Genesis

August 1, 1996
Alter and Mitchell have each made new English translations of the book of Genesis, the first book of the Hebrew Bible. Alter (Hebrew and comparative literature, Univ. of California, Berkeley) who has written extensively on the literary aspects of the Hebrew Bible, seeks here to honor the meaning and the literary strategies of the ancient Hebrew text. He appends a lengthy scholarly commentary on the problems of making such a translation (which will appeal to specialists); detailed footnotes; and a discussion of the narrative of Genesis as a powerful literary expression (which will appeal to all readers). The writing is fluid and graceful. Mitchell (a translator of poetry and spiritual writings) strives to convey the simplicity, dignity, and power of the original Hebrew. In his introductory essay, he puts the historical Genesis in context. Mitchell contends that his translation differs from others in that he has pieced together a text from the best version of each of the stories of Genesis from what modern scholarship has identified as at least four sources of the original Hebrew text. In doing so, he believes that he has contributed to the clarity and power of the narrative and created a document of significance and beauty. His writing is clear and direct. Readers who know the best-known English translation, the King James version of the early 17th century, will find that both Alter's and Mitchell's renditions are like breaths of fresh air rustling through that version's musty pages. Both are highly recommended for all libraries.--Harry Frumerman, formerly with Hunter Coll., New York