Customer Reviews

Rachel & Leah (Women of Genesis (Forge))

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is the third book in Card's "Women of Genesis" series, which began with "Sarah" and "Rebekah." (Each book can be read independently of the others.) Card, who's a Mormon, uses the biblical story of Rachel and Leah and their handmaids, Bilhah and Zilpah, as a framework and creatively fills in the details.

As in the other two books, he does a clever job of spinning a tale that makes some sense of the odder parts of the biblical story. Also as in the other books, the characters never felt entirely like real people to me. I've enjoyed the books in this series more as spiritual literature than as novels. (If you're a fan of Card's science fiction and fantasy but aren't interested in religion, I wouldn't recommend this series.)

Card explains in an afterword that he had intended to tell the story of these women in one volume, but there was too much to tell, so the story will be continued in another volume. This book, which ends with Leah's and Rachel's marriages, doesn't feel incomplete, so I was glad rather than annoyed that there will be a sequel.

This is my favorite of the "Women of Genesis" books, but I liked Card's "Stone Tables," a novelization of the life of Moses, even better. I also recommend his "Saints," about one of the wives of Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormons.

P.S. Seven years later, still no sequel. Oh well.

Rachel and Leah is not a preachy book - although Card has never tried to hide his personal faith, these well-written books on the lives of the women of Genesis have no ulterior motive to "convert" anyone. So set any fears aside and get ready to just enjoy.

Readers should know upfront that this is only half of the story - Card thought he'd finish in one novel, but had to split Rachel and Leah into two. I didn't know this, and as the pages moved toward the end, I wondered how on earth he was going to finish this up to a reader's satisfaction. This volume will take you to the wedding night (I won't say whose, for those unfamiliar with the biblical tale!)

Rachel and Leah are very well-drawn characters - quite real and fleshed out when we meet them at the ages of 11 and 14. Leah grows and changes, but Rachel very little. Both women, I feel, needed some more "development" as they grew - after all, by the time of the wedding, Rachel is 19 years old (quite old to be unmarried in biblical times, I believe) and Leah 22 - well toward spinsterhood. And yet I don't feel these women have "grown up" very much; they seem very innocent still, as if their natural, sexual selves had never woken up. I'm not suggesting they'd be overcome by sexual urges that would "titillate" the story, but surely they would come into their womanhood somehow - in a way appropriate to the story and culture. This seems to me to be the novel's only flaw, and it is easy to forgive because the reader still feels as if they have deep understanding of both characters, as well as for Bilhah and Zilpah, their handmaidens. Jacob and Laban are not fully explored, but certainly enough for us - after all, the novel is about the women, not the men.

In the end, there is enough for readers to hope Mr. Card is not sidetracked in the publication of the sequel, as he was in getting this first half out. A good, solid read for all.

I had quite an opposite experience as k_b. I found I appreciated Rachel & Leah, as well as other Women of Genesis books, greater as a novel than as a piece of spiritual literature. Moreover, as compared to Saints, I didn't feel the pressure of religion overshadowing the shining characters and very real plot.
I have always been a firm believer in extensive characterization. No matter how awesome and intricate a plot is, if you don't love the characters you won't care what kind of situations they get into. Card's talent isn't simply his ability to weave a good story, it is his ability to create characters so vivid we cannot help but think of them as real people and empathize with their exploits. I knew the story of Jacob and his four wives very well, but it always sat uneasy with me; they and their actions were too detached, too foreign. All the characters in R&L feel real, and I found myself strongly empathizing with them (well, not so much Rachel, but that's probably the older sister in me talking). I am not spiritual AT ALL, but I love the Women of Genesis series (Rebekah has since become, in my opinion, on of the most kick-butt women in literature). Religion in the books feel more like a background or a means through which the REAL story can be told, neither offensive or distracting in its persistant function (see Saints). This is a remarkable book that evokes true emotion and paints very real portraits from fuzzy biblical sketches, transforming obscure literary references into human beings.
I actually read Red Tent after finishing R&L. While I enjoyed it for the style and imagination, Card's protrayal of these characters was far more complete and I would revert back to his interpretation when the stories diverged.
The spiritual should pick up Rachel & Leah (as well as Sarah and Rebekah) for the full-circle understanding of characters without characterization in the Bible, and non-believers shouldn't be deterred from a wonderful read for fear of religious orientation.

