Eve: A Biography, by Pamela Norris, is a lively, erudite, and accessible story about "history's first bad girl, who carelessly threw away the chance of Paradise." Part I, "The Making of a Bad Reputation," describes Eve's significance in early Jewish and Christian communities. Ancient rabbis considered Eve's primary role to be the "mother of all living" and referred to her sin as an example of what can happen to women who stray from their childbearing duties. Later Christian readers began the tradition of invoking Eve as the exemplar of sexual temptation--"the Devil's gateway" and "the first deserter of the divine law." Citing many such passages of religious history, Norris argues that the story of Eve "was developed to manipulate and control women." Although Norris's theological thinking is not as subtle as it could be, Eve is no facile feminist screed. The second half of the book voices a particularly strong argument. In "Fantasies of Eve," Norris considers Eve's literary incarnations in the works of Milton, Hawthorne, and Ursula K. Le Guin, among others. Moving from Scripture to secular literature, she patiently and brilliantly traces the slow and limited evolution of Eve's story into a defense of "the need to challenge boundaries, to make the imaginative leap, however difficult, unpredictable and even dangerous, into a new phase of existence." --Michael Joseph Gross --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Publishers Weekly
According to Norris, the history of sexism can be illuminated through the evolving interpretation of the biblical story of Adam and Eve. Beginning her comparative study with ancient Greek myths, she equates Eve with Pandora, whose curiosity brought evil into the world. Classical writers considered women to be troublemakers: Aristotle was noted for his "scientific" theory that the female was an imperfect male. Norris cites chapter and verse from Old and New Testament and apocryphal writings, medieval works and those of more recent writers ranging from Charlotte Bront? to Anita Brookner. Twelve color plates of works by such masters as Piero della Francesca and Hieronymus Bosch represent the traditional view of Eve as a seductive beauty tempting Adam to sin. According to Genesis, Eve's punishment was the pain of childbirth and eternal submission to her husband, who is also condemned to labor for his bread. Both were cast out of the Garden of Eden, losing the gift of eternal life. While the early Christian church fathers regarded Eve as "the Devil's gateway" and "the first deserter of the divine law," other commentators have given the story a more favorable reading. The fall was a felix culpa ("happy fault"), when the two, led by Eve, first took responsibility for their destiny. Writers continue to be fascinated by Eve, but, Norris warns, the myth of Eve "was developed to manipulate and control women rather than to console them." Erudite but eminently accessible, Norris's account of how religious beliefs and cultural forces have affected prevailing views of women is an important addition to the literature of women's studies. Color and b&w illustrations. Agent, Dereck Johns. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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