Only Human [Paperback]

Jenny Diski (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 4, 2001

Having seen enough of the results of autonomy and imagination with Adam and Eve, and dull obedience in the shape of the dutiful Noah, God tried once more to infiltrate humanity by seeking a solitary man whose history he could control and develop. Abraham was his chosen one. But accidents happen, unforeseen consequences of the best laid plans. Not even God, it appears, is exempt from jealousy. When the Lord made his final creation on earth, love came along for the ride and caused havoc, even to the Creator himself. Between the way of the world and the way of love, no one is safe. As the Creator and the barren wife wage war, they struggle not only over the affections of Abraham, and control of posterity, but the very notion of truth and storytelling. This brilliant, bitter-comic love story asks awkward questions about the nature of love and faith, and incidentally throws new light on the motivations of our superior Being...

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this inventive retelling of the Abraham and Sarah story, Diski (Skating to Antarctica) offers up a vain, "testy" God, who has created humanity in the hope of gaining insight into Himself. Instead, He feels shut out by his creations which is a pity, since they might benefit from his attention. Abram and Sarai, half-siblings married by their dynasty-conscious father, have trouble playing the roles they are allotted. The whole family is prone to fruitless soul-searching and spend their time grappling with the idea of death, occasionally sacrificing a lamb or defacing an idol to pass the time. The tale is mostly buildup, set during the period before the all-important birth of Isaac, and indeed is primarily meditation: Sarai thinks about love, Abram worries about the continuation of his lineage and God, who narrates half the book, broods on the disobedient inventiveness of His creations. When major events do occur (fueled by dialogue direct from the Bible), they progress at breakneck speed, as though the characters were in a hurry to return to their dreary contemplation of the human state. While billed as a "divine comedy," the novel lacks the raised eyebrow that makes other approaches to biblical stories Kierkegaard's, for example so successful. There are humorous moments, as when God grouses about humans taking "my exhortation to be fruitful and multiply to their hearts. Rather, to their loins." And the novel gives Sarai much more airtime than the Bible does, offering a refreshing, feminine perspective. As God and Sarai battle for Abram's affection, readers will inevitably take her side; the affectionate though fallible human is, unsurprisingly, much more appealing than the distant, irritable deity.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

The love triangle has been mined countless times for comedic gold. Diski's inventive, compelling novel does it again, a little differently. One of the corners in this triangle of love and longing is God. After the failures of Adam (apple eating) and Noah (post-ark drunkenness) as messengers, the Lord has decided upon a final, perfect vessel--Abram. Unfortunately, he's taken, and the novel is the story of the tug-of-war between his love of God and his love of family. There are two narrators, an omniscient third person and one of the triangle's sides, God. Unfortunately, thanks to God-as-narrator, the novel tends to unravel into schticky jokes about his bumbling omnipotence, undermining both the comedy and the seriousness of Diski's theology. Still, Diski has found a wonderful device for explicating the baffling and powerful stories of Abram, and the realization of Sarai as an empowered woman adds depth and texture to one of the oldest stories in the book. John Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Virago (October 4, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1860499147
• ISBN-13: 978-1860499142
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 7.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What If You Could Read God's Mind?, June 7, 2001

By 

Lee Armstrong (Winterville, NC United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Only Human: A Divine Comedy (Hardcover)

This is a stimulating novel. Based on the covenant between God and Abraham, it brings the characters to life, gives them flesh and bone. What would it have been like to be Sarai (Sarah) and married to a guy who went around talking to God? How would a woman of that day react? What if we could read God's mind and understand what the thoughts were that lead to the chosen people? Diski weaves and intriguing dialogue between God and man, and addresses fundamental questions of existence within each of the human characters. The book is intelligently written, witty, and keeps you glued to the page. At only 215 pages, it goes by quick. I think you'll find it fascinating with an occasional splash of humor.