To write a story about Leah and Rachel and not delve into what it was that Rachel stole from her father Laban would be like telling a story about Kodak and failing to ever mention film!

I was disappointed in Card's almost thoughtless advancement of Leah as a lover of Jacob, when it was Rachel, his teenage sweetheart, that EVERYTHING that occurs in Genesis 31, revolves around! It was Rachel that Jacob waited 20-years to marry, even though he had children with Leah, whom he was tricked into marrying in the first place.

The novel, "Graven Image" by RF Hawthorne, also available on Amazon, whom is another LDS writer, captures everything that Card lets escape from his story.

And what were the graven images that Rachel stole??? (Gen. 31:19)

Hawthorne provides the incredible, earth-shaking details that Card failed to even mention. I much preferred Hawthorne's work and though it's out of print, can still be found on the web, but they are harder to find, becoming an almost 'cult' following.

Card presents a good story, but it could've been better. I recommend that Orson read a copy of Hawthorne's "Graven Image".

It is also interesting to note that "Graven Image" is being developed for cinema for the major, Hollywood studios through Thornbush Entertainment in Beverly Hills.

I was so excited when I came across a copy of this book, and it is an amazing read, that takes us through the lives of four incredible young women later to be mothers of the Nation of Israel.

First we read about Bilah, a clever young girl, who is taken by a a friend of her late father's to Laban's camp at Padan Aram, after her father's death in a tragic work accident, before we are introduced to 'tender eyed' Leah, the ravishing Rachel and the other handmaiden Zilpah.
Rachel and Leah are introduced to us at the ages of eleven and fourteen respectively. Bilah is a similar age to Rachel and Zilpah a similar age to Leah.
As we read of the lives and interactions of four beautiful girls, each with their own unique personalities and characters, I grew to love and care about them all.

The entry of Jacob fleeing from his brother Esau's wrath shapes the lives of all four girls who will later bear Jacob's twelve sons.

Card departs very little from the Biblical novel while filling in the caps in a most skillful manner.
It is an interesting insight into the intricacies of the lives of the characters who shaped the history of the nation of Israel.
A very sensitive insightful, and compassionate portrayal that kept the right amount of humour and intrigue.
Fascinating insights into the Book of the revelations of Enoch as Enoch, who walked with the people of Zion, is taken up to heaven, as Jacob teaches Leah and Bilah.
The only flaw may be that the author seems to downplay the love of Jacob for Rachel who was in fact the center of his attention, and he turns Laban, who is not well though of in Jewish and Christian scripture into a sympathetic character.

But we feel as if we are really there in Padan-Aram as we share the lives of Jacob and four fascinating young women.
Card shows a deep understanding of women and of men and of their interactions.
It is a novel and a work of historical fiction that is at once engaging and enlightening. It really deepened my perspectives of these events and people.
I am determined when I am next in Israel to visit Rachel's Tomb between Gilo and Beit Lechem and the Tomb of the Matriarchs in Tiberias where Zilpah and Bilah are buried, having visited the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron where Jacob and Leah are buried.

I didn't grow up with formal religion, so in the past few years I have been introduced to Biblical Fiction by a few friends and family members. Reading Biblical Fiction has been a great way for me to learn about these wonderful historical figures.

"Rachel and Leah" by Orson Scott Card was a great book that kept me up late at night reading. It was enjoyable and informative. I felt like I was back in biblical times, I could almost taste the dust on my lips. However, I never felt like I got to know the characters. I know the facts involving Rachel and Leah, but I'm reading fiction and I would have liked to have gotten to know them a little better, they weren't memorable to me.

