Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyable Fiction
Review: The reference on the book jacket to The Red Tent caught my eye, because I enjoyed that book so much. Whereas Anita Diamant used the Bible as a starting point to "flesh out" some stock characters, Edghill does quite the opposite. It's as if she is on a mission to vilify David, at the expense of reason, history and style. While most Bible characters are fairly one-dimensional, David is one who is well known for both his triumphs and failures. She takes a Biblical figure who is reasonably well-developed and reduces him to a misogynistic creep. Also, Edghill abandons the Biblical record whenever it doesn't fit into her plot devices. She apparently lacks the skill or creativity to take the Biblical structure and fill it in with her own ingenuity. If you know who Uriah and Amnon are, you may be surprised by Edghill's fabricated twists on their stories. Having said that, if you don't know who Uriah and Amnon are, you may not have any preconceived notions about the Bible and its characters, and you may be quite comfortable with Edghill's treatment of both. However, I still think her overall writing style is redundant. The first part of the novel is engaging, but Michal's bitter plotting soon becomes arduous, and the book as a whole left me feeling fatigued. I have several friends and family members who I'm always exchanging books with, but this one went directly into the charity pile. I wouldn't inflict this mess on anyone.
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