The Red Tent
by Anita Diamant
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Book Reviews of The Red Tent
Book Review: Devastating Love and Sacrifice
Summary: 5 Stars
I have never read a piece of fiction with such a vivid description of one's lineage. The chronology, the geneology was so graphic. At times, I was so caught up in the emotions, it was as if I were a member of Dinah's family, and, I suppose, I probebly am. I was initally taken aback by the prologue in which Dinah addresses the reader in a rather sarcastic, chip on the shoulder manner. She ends her story with thanks and blessings in a way that is unfamiliar to me, but then most of what her life was about is unfamialiar to me.The concept and richness of having many mothers to raise her left me feeling as if I had missed out on something valuable in my childhood, not to have such a diversity of maternal guidance.
I was moved to tears more than once while reading her story:
* When Leah and Jacob's relationship began and was consumated, regardless of her "strange" eyes and unusually tall physique.
* When Leah showed extraordinary compassion toward Ruti and despite all of that, Ruti's horrible death.
* As Dinah and Shalem fell in love and their subsequent suffering.
* The fierce, loyal bond between Dinah and Meryt, and the loss when Meryt died.
* Dinahs' pain of having to let her son go out into the world.
I was held captive as she carefully gave me intimate knowledge of each of Laban's daughters. Their features, characteristics, and their relationships are well described, such as Zilhpah's devilsh side, Bilhhah's kind, sensitive, soulful traits, Leah, the practicle one, and Rachel the narcissist.
The importance and prestige of a midwife was conveyed throughout the book in various ways.
* How each woman related to the others in the Red Tent.
* The importance of all the ceremonies within it and the celebrations of womanhood.
* The sense of loss when we learn that the rituals will end because of the intermarriages with the "foreigners".
It was interesting also, to learn about the way the men of that time related to each other.
* Their custom of heated negotiation and how they deferred to each other with words of flattery and praise.
I was amazed at the amount of undeclared power many of the women possessed in the Canaanite society despite their lowly social ranking, and the contrast to the Egyptian social status of women.
I was mystified by Dinahs ability to predict the future and curse those who she despised and caused her misery.
Diamant created and maintained tension throughout the book made it a compelling read.
* The prediction of Dinah's finding her future near the water, the first journey of her family when her father, Jacob was attached in the night by a "phantom creature".
* When Jacob was to meet his brother, Esua for the first time after so many years.
* When Dinah is ordered to stay with the grandmother, Rebecca.
It was interesting to watch the drasitic change of Jacob's original honest, forthright, noble character to one of a selfish, cruel, and rather eccentric patricarch just before Dinah and Shalem were to be married. It almost seemed as if he was going senile...
I'm impressed with amount of research that Diamant must have put into this book. She is a gifted writer who was able to engage me from the first chapter of this book.
Book Review: Spellbinding!
Summary: 5 Stars
Heroines: Varied Follow the trials and tribulations of Dinah, one of the many faceless daughters of the Bible, from the beginning of her life in the mystical Red Tent of her many mothers, through heinous betrayal, and finally a long-awaited and hard-won healing.
What worked for me:
I found the story to be unique, rich, inventive, and gripping. I didn't put the book down unless I absolutely had no choice, and even then I found my mind wandering back over what I'd read, trying to piece it all together.
Size was not an issue in the book, but the women depicted were a varied tapestry of sizes, shapes, and colors.
Personally I love birth stories so the fact that a large portion of the book centered on the lives of midwives was a bonus in my eyes. Also considered to be a plus were the many love stories included. Granted, I don't care for the notion of sharing a husband with other women, but I understand why polygamy was practiced in those days and it was certainly interesting to view Ms. Diamant's idea of how this particular clan of sister-wives might have interacted.
What didn't work for me:
Because it spans a lifetime some sections of the book required a long set-up, but for the most part the story was so well-written that I didn't mind waiting to reach that next level.
This next part isn't exactly about "what didn't work for me" so much as "what didn't work for other people", but it was such a sticky topic that I thought I would toss my two cents in on it: Before picking up a copy of the paperback, I ...saw several scathing comments about it from both sides of the women's issue. Many people complained that the women were depicted as being too pagan and given too large a role in the book, while the men and their God were more-or-less emasculated and made into villains. I have seen other reviews written by people who were bothered with how limited and powerless the roles of the women seemed to be: cook, wife, slave, concubine. That the women did not design their own destiny but were merely carried along by circumstances beyond their shaping.
