răspunsurile?” a continuat Estera. „Ai putea să le scrii în Relatarea despre regele David sau în vreo altă carte?”
„Nu prea. Dar trebuie s-o știu eu însumi. Trebuie să știu cine era omul David. Era o fiară de pradă, care dă iama? Sau avea înaintea lui un țel, către care gonea cu orice preț? Sau orice strădanie e deșartă și chiar cei mai mari dintre noi sunt grăunte de nisip, pe care vântul timpului le spulberă?”
„Biet om!” a zis Estera.
„David?” am întrebat.
„Nu, tu.”
ce este și ce anume poate fi un istoric? și în ce măsură mai are societatea nevoie de unul? ajuns la curtea regelui Solomon, istoricului Etan ben Hosaia i se înfățișează realitatea vremurilor biblice evocate în roman (de actualitate însă și în prezent!): la ce servește un letopiseț? privind totul dintr-o asemenea perspectivă, găsim justă afirmația căpitanului de la porțile cetății lui Solomon: „Avem nevoie în Ierusalim de pietrari, de zidari, de salahori la căratul tencuielii; chiar şi un cizmar ar fi de folos; da ia te uită, ne vine un istoric.”. cu asemenea „necesități” ale societății ne-am obișnuit: ele au fost evocate cel puțin pe parcursul unei jumătăți de veac, când istoria a căpătat un rol de instrument, iar istoricul unul de funcționar aflat în slujba „partidului”. și tocmai în jurul acestei teme graviteaz�� romanul lui Heym: cum evităm ca o relatare istorică să nu devină, așa cum unui anumit profesor îi place s-o numească, o „penibilitate istorică”?
„Nu prea. Dar trebuie s-o știu eu însumi. Trebuie să știu cine era omul David. Era o fiară de pradă, care dă iama? Sau avea înaintea lui un țel, către care gonea cu orice preț? Sau orice strădanie e deșartă și chiar cei mai mari dintre noi sunt grăunte de nisip, pe care vântul timpului le spulberă?”
„Biet om!” a zis Estera.
„David?” am întrebat.
„Nu, tu.”
ce este și ce anume poate fi un istoric? și în ce măsură mai are societatea nevoie de unul? ajuns la curtea regelui Solomon, istoricului Etan ben Hosaia i se înfățișează realitatea vremurilor biblice evocate în roman (de actualitate însă și în prezent!): la ce servește un letopiseț? privind totul dintr-o asemenea perspectivă, găsim justă afirmația căpitanului de la porțile cetății lui Solomon: „Avem nevoie în Ierusalim de pietrari, de zidari, de salahori la căratul tencuielii; chiar şi un cizmar ar fi de folos; da ia te uită, ne vine un istoric.”. cu asemenea „necesități” ale societății ne-am obișnuit: ele au fost evocate cel puțin pe parcursul unei jumătăți de veac, când istoria a căpătat un rol de instrument, iar istoricul unul de funcționar aflat în slujba „partidului”. și tocmai în jurul acestei teme graviteaz�� romanul lui Heym: cum evităm ca o relatare istorică să nu devină, așa cum unui anumit profesor îi place s-o numească, o „penibilitate istorică”?
December 29, 2020
i may have blunted myself on the story of david and saul and absalom and etc etc so the subtlety and power of this novel took a while to sink in, wrapped up as they are with the source material. extremely 1970s novel about a scribe tasked by king solomon with writing a history of king david that legitimates solomon. there are probably all kinds of east german jewish dissident in the 1970s political subtexts that i'm not getting. still, that gibes with one of the stickiest ideas the narrator utters: "Blessed be the name of the Lord our God, whose truth is like a field arrayed with flowers of many colors, for each man to pick the one striking his fancy."
