The best part of Reading Genesis by Marilynne Robinson is Genesis.
I make this observation sincerely, intending no disparagement of Robinson’s insightful reading of the first book of the Bible. But it was a surprise and delight to pick up Reading Genesis, thumb through it for the first time, and discover that the last third of its 344 pages consists of the book of Genesis itself. What an appropriate, generous, and foreseeing inclusion.
To be sure, most readers of Reading Genesis likely have copies of the Bible already, but it is lovely to have the text being discussed right there at one’s fingertips. Besides, given how wide Robinson’s audience is, some readers of the book may not have the Bible readily at hand. The inclusion of Genesis in the text is not only convenient; it’s generous from a publishing perspective, too, given the considerable costs of printing a book of any length, costs that include paper, ink, shipping weight, and so on. (Presumably, the version included is the King James, not only because of the literariness of the language, but also because copyright permission is not a factor.)
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