For myself I carefully considered each viewpoint, took them both with a grain of salt, and guessed that the answer lies somewhere in the middle. The women wielded as much power as they could in the limited roles of females in an ancient patriarchal society which was surrounded, and therefore likely influenced, by pagan beliefs. Honestly, we'll never really have a clear idea of what life was like for the women of the time because most written records don't give much insight in that area, and while there are still cultures in the Middle East which seem unchanged over the centuries we know that they are not "exact" replicas of their ancestors of millennia past and therefore do not give us "exact" answers on this subject.
Overall:
I enjoyed "The Red Tent" and found it to be a very thought-provoking and fascinating read. I recommend it to anyone with an interest in Middle Eastern history or women's issues. I do not recommend it to anyone who feels uncomfortable with even the slightest departure from traditional and literal interpretations of the Book of Genesis.
Book Review: A Memoir of Dinah
Summary: 4 Stars
Told in Dinah's voice, The Red Tent is a story about this biblical figure's life journey. Anita Diamant elaborately transforms a short excerpt about Dinah's tragedy from the Bible into a captivating story. Although the story is fictional, Diamant successfully changes it into a credible memoir of Dinah. Because the story is based on the Book of Genesis, most of the major events are predictable. Yet, the reader is lured to the details and reasons behind these incidents, because the author tries to provide the reader with a convincing explanation to the tales in the Bible. Diamant also cleverly alters the events in a way that is difficult to oppose, thus making the novel more believable. In addition, she gives life to the biblical figures who have no personality and little emotions in the Bible. The humanization of these characters furthermore adds credibility to the novel.
Another significant component of the story is the bond between women. The Red Tent is the foundation of sisterhood between women in the ancient world. It is the place where women trade stories, share secrets, support each other during childbirths and cycles of menses. Because of the Red Tent, the bond between the female characters is extremely close. Despite the fact that these women may have to share a husband or that they may have different social status (some are slaves and lesser wives), they still treat each other equally and take care of each other in the Red Tent. This strange unity in the women's society definitely fascinates the reader.
Moreover, Diamant also explores the roles and status of women in the biblical world. This is a particularly interesting aspect, because although women are considered to be inferior to men, they are still respected in the ancient times. They are responsible for all the chores in the house, like brewing, baking, and weaving. They are not allowed to sit with men during meals and are viewed as unclean during their monthly cycle. Yet, in many cases, they enjoy the freedom to express their opinions. For example, Jacob always asks for Leah's advice before making important decisions. Women, like Inna, who have professional skills, are even highly respected in the male-dominated society. Although women do not receive the same treatment as men do, they do not resent their gender. In fact, they perform rites to celebrate the first menstruation and childbirths which are the symbols of their sexuality. I believe that their pride in their gender is probably one of the most interesting and unique aspects in the whole novel.
The Red Tent is certainly an excellent novel. It is so realistic that it seems like a historical fiction depicting a truly living ancient world. The story itself is original and captivating, because it is based on a Bible tale and takes place in the ancient times which add a mysterious enchantment to the novel. Most importantly, the Red Tent is very original, because it depicts the ancient world from a woman's perspective. The novel gives a voice to women who have always been neglected and muted in history.
Book Review: An enjoyable biblical fiction but not for literalists
Summary: 5 Stars
Since it is a rare genre, biblical fiction, it can definitely rub people the wrong way, as it retells the story of Dinah (daughter of Jacob and Leah) from her perspective and that of the women of the House of Israel. It does portray some revered Biblical characters, most notably Jacob in a less than favorable light, so it isn't a book for everyone. I must admit that I have a special place in my heart for Joseph of Egypt, and consequently bristled at her portrayal of one of my heroes, who I feel was virtuous and honorable.
I didn't think this was a feminist book per se, as much as it was feminine (as many of my associates typically define feminism rather narrowly to mean women pointing out the oppression that men impose women and the negatives that are connected with a patriarchal society, but that is another story). The story's purpose isn't to chronicle the historical injustices in biblical societies, but to show the traditions and customs of women that were passed from mother to daughter, but not written down, therefore, quite to be dismissed or forgotten.
