Genesis: The Bible Experience

Cut back on the ambient sound (seagulls, rain, etc.) and background voices by about 50 percent. Actually, cut out the background voices completely. This being the New King James version, it's already paraphrased enough - don't need the echo of actors' voices repeating the ideas for me just under the main narration.

I was so excited to find this recording: some of my very favorite actors (Angela Bassett, Denzel Washington) involved! Since my interest is literary and cultural, not spiritual, the choice of narrator and text were key, and I thought I'd hit the jackpot.

That said, I made an impulse purchase without listening to the sample, so it's my fault that the experience disappointed: went looking for apples in the orange store. I didn't realize how much more of a "performance" (vs. a reading) this would be. Listening to either Angela Bassett or Denzel Washington (or any of the other performers) simply READ - as if they were sitting next to me, with a Bible in their hands - would have been a delight, but that is not what you hear... so if it's what you're LOOKING for, be warned!

I also wish I'd looked more carefully into the difference between KJV and NKJV, because I would chosen a KJV recording the first time. There is definite value - spiritually - to telling these stories in a way that makes the characters more relatable and drives home the point that even with thousands of years of history between us, we are all human beings with our same human desires, fears, flaws and gifts. Abraham was still just a man, Queen Esther just a woman. When you're coming at it as a work of literature, though... you really want all the thees, thines, thy's and -eths.

This is a reading of Genesis with a very odd set of stuff in the background. There is a continuous drone of backgound noise that is supposed to enhance the experience but was amazingly annoying. It is a continuous chatter that distracts from the text being read. For example, when it gets to the verse where it says that Adam named all the animals the voice of Adam in the background said: "Chicken... Horse... Cow... Dog... Mosquito...". After each time G-d saw or said or thought that something was good during the creation, someone, presumably the "voice of G-d", said in a whisper, "Good... Gooooood... Gooooooood!"

I had assumed that the dramitization would mean more or less that a different actor would voice the words said by a different biblical charactor and the music would be a tasteful accompanyment at times. I did not expect a constant undertone of ... in the background.

I admit that this really rubbed me the wrong way, but that others may enjoy it. I doubt it, but people have different tastes. Please do yourself a favor and check the sample before buying.

As one who has listened to the Bible on CD many times, I was very impressed with the quality and the reading voice from Genesis. My only issue with the format is that if you download a book to iTunes, it's not separated into chapters and quite often an avid reader (or listener) of the Bible would be following an established schedule and would need it seperated into chapters. No problem with quality but rather with usability.