The Book of God

The Bible as Novel

By: Walter Wangerin Jr.

Narrated by: Walter Wangerin Jr.

Length: 27 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

Experience the Bible as a singular, powerful story and prepare to be swept away by Scripture as never before! Wangerin's "Bible storybook for adults" features brilliant settings, dramatized scenes, and added dialogue—all gleaned from extensive research.

The Book of God reads like a novel, dramatizing the sweep of biblical events, bringing to life the men and women of this ancient book in vivid detail and dialogue. From Abraham wandering in the desert to Jesus teaching the multitudes on a Judean hillside, this award-winning bestseller follows the biblical story from start to finish.

Priests and kings, apostles and prophets, common folk and charismatic leaders—individual stories offer glimpses into an unfolding revelation that reaches across the centuries to touch us today. The Book of God:

• Follows the biblical story in chronological order
• Filled with carefully researched cultural and historical background
• Includes biblical events viewed through the eyes of minor characters

Master storyteller Walter Wangerin Jr. shares the story of the Bible from beginning to end as you've never read it before, retold with exciting detail and passionate energy. Experience the Bible in a beautiful new way!

©1996 Walter Wangerin, Jr. (P)1996 Walter Wangerin, Jr.

Critic reviews

1997, Christian Book Award Winner, Winner, ECPA

1997, Book of the Year - Christianity Today, Winner, Christianity Today Magazine

Shut UP!

Shut UP is what I want to tell Walter Wangerin Jr frequently. He HOLLERS quite frequently. I did not purchase a "dramatization" of this book and would prefer a READER not a SHOUTER. Once in awhile with audiobooks, the narrator gets in the way of the book rather than enhancing or just delivering it. I prefer my narrators to pretty much disappear. But this narrator yells in my ears (I listen on headphones) and I don't like that! Audiobook industry, are you listening? Please...consider the listener.
But I did give the audiobook 3 stars. That is the 5 stars I would have given it for content, averaged with the 0 stars for delivery. Because it's a good book. I happen to like the Bible an awful lot! And although "novelization" might be a stretch as far as description of this book, it is a great listen and condensation of the Bible. I wouldn't recommend it for somebody who was not already familiar with the Bible, not a way to get to know God or anything...but an interesting way to listen to it if you already are familiar with the Bible, its purposes, etc.
The reason I don't think this qualifies as "novel" is just that to me, a novel involves character development, continuity, some foreshadowing, some insight into thought processes, etc. So while Wangerin stays faithful to the Bible's content, that necessarily means not much fictionalization of situations, therefore, not an experience as you would have reading a novel.

A good read!

I have listened to this several times, and I own the hard copy. I love this book. Every time I read it I am amazed by the Bible all over again. It is not intended as a study Bible, but more of an experience of bringing it to live. I would recommend this book to any Bible lover.

Well done

While it's not the Bible, it helps one understand the Bible and Biblical times better. I highly recommend it. I think it is very well done.

Bible comes to Life

I really enjoyed hearing this again. I read the book first quite awhile ago and have listened to this also. Excellent to hear it read and it gives a lot to think about.

amazing

Makes the Bible come to life, comical too. Easy listening, author has a way with words that are light-hearted.

excellent and unexpected!

i have recently listened to the entire bible (dramatized), which was an adventure. while it was very moving, it was also... you know... the bible! this book was genius! it took all of that bible and put it into story form. not onlty was it moving, it was unforgetable. you will never think of any of the people in the bible the same. you will actually feel and understand. everything.

Great story, well read except for the screaming!

The story is well done and brings good insight into the Biblical stories. The story is well read except for the screaming of the quotations....very nerve-wracking and loud. This book should be re-read without the screaming.

Good Book

A great book and this recording is satisfactory. I personally don't like the way it is read. The reader often doesn't pause in the correct place, and his tone often rises at the end of a sentence inappropriately.

Great book

This book really brings to life some familiar bibilical stories in a new way. If the King James Version is difficult to understand, this book simplifies the essential stories. It is an outstanding companion to God's Word!

Refreshing

What a wonderful and refreshing perspective of the story of God and his friendship with men. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to hear the story of God's love for humanity.