Although it does fictionalize historical characters, making the particulars fiction, this book just radiates a sense of truth. Most likely, many of the events of the Bible didn't happen exactly as portrayed in this novel (admittedly it is a novel, not revisionist biblical historical research), but it shows the life of women in biblical times with a greater vibrancy than anything I've seen. It's a great read, to be read with a grain of salt, but NOT to be completely discounted either.
I liked that she change the temporal scale on some of the events compared to that of the Bible, most notable that of her mothers. Jacob waited 7 years for Rachel, only to find Leah, and then wait another 7 for Rachel? In ancient times that makes her an old, over-the-hill spinster before their honeymoon. Seeing that 7 (along with 3, 12, 40 and 70) is an important symbolic number in the Bible, the accuracy of the number as a literal number is dubious at best. Much like the 40 days and 40 nights, it was probably an expression that would be understood by their contemporaries. Making it 7 months for Leah and another 7 for Rachel seemed a good way to tell the story.
I've always assumed from my readings of the Bible that Dinah was never raped in the way that we consider it today. From the sounds of it her fiancée was smitten, implying that the feelings were probably mutual. She wasn't raped anymore that most "shotgun weddings" that involved premarital relations.
I also feel that Dinah was most likely NOT the only daughter of Jacob, she's just the only one specifically mentioned in the Bible because of the disaster surrounding her engagement. IF that never happened, we wouldn't know about her, since most ancient Middle Eastern religious texts avoid mentioning the women involved. Part of me wishes that Diament wrote several "sister" characters, but it would probably detract from the emphasis being on Dinah.
Book Review: Quite Good
Summary: 4 Stars
The Red Tent / 0-312-19551-6
I'm not usually a big fan of Biblical novels, because unfortunately sometimes authors use the source material as a crutch to produce a poor story, paper thin characters, and unlikely plot propulsion, and still expect readers to buy the result. However, Diamat manages to avoid this by filling in the available gaps in the Biblical story of Leah, Rachel, and Dinah with a rich history and mythology that rings plausibly true.
Diamat's biggest success is by discarding much of the negative portrayals of the women central to the narrative; here, Leah and Rachel do not hate each other so much as have a (relatively) normal sibling rivalry relationship. Leah comes across as very sympathetic; here she is a determined, strong woman - a good cook able to please her husband's palates and an able mother. The blame for the "wedding switch" is laid entirely on Jacob's shoulders - Diamat emphasizes the unlikelihood that Jacob wouldn't immediately realize his beloved Rachel had been substituted for Leah. Jacob, in his complicity, effectively purchases two good wives (and then four), for the "price" of steady employment.
Diamat also discards the idea that the women meekly discarded their life-long idols for this new god brought to them by their outlander husband. (This much seems to be rooted in fact: it is clear that the 'queen of heaven' was worshiped by Hebrew women for centuries, and even mention of the practice is made in the Bible.) The women make a good show of pretense to their new husband, but see no reason to discard their family's theology and social values just because their new husband says so. The women value the feminine divine and completely disdain the 'sacred hymen' theology as having only value to men - as proof that a girl cannot be pregnant with another man's child - but none whatsoever to women as it increases the pain of the wedding night.
Most boldly, Diamat discards the idea that Dinah's lover was her rapist and instead maintains that the story was a ploy by her brothers, made up to allow them to slaughter the men in the city. This is nicely handled, as well as the fact that Dinah is never mentioned in the Bible again: she has left her family and emigrated. Unfortunately, this is where the novel breaks down as the abuse and abandonment Dinah suffers at the hands of her adopted mother-in-law seems to be handled unnaturally. It seems out-of-character for the wise older woman to hate Dinah so passionately for things not her fault; in this culture of men and brutality, it seems likely that this woman would realize that this was no more Dinah's fault than her own. Of course, people are rarely completely logical, but the narrative stumbles enough to seem more like a plot device than a natural response.
In the end, this novel is deeply intriguing and far better than most, but the last third of the novel does ring a tiny bit hollow at times.
~ Ana Mardoll