The ending of "Rachel and Leah" was too abrupt for me. I know Mr. Card is planning an additional book to follow "Rachel and Leah", which is very exciting, but I feel like he just didn't want to write anymore, so he ended the book. Having said all that, I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to have a little bit more information on biblical times and biblical figures.

This book was a huge disappointment for me. I have read many books by Orson Scott Card and greatly enjoyed them all. I also read Sarah: Women of Genesis, the first book in this series, back when it came out, and I liked it well enough. What a difference from Rachel and Leah: Women of Genesis!

I disliked most of the characters in this book and found them all to be unrealistic. The main women were too flawed, too petty, too immature, too quick to anger, etc, to be believable human personalities. The main men, on the other hand, were too perfect, too noble, too kind, too wise, too strong, etc. The dialogue was similarly unrealistic and un-human, plus it sounded much too modern to ever let me forget I was reading something from the 21st century.

Similarly, the characters are never shown to be doing anything that's particularly from their time period. They aren't really shown doing work or the activities of daily life, they only talk about doing things. There are no details about their lives that makes it feel like they're living in another time. Consequently, I never got a feel for the time period like one does with good historical fiction. The pacing was also off--sometimes we read about every minute and sometimes years passed from page to page.

All in all, although I was sometimes interested in a storyline or a bit of character development that was taking place, it was mostly a drag to keep reading this book. And when I found out that this was only part one of two...I was honestly not sure if I'd even want to try reading the second part.

I am a huge fan of Card's science fiction series and also his historical fiction , "PastWatch". I read both of the past books in the series (Sarah and Rebekah) and loved them both. You don't have to be overly religious to enjoy these books, it may even be better if you're not, that way you won't get too hung up on the details or omissions. Card is a great story teller and it shows in these books. I found myself going back to the bible passages to see how it matched up with the story after the fact. I can't wait for the follow up book.

Card has a special flair for bringing lesser known bible tales to life in a compelling manner. This is one of those tales. The grandson of Abraham & Sarah (Jacob) travels to a relative's camp (Laban) to find a bride. He is promised by Laban that if he works for seven years, that he can marry Laban's youngest daughter Rachel. Jacob agrees and then needs somebody to copy the holy books of Abraham that he carries.

Jacob is assigned Bilhah, the handmaiden of Laban's older daughter Leah. Bilhah is a young woman who was robbed of her inherited dowery by an unscrupulous cousin who was indentured to Laban. With no place to go and no money, she ended up living in Laban's camp. Leah has difficulty with her sight (probably just severly near-sighted) which makes it difficult for her father to find a husband for her. Also, she has a very "bitter" personality because of this which does not help matters.

Leah becomes interested in Jacob's holy books and joins Bilhah and Jacob in reading and discussing the holy books. Little by little the words of the books creep in to Leah's soul making her a less bitter. With Leah's love of the books, it becomes obvious that she has more in common with Jacob than Leah, who spends her days attending the herds.

To say more, would spoil the ending for those not familiar with it. I really enjoyed this tale and look forward to the next book in the series.

This book is the third in a trilogy of books based on the women who married the biblical heroes of faith from Genesis. Having read the first volume, Sarah - (Abraham's wife), and the second, Rebekkah -(Isaac's wife); both of which are fascinating reading - I could hardly wait to enjoy this book about the wives of Jacob. These books are wholly fiction and yet illuminate the characters from the biblical stories and give them context within the culture of their time and faith. Orson Scott Card has given these women genuine attributes of strength and weakness, love and jealousy, great faith and great doubt, and in so doing has deepened my appreciation for all that is written in these stories. I believe that the bible is God's Inspired Word and these books do not take anything away from that belief nor distort it in any way. I recognize these as works of fiction and yet still I am inspired by his conjecture that these people struggled within themselves and still managed to lead lives of faith. I recognize all the elements of the biblical stories and marvel at how Card contrives background and nuance to shaping their telling. The forward and afterword reveal too much of the author's bias regarding the bible and lessened my experience and if pressed I would say they could easily be skipped - but the text is formidable storytelling.... ABSOLUTELY ENTERTAINING !!!!!!!!