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jlo12's review against another edition
I couldn’t get past the second chapter. I felt it was way too descriptive, concerned it was going almost pornographic in the writing. Super disappointed. Was hoping for a story told from Sarah’s POV, but was concerned to keep reading. Not what I was expecting.
bitsandbookends's review against another edition
3.0
don’t love how it took till the epilogue for Sarah to even suggest that she has a son. It was a book of Sarah’s suffering and you hardly got a glimpse of her joy. Which I didn’t love. I would’ve loved more chapters with Isaac. Also.. kinda smutty, at least 3 instances with sex. If you’re afraid of the word “penis” or havent gotten the sex talk this might not be for you. I really don’t know how I feel about this book, I finished it so I must I’ve enjoyed it to some extent. A wild ride that’s for sure.
nderiley's review against another edition
4.0
If you liked the Red Tent, you'll like this book. Sarai was a totally relatable character and a good narrator. I also found it interesting which portions of Sarai's life the author chose to write about, but I won't go more into that because I don't want to ruin the flow of the book for anyone who cares to read it. Definitely recommend!
sarahanne8382's review against another edition
3.0
Book One of the Canaan Trilogy tells the story of Abraham's wife (yes, the one from the Bible), enjoying the freedom of fiction to paint a more vivid character than that left by the Bible story focusing on her husband.
While the book does not strictly follow every word of biblical detail, that's partly because the first half of the story takes place before Sarai is mentioned in the Bible. As the biblical part of her story is picked up, Halter seems to falter in incorporating the ancient text into the colorful world he's created & the story sort of putters out. If I wasn't familiar with the biblical story, I think the ending would have seemed rather abrupt & made little sense (Sarai doesn't become Sarah until the last chapter & the birth of Isaac & what follows is quickly covered in the epilogue).
In an interview with Halter included at the end of the book, he explains that he started writing the Canaan Trilogy to highlight the forgotten importance of women in the Bible. In Sarah's case he wanted to show how Abraham's God only became the Hebrew God after Sarah accepted Him as well, so I guess ending the story when Sarai & Abram change their names as God fulfills his covenant to them makes sense, but at the same time it seemed like Halter was ready to give up the story just when people got to the part they already knew. After developing such an elaborate backstory, I wanted to see just as much detail explaining how this background added to what we already knew about Abraham and Sarah (which he does give about the trip to Egypt, & to some extent, the conception of Ishmael, but not nearly enough for anything else).
I found it interesting how well a book so focused on women's roles in ancient societies was written by a man. Only after reading Reading the Romance do I notice the one tell-tale sign that this book was written by a man. While Sarah & Abraham's love is believable, it's mainly described in physical terms & by noting the fact that they have a very active sex life, which was fine, just a little different than the emotion-saturated romances I've been craving lately. Of course there were a few conservative people writing reviews on Amazon saying that this was a smutty book & bordering on blashphemy because of that fact, but I don't really don't see what the problem is - they didn't even have sex before they were married (despite what the blurb on the back of the book may lead you to believe)! Although, to be fair, I think there were other issues that may have made them uncomfortable as well, but I think they're equally weak.
Other than the sudden ending, I really enjoyed the way this book got me wrapped up in the life of the ancient middle east.
While the book does not strictly follow every word of biblical detail, that's partly because the first half of the story takes place before Sarai is mentioned in the Bible. As the biblical part of her story is picked up, Halter seems to falter in incorporating the ancient text into the colorful world he's created & the story sort of putters out. If I wasn't familiar with the biblical story, I think the ending would have seemed rather abrupt & made little sense (Sarai doesn't become Sarah until the last chapter & the birth of Isaac & what follows is quickly covered in the epilogue).
In an interview with Halter included at the end of the book, he explains that he started writing the Canaan Trilogy to highlight the forgotten importance of women in the Bible. In Sarah's case he wanted to show how Abraham's God only became the Hebrew God after Sarah accepted Him as well, so I guess ending the story when Sarai & Abram change their names as God fulfills his covenant to them makes sense, but at the same time it seemed like Halter was ready to give up the story just when people got to the part they already knew. After developing such an elaborate backstory, I wanted to see just as much detail explaining how this background added to what we already knew about Abraham and Sarah (which he does give about the trip to Egypt, & to some extent, the conception of Ishmael, but not nearly enough for anything else).
