Peculiar Treasures: A Biblical Who's Who [Paperback]

Frederick Buechner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 10, 1993

In this second book of his popular lexical trilogy, Frederick Buechner profiles more than 125 of the Bible's most holy and profane people -- and one whale. In his lively and witty prose, Buechner brings to life such moments from scripture as:

• Adam's pangs of regret for a remembered Eden

• Delilah's last glimpse of Samson as they dragged him away

• Lazarus's first impressions upon rising from the dead

To read Peculiar Treasures is to realize that many of these legendary figures are not who we thought they were. But they are -- in their human dreams,ambitions, and imperfections -- very much like us.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Witty yet solidly instructive characterizations of more than one hundred Biblical figures underscores the lessons each holds for Christians today.

About the Author

Frederick Buechner, author of more than thirty works of fiction and nonfiction, is an ordained Presbyterian minister. He has been a finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award and was honored by the American Academy of Arts and Letters. His most recent work is Beyond Words: Daily Readings in the ABC’s of Faith.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: HarperOne (September 10, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060611413
• ISBN-13: 978-0060611415
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #128,089 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Frederick Buechner is the popular author of such nonfiction titles as Telling the Truth, Wishful Thinking, and Peculiar Treasures. The New York Times Book Review described his recently published memoir, The Sacred Journey, as a "beautifully successful experiment." In addition to The Final Beast, which was originally published in 1965, Mr. Buechner is the author of ten other novels, including the bestselling A Long Day's Dying and, most recently, Godric. He makes his home in Rupert, Vermont.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thoughts to Ponder, December 6, 2001

By 

Kellyannl (Bronx, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Peculiar Treasures: A Biblical Who's Who (Paperback)

Having enjoyed Mr. Buechner's biblical fiction, I also picked up this volume of his musings on the people of the Bible. I wasn't disappointed.

I don't know if I would recommend it as a who's who to non Christians who want a quick reference - some of the entries don't make sense if you don't know your Bible - but for those who do, it's an often amusing reflection on our faith. It's also sometimes profound. Some of my favorites - Why do discussions of David and Jonathan anymore seem to revolve around whether or not they were gay and miss the point of their wonderful friendship? What would Uriah have to say about his murder if he could chat with us now? Was Gabriel as scared as Mary during the Annunciation? What happened if, as is likely, Jesus and Judas met again when Jesus descended into hell?

This is one to keep next to your Bible. Mr. Buechner's worldview is comforting and compassionate, and this volume speaks as a little gospel light.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars See these Characters brought to life, June 20, 2001

By 

Paul Marshall (Sacramento, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Peculiar Treasures: A Biblical Who's Who (Paperback)

Buechner brings out the insightful traits of many Bible Characters. Each sketch prompts thought and creates a desire to meet these people and ask them questions.

After reading these sketches you will never read another name in the Bible without thinking who this person was in real life.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An nice sequel to "Wishful Thinking", July 25, 2002

By 

kwill10 "kwill10" (Nashville, TN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Peculiar Treasures: A Biblical Who's Who (Paperback)

"Peculiar Treasures" is Buechner's second in a trilogy of lexicon-style expositions, this time focusing on Biblical characters. Including some virtual unknowns alongside the "heavyweights", Buechner examines each person and tries to discover what makes them unique. Since the Biblical characters might not always be immediately familiar to the reader, there is necessarily increased length to the entries, and thus fewer entries, relative to Buechner's other two books in this series. While not quite as good as "Wishful Thinking", this book is still excellent and thought-provoking.