Givens, By the Hand of Mormon
 

Has anyone read Terryl Givens, By the Hand of Mormon?

http://books.google.com/books?id=a5O...result#PPP1,M1

I found a cheap copy at Half Price Books and cruised through most of it this weekend. There are a couple of parts I need to spend more time on, though.

If you've read it, what did you think?

A quick search shows me that some of you have read it, but I couldn't find any specific commentary. Care to share?

I have only read People of Paradox. It is on my list though.

Sorry. Haven't read it. Not on my list.

I liked it, it was a very interesting read.

Absolutely stunning commentary.

don't be envious of my graduate training in literary criticism. That's tough stuff.

I have no doubt that Chino's review is well deserved.

I was being sarcastic, genius.

I wasn't.

This will enlighten concerning the significance of that blurb from Harold Bloom on Givens' dust jacket:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/17/bo...prod=permalink

Remember this is the ONLY thing Chino could come up with that Harold Bloom had said about the Book of Mormon. He called it exegesis.

I liked the book for its explanation of the role of the BofM historically in the church. I read it awhile ago, and it was the first time I really became aware of how JS used the book not so much for its content or doctrine (how many quotes do you see where JS refers to Nephi or anyone else in the book?) but that the revelation of the book itself was the proof of the restoration.

It did a decent job of addressing criticisms of the book and not trying to answer all of them but just raised possible explanations on either side. Didn't feel like apologetics.

Maybe this also shows how ignorant I am, but it was the first time I heard that Nephi's likely path was through the Indian Ocean and the Pacific rather than across the Atlantic (my Columbus-oriented understanding of ocean crossings). Still not sure how they threaded through Indonesia/Malaysia without landing there, but I guess they had to leave something for that guy who went north (Hagoth? or Mulek?) to inhabit later.

Only criticism is that I wished Givens would have spent more time analyzing the role of dance in the Nephite/Lamanite culture. ;)

No. You're not ignorant. Givens is. An academic engaging in such flights of complete fancy is ridiculous. How could he know this?