30 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Biblical fiction? - more fictional than Biblical!, January 8, 2001
"Dreamers" is the first volume of a trilogy of books based on the life of Joseph. But the Biblical story-line is only a starting-point for Hunt, as she weaves the Scriptural account with various fictional characters and events to make a wonderful story. "Dreamers" describes Joseph being brought to Egypt as a slave, his rise to power in Potiphar's household, his imprisonment after being unjustly accused of adultery, and his subsequent rise to the second-highest in command in Egypt. The book can also be read as the story of the fictional Tuya, Joseph's fellow slave and lover. What can you expect from this book?
Weaknesses - the Biblical part.
1. The Egyptian chronology is inaccurate. Although there is little consensus concerning precise dates for Egyptian chronology, most scholars agree that the Exodus occurred some time during the 18th Dynasty of the New Kingdom. The pharaohs described by Hunt (Thutmosis III, Amenhotep II, Thutmosis IV, and Amenhotep III) are certainly historical figures, but it is more likely that these were the pharaohs from around the time of the Exodus, 400 years later. If traditional Egyptian chronology is correct, Joseph rose to prominence in Egypt hundreds of years prior to the rise of the figures portrayed in "Dreamers." Hunt could at least have acknowledged that she was following a revisionist Egyptian chronology that departs from the scholarly consensus.
2. Embellishment of the Biblical narrative. No doubt Hunt would be the first to remind us that her novels are not a speculative picture of what might have happened to Joseph, but are rather a fictional account. Certain aspects of the story line are clearly inventions of the author (e.g. specific injuries suffered by Joseph in the pit, his romance with Tuya, Potiphar's impotence and suicide, other revelatory dreams). I felt distinctly uncomfortable with the idea of a fictional embellishment of Scriptural truth, and personally question the legitimacy of "Biblical fiction" a genre.
3. Weak theology. The romance between Joseph and Tuya is central to the novel, but absent from Scripture. Hunt's constant focus on romance and love as a feeling is more a reflection of our modern secular time than of Scripture. Many readers may enjoy this aspect, but I find it sad that a writer needs to borrow secular concepts from our contemporary pagan culture to make Biblical fiction effective. Hunt departs even further from the Bible by having Joseph unashamedly fall in love with and pledge to marry his fellow slave, who does at this time not share his belief in the invisible and true God. Joseph's behaviour in this regard is a sharp departure from that of his father Jacob and grandfather Isaac, who both went to great lengths to ensure that their wives were from a believing family. Hunt presents Joseph as unwavering in his desire to obey God, but she plainly ignores a clear command found throughout Scripture and plainly evident also in the life of Joseph's ancestors: that marrying an unbeliever is disobedience to God.
4. Religious pluralism. By attributing prophetic and miraculous powers to the Egyptian gods (e.g. an Egyptian god enables his pagan priestess to prophesy Joseph's rise to power p.186, and an Egyptian god speaks to the Egyptian prince and promises to make him king p.249), Hunt gives the impression that she departs from monotheism by regarding El Shaddai the invisible God as merely higher and better than other gods. Hunt's picture is different than that found in Scripture, where other gods are portrayed as useless and non-existent (Isaiah 44:6-20). Certainly the Bible does speak of demonic powers that are at work behind the powerless gods of wood and stone, but this is not the way Hunt presents it.
Strengths - the fictional part.
1. Superb story-telling. Despite the fact that most readers are already familiar with the story of Joseph, the reader is not hampered by a predictable plot. Even readers familiar with the Bible (and thus know the basic outcome), will find this novel enthralling. Hunt's story-telling abilities shine through constantly, resulting in a gripping and powerful story that you will find hard to put down.
2. Magnificent setting. The Egyptian culture is portrayed in rich and vivid colours, complete with its landscape, religion, social customs and beliefs. Reading this books is a wonderful way to obtain a picture of life in Egypt, and your knowledge and understanding of ancient Egypt will grow without ever you getting the idea that you are on the receiving end of a dry lecture. Even the metaphors and similes used by Hunt are appropriately Egyptian, and all aspects of the book have an Egyptian flavour - an altogether remarkable achievement!
Should you buy or read this book? Do not expect a faithful representation of Joseph's life. If you feel uncomfortable with the idea of Biblical fiction, then reading this book will leave you with a nagging dissatisfaction. But if you are prepared to try to overlook the fact that this book is based on a Biblical story-line and read it as an entirely fictional work, you will find it a most thrilling and enjoyable read. I am not eager to rush out and read the other books of this series, but Hunt's story-telling abilities have whetted my appetite for sampling some of her other contributions to the Christian fiction genre. I am optimistic that these other efforts will be more satisfying than the Biblical fiction of "Dreamers."
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Biblical Story Comes Alive!, November 29, 2008
This review is from: Dreamers (Legacies of the Ancient River) (Mass Market Paperback)
The story of Joseph as told in the Bible is a familiar one; I've read it many times. So I first thought that this book wouldn't appeal to me. I should have realized that anything Angela Hunt writes is going to be GOOD. She take the biblical account and using her attention to detail, fictionalizes it so that I end up thinking, "Yes, it could have happened like this." It just makes sense!
Her ability to weave in information gathered from what must have been a massive research project, and create twists and turns so that this reader always expects the unexpected. You may ask, "How can there be surprises in a well-known story?" Ah, you'll have to read it to see for yourself.
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