Review by mumoscar -- Who Told You That You Were Naked?

mumoscar · Post by **mumoscar** » 15 Sep 2017, 07:06

[Following is a volunteer review of "Who Told You That You Were Naked?" by William Combs.]

4 out of 4 stars

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A single bite, maybe two or three, of a forbidden fruit submerged the world into what has for centuries seemed like a lifetime sentence to an abyss of death. Written through the lenses of the New Testament, Who Told You That You Were Naked by William E. Combs, is a Christian narrative under the genre non-fiction. The historical Garden of Eden with its first occupants, Adam and Eve, is the bone of contention that sees William E. Combs’ mind journey from Alaska to revisit the mystery behind the fall of humanity to sin.

This book designates Eden a home of peace, prosperity, joy, and hope; a serene modus vivendi that has the first family wanting naught. Embroidered with plenty of fruit bearing trees, the garden also hosts two discrete trees in the middle; the tree of life and the tree (whose fruit stands prohibited) of the knowledge of good and evil. Created in the image and likeness of God, the first family was pure and innocent, however, a third creature has vested interests in the forbidden tree and endorses the ideology that maybe Adam misunderstood God’s instructions. Thus convincing Adam and Eve to consume the fruit.

We have to work hard to better our lives, we struggle to be at the top, clique with influential friends, contest for great job opportunities, and at the peak of it we are feeling scanty and susceptible. We can murder to uphold status quo just like Cain did. But there is still that barrenness we can’t resolve on our own. Well, are these the consequences for flouting a command given by God?

Propped with pillars of ten enlightening chapters, this book is presented in what the author calls “short vignettes” for the reader to better identify with characters painted in the Bible verses used. Combs is not hasty to deliver the much anticipated narrative but takes time to prepare the reader’s mind with a petite subjective testimony at intervals to avoid losing the reader. I credit the author for picking to accommodate a diversity of readers by animating the story of Adam and Eve. People who find it difficult to read and interpret the Bible will have an easy ride on this train. I admit the author got me off-guard and even spiced my reading appetite with a writing style i least expected.

The author describes sin as the antagonist of God’s creation. He shows how enslaved and wretched we are under sin, and that we can’t on our own overthrow the adversary but only through Christ who became sin for our redemption. There are various concepts driven so well in this book. For example, "sin is more than a list of our misdeeds", "sin is rooted in the mental capacity to discern good and evil", "we die due to emotional stress as we try to restore self-worth", "we can’t be forgiven through grace and mercy without sin being judged", "we can’t accomplish anything for God on our own understanding", and "the Bible forms the foundation of our relationship with God."

I like how the author issues study questions after each chapter. It’s easier to understand the narrative as you go through the self-evaluations. I also noted repetition of some paragraphs which i believe are for the purpose of emphasis, however, i found some to be unnecessary. The scripture quote on page 232, “2 Corinthians 5:23”does not exist. The correct quote should be, “2 Corinthians 5:21”. Again this scripture text is not well punctuated, thus it would give a wrong interpretation to any person new to it. I didn’t encounter any grammatical errors all through apart from the aforementioned gaffes which couldn’t impede my progress. There is more merits than demerits to this book leaving me no choice but award it 4 out of 4 stars. All Christians will find it edifying after reading this delectable novel.

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Who Told You That You Were Naked?
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Christina Rose · Post by **Christina Rose** » 17 Sep 2017, 13:31

I really enjoyed reading your take on this novel. It is one that I read and reviewed as well. I enjoyed the vignettes, as they really did serve to allow me to better identify with these important characters from the book of Genesis. I found this book to be very thought provoking, and it has stayed with me, even after I finished reading it. Thank you for your insightful review.

mumoscar · Post by **mumoscar** » 18 Sep 2017, 01:00

Christina Rose wrote:I really enjoyed reading your take on this novel. It is one that I read and reviewed as well. I enjoyed the vignettes, as they really did serve to allow me to better identify with these important characters from the book of Genesis. I found this book to be very thought provoking, and it has stayed with me, even after I finished reading it. Thank you for your insightful review.

Thank you Christina for reading my review. Indeed it's a very Informative book and I learned so much from it.

Kinnera · Post by **Kinnera** » 18 Sep 2017, 07:41

It sounds like a take on things that one does not expect and it makes you think... Thanks for your review!

mumoscar · Post by **mumoscar** » 18 Sep 2017, 08:10

Kinnera wrote:It sounds like a take on things that one does not expect and it makes you think... Thanks for your review!

Thank you Kinnera for your comment.

Kelebogile Mbangi · Post by **Kelebogile Mbangi** » 20 Sep 2017, 11:55

I think I will skip this book. My views would clash with the points conveyed in this book. It sounds interesting though. Thanks for the review.

mumoscar · Post by **mumoscar** » 20 Sep 2017, 12:15

Kelebogile Mbangi wrote:I think I will skip this book. My views would clash with the points conveyed in this book. It sounds interesting though. Thanks for the review.

Thanks Kelebogile for reading my review. The world would be so boring if we all had the same opinions and views. It's not bad to see things differently.

Kelebogile Mbangi · Post by **Kelebogile Mbangi** » 20 Sep 2017, 12:26

Very true. And it is refreshing to read something different every now and again.

kislany · Post by **kislany** » 21 Sep 2017, 02:15

What a different book from what I usually read! I'm not sure if I want to tackle it or give it a pass just yet. I appreciate you explaining the book so well in your review.

kanyianne · Post by **kanyianne** » 30 Sep 2017, 07:33

I have really enjoyed reading your review. The author must have had dedicated time to research on the topic. It sounds well done from your review's perspective.

EVANSO · Post by **EVANSO** » 03 Oct 2017, 05:36

Its sounds interesting to read a Biblical narrative from such a great point of view. Since sin came to the world, human life has never been the same; we strive to do good as the antagonist keeps pursuing. Nice review.