March 27, 2023
This exquisite little novel serves tweo functions. For those interested in how parts of the Old Testament came to written it is an excellent primer that while it is conjectural will stir great interest. For those interested in how Communism rewites history it is an expose of the danger of political and doctrinaire dictates on how the past shouild be viewed, not according to dispassionate inquiry but party allegiance. Heym wrote this book primarily to warn, but did so in an engaging manner.
March 28, 2022
I weirdly liked this book a lot. It was so vivid that when I read the Bible, I kept thinking that I had seen what I was reading in a movie. It took me a few days to realize that it was just the mind movie I made from reading this.
October 10, 2024
Damn good.
March 21, 2024
One of the most enjoyable and memorable novels I've ever read. Though at times Heym's interpretation and embellishment of the biblical account comes across as overly cynical, this book's entire existence is a testament to the one-of-a-kind power of God's word.
July 26, 2010
Een hervertelling van een van de oudste verhalen in de wereld, Batseba is een verslag van het laatste deel van de regel van koning David. Het is een aardse, emotionele roman vol levendig memorabele personages, die mythische status te bereiken met behoud van hun menselijkheid. De vertrouwde figuren - Uria, den Hethiet, Tamar, Absalom, David, Amnon, Joab, Mefiboset, Nathan en, bovenal, Batseba zichzelf - en een paar kleine originele karakters krijgen ruimte om te groeien en echt tot leven komen. Meer dan alleen het verhaal is afkomstig uit het Oude Testament; Lindgren's taal is de cadans van de bijbelse modellen en hij zorgt voor de krachtige (en gemakkelijk misbruikt) instrument voor Mytho-poëtische abstractie met vaardigheid.
Ondanks een soortgelijke instelling, Stefan Heym is de koning David Report is een heel andere roman. Het vertelt het verhaal achter de oprichting van het bijbelse verslag van de regel van koning David. Ethan de historicus wordt opgeroepen door koning Salomo om te schrijven "The One and Only True en gezaghebbende, historisch correct en officieel erkend Verslag over de Amazing Rise, godvrezende Life, heldendaden en Wonderful prestaties van David, zoon van Jesse". Hij moet een evenwicht zijn eigen toewijding aan de waarheid met de tegenstrijdige opvattingen van de verschillende facties rechter over wat moet worden opgenomen. Het resultaat is zowel een vorm van historische mysterie, met de "echte" gebeurtenissen van de regering van David geleidelijk geopenbaard door Ethan's onderzoeken, en een politieke satire (Stefan Heym was een Oost-Duits, vertrouwd zijn met historisch revisionisme). Dit aspect is echter niet gearbeid, en het resultaat is een onderhoudende, humoristische roman met een ernstige kernel. De koning David verslag is een van mijn favoriete historische romans.
Zowel het verslag van koning David en Bathseba zal worden genoten door liefhebbers van historische fictie, beide zijn prima romans in welke context. Hoewel beide Lindgren en Heym hebben gemaakt van de tekst van het Oude Testament als een lanceerplatform, lezen tussen de lijnen van het bijbelse verslag en het aanbieden van hun eigen gissen naar de werkelijkheid achter de woorden, hun romans roepen heel verschillende werelden. De koning David verslag benadrukt de overeenkomsten tussen het verleden en het heden; de wereld van Bathsheba is zowel sneller en meer vreemd. Mijn advies is om te voorkomen dat het maken van een keuze en zowel lezen.
Ondanks een soortgelijke instelling, Stefan Heym is de koning David Report is een heel andere roman. Het vertelt het verhaal achter de oprichting van het bijbelse verslag van de regel van koning David. Ethan de historicus wordt opgeroepen door koning Salomo om te schrijven "The One and Only True en gezaghebbende, historisch correct en officieel erkend Verslag over de Amazing Rise, godvrezende Life, heldendaden en Wonderful prestaties van David, zoon van Jesse". Hij moet een evenwicht zijn eigen toewijding aan de waarheid met de tegenstrijdige opvattingen van de verschillende facties rechter over wat moet worden opgenomen. Het resultaat is zowel een vorm van historische mysterie, met de "echte" gebeurtenissen van de regering van David geleidelijk geopenbaard door Ethan's onderzoeken, en een politieke satire (Stefan Heym was een Oost-Duits, vertrouwd zijn met historisch revisionisme). Dit aspect is echter niet gearbeid, en het resultaat is een onderhoudende, humoristische roman met een ernstige kernel. De koning David verslag is een van mijn favoriete historische romans.
