4 out of 4 stars
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I won’t harm you, little one,” Adam spoke reassuringly as he strode from the woods toward his home. He could feel its pounding heart, its rapid breathing, its churning efforts to escape.
Who Told You That You Were Naked? by William Combs is a book about sin. It deals with a myriad of biblical themes in an unconventional way. This book is essentially a revisitation of the origin story, and his particular version of the origin story is quite irresistible. The book takes us from the Genesis to the tale of Cain and Abel and explores what the biblical story means. It deals with the biblical ideas of nakedness (and its myriad connotations), sin and darkness. It describes the genesis of sin, delineating the fall of Eden.
Perhaps the most appealing part of this book is the title. If one looks at the Biblical connotations of Who Told You That You Were Naked, then much can be understood about the book. The very idea of understanding nakedness the way generally do is questioned and contested in the very title of the book. Even to a reader who does not know that this book has a religious context would find the title quite intriguing and may be inclined to pick up the book. Naturally, when one looks at the cover, the title suddenly makes more sense.
When it comes to the content of the story, the author does not disappoint. From the very beginning it is clear that this work is an amalgam of creativity and research, and therein lies its inherent complexity. It is clear that this work is a product of extensive research and a lot of effort. Even though there are times when the reader would be left confused due to the interludes that have fragmented the content, in no way does that take away from the beauty of the story.
Another thing that I absolutely loved was the style of writing of the author. The story has been delineated with a unique kind of eloquence and complexity. To the average reader, at times this book will seem poetic. The description of the setting and the events is surprisingly intricate and astounding, and this adds to the complexity of the text.
Overall, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I also feel that it is very important to know that I was able to understand how this book would seem to a non-Christian (since I’m an atheist), and that made this read far more wonderful. Anyone who doesn’t subscribe to the Bible can read this as a pure work of literature and would enjoy it just as much. I felt that despite its overriding Biblical themes, this book is the perfect text for who is interesting in understanding religion.
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Who Told You That You Were Naked?
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