Marilynne Robinson's Reading Genesis is a brilliant, insightful book. The writing is so good, I lingered over passages. As soon as I finished it, I started reading it again, finding more to ponder. For example, Robinson compares the Babylonian creation and flood myths with the similar Biblical stories, identifying crucial differences in the character, purpose, and efficacy of the Biblical god and humans. She focuses on historical context, on meaning and metaphysics, on realities that aren't necessarily literal. Her reflections on Abraham, Issac, and Jacob have added depth and newness to these familiar stories.

The one thing the book lacks (the reason I've rated it 4 instead of 5) is a tightly developed thematic structure. It's an extended, occasionally discursive, essay. that lacks the focus and the pauses for reflection that chapter divisions would give it.

I normally devour any book by Marilynne Robinson and since I actively read the Bible, I thought this would be a good companion book. I did find this interesting and Robinson’s in depth analysis of the book of Genesis brings up points that I haven’t considered. I would have liked some breaks in the material, though, as this read like a very long essay. I found it very hard to just pick back up as there are no natural stopping points. This is a small quibble, though, as I really appreciated this book.

Marilynne Robinson's non-fiction is not nearly of the same standard as her fiction, but she is our greatest living novelist, so this is understandable. Reading Genesis is, as one might expect, impressive, exciting, and deeply worthwhile. I will return to it in the future, likely often.

This is an excellent meditation on the foundational stories of Genesis. It is gentle and thoughtful, unapologetically Christian yet wholly persuasive to a nonbeliever. Robinson is not interested in a narrowly minded scholarly dissection of Scripture in (established) source-critical terms; what she cares about is stories—so familiar that we no longer pause over what they mean, especially when it comes to God’s relationship with humankind. One highlight among many for me was her incisive analysis of the stories, such as the Flood, that have long been viewed by scholars as adaptations of the Babylonian or other Near Eastern sources (e.g., Gilgamesh). Robinson does not dispute the obvious parallels, but she explains, with authority and persuasion, that the Hebrew stories arrived at fundamentally different conclusions, from the moral, theological, and philosophical points of view.

— thanks to Farrar, Strauss and Giroux for an ARC via NetGalley

A truly impressive piece of interpretive work. Robinson makes Genesis come alive in its narrative and highlights its exceptional nature in comparison to ancient near east literature against which it is measured. A powerful and deeply personal reflection, informed by obvious great literary, historical, and biblical expertise.