Zowel het verslag van koning David en Bathseba zal worden genoten door liefhebbers van historische fictie, beide zijn prima romans in welke context. Hoewel beide Lindgren en Heym hebben gemaakt van de tekst van het Oude Testament als een lanceerplatform, lezen tussen de lijnen van het bijbelse verslag en het aanbieden van hun eigen gissen naar de werkelijkheid achter de woorden, hun romans roepen heel verschillende werelden. De koning David verslag benadrukt de overeenkomsten tussen het verleden en het heden; de wereld van Bathsheba is zowel sneller en meer vreemd. Mijn advies is om te voorkomen dat het maken van een keuze en zowel lezen.
October 24, 2020
With humor, anger, and anguish, Mr. Heym's novel lays out the difficulty of writing history for a leadership that is interested in power, but not in truth. Mr. H. describes the life of a man commissioned by King Solomon to write the official history of the life and times of his father, King David. It turns out that the resulting history is part of the Hebrew Bible (namely, I Samuel 6 through I Kings 2). In following the writer through his research and adventures, Mr. H. shows how a document can omit, gloss over, bend, etc. actual events in the service of some overriding purpose of The State, for example. It is a treat how Mr. H. tells not only the story of the writer, but also the "true" story of what he's writing about.
I believe Mr. H. was an East German writer whose work (according to the bio in the edition I read) was published only in the West after an official attack on Mr. H. in 1965. The novel was written in the early 1970's at a time when the disappearance of the Iron Curtain was unthinkable. Hence, the novel is also a criticism of the society Mr. H. lived in with its "revisionist history" and the types of "official narrative" that George Orwell laid out in "1984". Nonetheless, the novel is about more than a writer living in a communist state. The reason: "Official narratives" are always with us, alive and well.
Last, this is a book for Bible-lovers. It is a real treat as it gives a certain thriller excitement to the King David story and alternative ways of looking at it and the people in it (such as Bath-Sheeba, Absalom, Joab, etc.).
********** I read this book a second time in October 2020. So, it must have made a big impression on me. I just want to add two things to my earlier review. First, the exciting nature of the stories in the life of King David are beautifully picked apart and deconstructed so that we end up with two stories of each of the events. Each story is a good one. Second, I didn’t pay enough attention the first time to the personal or novelistic side of the book — that is, the life and experiences of protagonist who is the man hired or appointed to research and write the story of King David. In this, we have the professional, personal, and family stresses that his contact with Power creates. Love, family life, fear, money, etc. are all implicated in the almost impossible job this conscientious man is asked to perform.
I believe Mr. H. was an East German writer whose work (according to the bio in the edition I read) was published only in the West after an official attack on Mr. H. in 1965. The novel was written in the early 1970's at a time when the disappearance of the Iron Curtain was unthinkable. Hence, the novel is also a criticism of the society Mr. H. lived in with its "revisionist history" and the types of "official narrative" that George Orwell laid out in "1984". Nonetheless, the novel is about more than a writer living in a communist state. The reason: "Official narratives" are always with us, alive and well.
Last, this is a book for Bible-lovers. It is a real treat as it gives a certain thriller excitement to the King David story and alternative ways of looking at it and the people in it (such as Bath-Sheeba, Absalom, Joab, etc.).
