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Good Book
by David Plotz

A work of exegesis on the Old Testament, by a journalist who had never read much of the Bible before, for people who have also never read much of the Bible themselves. From that description you would have to guess that, overall, this would be a winning project, though with some rough patches here and there. And that guess would be spot on.

The book starts slowly, despite the fact that the first two chapters cover Genesis and Exodus--probably the two most familiar books of the OT for most people. The problem here is not the source material upon which Plotz is commenting; the problem is in the commentary, which at first comes across as a little too self-consciously clever. It's hard to like this guy right out of the gate. This is especially so because of his chosen subject: how easy it would be, for a non-believer, to approach the scriptures with smug condescension and leave the tone at that. Such an approach is not really necessary or welcome: as likely as not, if you've picked up Good Book, you probably bring plenty of your own condescension to the matter, and thus Plotz would bring nothing new if he had just stayed in that smug zone.

Thankfully, the author clears that early hurdle and soon gains the reader's trust. Plotz actually brings keen insights to the reader in his analysis of the Bible stories. His particular admiration for OT characters who bargain or argue with directly with God--Abraham, Moses, Gideon--and his awestruck delight at some of the Bible's best turns of phrase, help convince the reader of the author's sincerity--which then helps make his wry jokes that much funnier. Sometimes those potentially too self-consciously clever gags are in fact laugh-out-loud funny--a nice turn around from the off-putting beginning. And Plotz gives the reader some real insights, too. In particular, his clear observations about the legalistic nature of the Jewish faith, and how that distinguishes that religion from all other faiths, shines a light on a detail of the tradition that for most often remains in the dark.

As a work of humor, then, Good Book succeeds. As a work of light scholarship, too, Good Book brings something to the table that will enrich the less devout among us. Thus, despite those early missteps, Good Book does ultimately live up to its own title.