I found it interesting how well a book so focused on women's roles in ancient societies was written by a man. Only after reading Reading the Romance do I notice the one tell-tale sign that this book was written by a man. While Sarah & Abraham's love is believable, it's mainly described in physical terms & by noting the fact that they have a very active sex life, which was fine, just a little different than the emotion-saturated romances I've been craving lately. Of course there were a few conservative people writing reviews on Amazon saying that this was a smutty book & bordering on blashphemy because of that fact, but I don't really don't see what the problem is - they didn't even have sex before they were married (despite what the blurb on the back of the book may lead you to believe)! Although, to be fair, I think there were other issues that may have made them uncomfortable as well, but I think they're equally weak.
Other than the sudden ending, I really enjoyed the way this book got me wrapped up in the life of the ancient middle east.
newfylady's review against another edition
3.0
I recommend this to anyone who liked the Red Tent. Telling a biblical story from a female character's perspective is always intriguing to me. I'm going to suggest this one to my church's women's group
bookishblond's review against another edition
3.0
Having very much enjoyed Orson Scott Card's [b:Sarah|7958|Sarah (Women of Genesis, #1)|Orson Scott Card|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388190360l/7958._SY75_.jpg|1466883], I just had to grab this book when I found it for $1 in the Half Price Books clearance section. (As an aside, I say this way too frequently before negatively reviewing a book... maybe I should stop picking up so many books from those shelves!). I definitely enjoyed the Card re-telling more.
Sarah is a strange read. It is only vaguely biblical, which I appreciate in my biblical fiction/re-tellings, and very sexual, which felt authentic and not like it was written as a "gotcha." But, I was not overly invested in the story. The pacing was weird (lots of time dedicated to wandering in the wilderness, and the story ends with what perhaps is the most memorable or well-known moment of Sarah's life. I know I just said that the story was only vaguely biblical, but the story did waffle between following the biblical narrative (wandering in the desert, traveling to Egypt and meeting Pharaoh), and almost jarringly not-biblical (Sarai as a celebrated pagan priestess who we aren't sure ever accepted Abram's god).
Also... this book is a translation from the French, a fact hidden in my paperback copy. The translator was not even named, which I found strange.
Overall, a very meh book. 2.5 stars.
Sarah is a strange read. It is only vaguely biblical, which I appreciate in my biblical fiction/re-tellings, and very sexual, which felt authentic and not like it was written as a "gotcha." But, I was not overly invested in the story. The pacing was weird (lots of time dedicated to wandering in the wilderness, and the story ends with what perhaps is the most memorable or well-known moment of Sarah's life. I know I just said that the story was only vaguely biblical, but the story did waffle between following the biblical narrative (wandering in the desert, traveling to Egypt and meeting Pharaoh), and almost jarringly not-biblical (Sarai as a celebrated pagan priestess who we aren't sure ever accepted Abram's god).
Also... this book is a translation from the French, a fact hidden in my paperback copy. The translator was not even named, which I found strange.
Overall, a very meh book. 2.5 stars.
amandameowly's review
3.0
Marek Halter's Sarah is the first book in a trilogy of novels centered around the strong, supporting women of the Bible. Halter's book contains smooth and descriptive language, making it an incredibly easy read. The reader is swept away immediately with his ability to immerse the reader fully. The way Halter portrays Sarah as a great heroine and a tremendous supporter of her husband, Abraham (possibly even the motivator behind his decisions) works well.
The story does contain strong sexual themes, but I see nothing wrong with this as sex is a natural and essential part to the birth of a religion and a people. However, Halter presents the story, sex and all, as an almost religious Harlequin novel that religious women need not feel guilty for reading.
The story does contain strong sexual themes, but I see nothing wrong with this as sex is a natural and essential part to the birth of a religion and a people. However, Halter presents the story, sex and all, as an almost religious Harlequin novel that religious women need not feel guilty for reading.
amethystandcopper's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
aly_anne's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted to like this book, I really did. It came highly recommended, but I just couldn’t enjoy it due to the writing style. The vivid descriptions of Sarai’s life milestones just felt trite, and honestly were really cringeworthy. I just couldn’t get over the language and couldn’t get into the book as a result.
sunny_day's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0