********** I read this book a second time in October 2020. So, it must have made a big impression on me. I just want to add two things to my earlier review. First, the exciting nature of the stories in the life of King David are beautifully picked apart and deconstructed so that we end up with two stories of each of the events. Each story is a good one. Second, I didn’t pay enough attention the first time to the personal or novelistic side of the book — that is, the life and experiences of protagonist who is the man hired or appointed to research and write the story of King David. In this, we have the professional, personal, and family stresses that his contact with Power creates. Love, family life, fear, money, etc. are all implicated in the almost impossible job this conscientious man is asked to perform.
January 15, 2012
Ethan, Sohn des Hoshaja, aus der Stadt Ezra, ein Historiker und Schreiber, wird zu König Salomo gerufen und damit beauftragt, den „Einen und Einzigen Wahren und Autorativen, Historisch Genauen und Amtlich Anerkannten Bericht über den Erstaunlichen Aufstieg, das Gottesfürchtige Leben, sowie die Heroischen Taten und Wunderbaren Leistungen des David ben Jesse, Königs von Juda, während Sieben und beider Juda und Israel während Dreiunddreißig Jahren, des Erwählten GOttes und Vaters von König Salomo“ zu erstellen. Schnell stellt er fest, dass dies nur ein Balanceakt zwischen historischer Genauigkeit und den Fordernissen des Königs und seiner Berater sein kann, den sein Leben liegt in deren Händen. Sorgfältig wertet er Quellen aus, befragt die letzten Überlebenden aus der Zeit König Davids und spürt Widersprüche und vor allem wenig Heldenhaftes über den verehrten Herrscher auf. Ethan muss sich entscheiden, wieweit er der Wahrheit dienen darf und inwieweit er gewillt ist, zur Legendenbildung beizutragen...
Es hat eine Weile gedauert, bis ich in das Buch hinein gefunden habe, aber dann habe ich es doch mit großem Interesse gelesen. Richtig „klick“ hat es gemacht als ich die verschiedenen Personen des König-David-Berichtes in den Weiten des Internets aufspürte und in einen besseren Zusammenhang bringen konnte. Von da an hat mir das Lesen richtig Spaß gemacht und ich habe in der Bibel ab und an Stellen nachgelesen.
Beeindruckend fand ich, wie Heym sich konsequent in der Sprache vergangener Zeiten ausdrückt, auch wenn es manchmal etwas sehr gestelzt und gewollt klingt. Der innere Konflikt Ethans ist sehr gut herausgearbeitet und lässt den Leser sowohl das historische Interesse, die Suche nach der Wahrheit und das damit verbundene Dilemma nachspüren.
Heyms Roman wird oft als Kritik an der DDR verstanden, kann jedoch auf jede Diktatur zutreffen. Überall da, wo Menschen sich zu Herrschern emporschwingen und ihre Herrschaft auf Angst und Unterdrückung begründen, wird die Wahrheit zur Gefahr und das Verfälschen geschichtlicher Ereignisse, um den eigenen Anspruch auf die Herrschaft zu legitimieren, ein hilfreiches Mittel zur Beeinflussung der Massen.
Es hat eine Weile gedauert, bis ich in das Buch hinein gefunden habe, aber dann habe ich es doch mit großem Interesse gelesen. Richtig „klick“ hat es gemacht als ich die verschiedenen Personen des König-David-Berichtes in den Weiten des Internets aufspürte und in einen besseren Zusammenhang bringen konnte. Von da an hat mir das Lesen richtig Spaß gemacht und ich habe in der Bibel ab und an Stellen nachgelesen.
Beeindruckend fand ich, wie Heym sich konsequent in der Sprache vergangener Zeiten ausdrückt, auch wenn es manchmal etwas sehr gestelzt und gewollt klingt. Der innere Konflikt Ethans ist sehr gut herausgearbeitet und lässt den Leser sowohl das historische Interesse, die Suche nach der Wahrheit und das damit verbundene Dilemma nachspüren.
Heyms Roman wird oft als Kritik an der DDR verstanden, kann jedoch auf jede Diktatur zutreffen. Überall da, wo Menschen sich zu Herrschern emporschwingen und ihre Herrschaft auf Angst und Unterdrückung begründen, wird die Wahrheit zur Gefahr und das Verfälschen geschichtlicher Ereignisse, um den eigenen Anspruch auf die Herrschaft zu legitimieren, ein hilfreiches Mittel zur Beeinflussung der Massen.
December 1, 2012
If you ever wondered about the written history of a great man (or woman), a politician, king, Queen, public figure. Wondered how any one person could become so perfect, such a legend, this book will give you a hint as to how history is written of such people. How stories are created, shaped, bent, to fit the image that is required, to be maintained.
In this story you will read that King David was not exactly the person as depicted in the Bible. Whether you choose to believe this version or not, is entirely up to you.
I gave this book two stars only because I found it difficult to read, the language and the style, which is fitting for the story but made it hard to follow and stick with at times. (I kept drifting off or falling asleep).
Without getting into my own personal views of what is written in the bible or how great men of history are depicted, I'll just say that this book wasn't exactly an eye-opener for me, but it might be for some, and I'm sure it will enrage a few as well.
In this story you will read that King David was not exactly the person as depicted in the Bible. Whether you choose to believe this version or not, is entirely up to you.
I gave this book two stars only because I found it difficult to read, the language and the style, which is fitting for the story but made it hard to follow and stick with at times. (I kept drifting off or falling asleep).
Without getting into my own personal views of what is written in the bible or how great men of history are depicted, I'll just say that this book wasn't exactly an eye-opener for me, but it might be for some, and I'm sure it will enrage a few as well.
September 27, 2015
Brilliant extended metaphor. On the surface, a novel told in the voice of the man responsible for redacting the stories of King David found in the bible, under the direction of a team appointed by King Solomon. There are so many stories of David, most not flattering, some casting a poor light on his son Solomon. Which to include, and which of the men surrounding Solomon worked for David and has a stake in how the story is redacted. The author was a German Jew who was a member of the Communist party before WWII and fled the Nazis. After serving in the US Army, he went back to East Germany after the war, where he was a party member and a novelist, who eventually got into trouble for telling to much truth in his fiction. This book is a meditation on how a revolution populated by people who served in the previous regime is compromised and constricted. Great writing.
January 28, 2015
An ingenious and intriguing book. Looking at the writing of the Kind David Report (part of the Old Testament) through the eyes of the author. A timeless look at corruption, misdirection, marketing, journalism, witch-hunting and deception which is as relevant to modern leadership and politics as it was in the time of King Solomon. Human weakness vs moral standpoints and humanity vs inhumanity. Times have changed, or have they? Thought provoking and incredibly written.
March 17, 2016
A work of art in the real sense. For what is history made of but those glimpses the people in power wish you to see. This exposes thier deciets and needs much as a good bit of journalism can. But to have done that in this way and that time and on so sensitive a subject i can only ask the authour to take a bow.
He taught me much and no doubt will treach me more over the years. One of the best books i have ever read.
He taught me much and no doubt will treach me more over the years. One of the best books i have ever read.
November 5, 2013
Heym's novel is considered among Biblical scholars one of the most fascinating and attentive reconstruction of
Israel under David's and Solomon's rule. It is very interesting indeed the way the author has tried to reconstruct the possible scholarly setting of a scribe in the first millennium BCE. I highly recommend this reading.
Israel under David's and Solomon's rule. It is very interesting indeed the way the author has tried to reconstruct the possible scholarly setting of a scribe in the first millennium BCE. I highly recommend this reading.
December 8, 2012
Informative read on the history of King David, good perspective on the "retelling of history by those who won the war". But overall a little dry and stilted (perhaps a result of translation).
January 16, 2013
Amazing
March 6, 2016
One of the best books I have ever read.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews