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The Book of Samson
"This is the story of my life and it's not a happy one. If you wish to read about me you're welcome to but if you're looking for something to give you hope & joy comfort & inspiration then you had best leave off here straightaway and go find something else. My life has an abundance of frustration and pain plus a fair bit of sex and lots of killing and broken bones but it's got precious little hope & joy comfort & inspiration.
It's got some women in it too plus a wife. Dalila is the one you may have heard of and a rare piece of work she was. You may think you know the story but believe me there's more."
--from The Book of Samson
From the author of the acclaimed and provocative novels Fallen and The Preservationist comes a tale about a man who believes he is touched by the hand of God---then instructed by that God to slaughter his enemies. It is the story of "this worldly existence of men & brutes desire & unkindness" and of the woman, Dalila, who figures at the center of it all. In The Book of Samson, David Maine has created an unforgettable portrait, a unique and astonishing masterpiece that puts a face on a previously faceless icon.
It's got some women in it too plus a wife. Dalila is the one you may have heard of and a rare piece of work she was. You may think you know the story but believe me there's more."
--from The Book of Samson
From the author of the acclaimed and provocative novels Fallen and The Preservationist comes a tale about a man who believes he is touched by the hand of God---then instructed by that God to slaughter his enemies. It is the story of "this worldly existence of men & brutes desire & unkindness" and of the woman, Dalila, who figures at the center of it all. In The Book of Samson, David Maine has created an unforgettable portrait, a unique and astonishing masterpiece that puts a face on a previously faceless icon.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published October 31, 2006
2 people are currently reading
206 people want to read
About the author
David Maine
8 books82 followersI was born and raised in Connecticut but spent much of my adult life overseas, living in Morocco from 1995-98 and in Lahore, Pakistan from 1998-2008. Since 2008 I have been living and teaching in Honolulu. I began getting published in 2004, with The Preservationist, a retelling of the Noah story from Genesis. This was followed by Fallen, which reexamined the stories of Eve/Adam and Abel/Cain. In 2006, my novel The Book of Samson was released. All three books were published by St Martin's Press in the US and Canongate in the UK.
My first non-Biblically-oriented story, called Monster, 1959, was published in February 2008. It generated a lively mix of responses. My next "literary fiction" novel, An Age of Madness, will be forthcoming in 2012 from Red Hen Press.
In my immediate future is the summer 2011 release of an eBook through my agent at Folio Literary Management, and available at all the likely places (Amazon, B&N, the Apple store, etc). The new book is entitled The Gamble of the Godless and it is an epic fantasy in the Lord of the Rings tradition, complete with sorcerers, talking animals, telepathic owls, drug-addicted cheetahs and (of course) a threat to the entire known world. It's all tremendously fun, and although it represents a new direction for my publishing career, it's actually a return for me to the type of books I grew up reading--and loving.
I'd like to thank the readers and reviewers of this site for their many responses, even the negative ones. As a writer, I would much rather have someone read my book and respond negatively to it, than feel no response at all. And of course, thanks for the many positive responses too!
More info about me, my life, my writing and much else can be found at davidmaine.blogspot.com . Come take a look. I'm also on Facebook, so come friend me up. Thanks a lot, and cheers.
My first non-Biblically-oriented story, called Monster, 1959, was published in February 2008. It generated a lively mix of responses. My next "literary fiction" novel, An Age of Madness, will be forthcoming in 2012 from Red Hen Press.
In my immediate future is the summer 2011 release of an eBook through my agent at Folio Literary Management, and available at all the likely places (Amazon, B&N, the Apple store, etc). The new book is entitled The Gamble of the Godless and it is an epic fantasy in the Lord of the Rings tradition, complete with sorcerers, talking animals, telepathic owls, drug-addicted cheetahs and (of course) a threat to the entire known world. It's all tremendously fun, and although it represents a new direction for my publishing career, it's actually a return for me to the type of books I grew up reading--and loving.
I'd like to thank the readers and reviewers of this site for their many responses, even the negative ones. As a writer, I would much rather have someone read my book and respond negatively to it, than feel no response at all. And of course, thanks for the many positive responses too!
More info about me, my life, my writing and much else can be found at davidmaine.blogspot.com . Come take a look. I'm also on Facebook, so come friend me up. Thanks a lot, and cheers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
November 8, 2007
What can I say, I'm biased.
April 11, 2024
Awesome and entertaining 🙌🏻✨
P.S.: If you’re religious, don’t even think of reading this 🚫
P.S.: If you’re religious, don’t even think of reading this 🚫
March 6, 2018
This book is a retelling of a story from the bible. I read the biblical story of Samson and Delilah before starting of with Maine's writing. I love the fact that Samson isnt portrayed as a good jolly holy man but with a lot of realistic psychology. You like him but also despise him , he is in ways a serial killer of sorts after all. I wouldn't wanna judge or criticize the true Bible story(to each his own beliefs) but a very interesting take indeed .
June 15, 2019
I hate and love this book in the same breath. There are parts that drag on and are exhausting, primarily involving the sexual scenes, but I feel inclined to forgive David Maine for these parts of the books for what the rest of the story is: a tale about a deluded man believing he is exempt from the laws of the God he loves because he is "gifted" and "special" and that the killing he does is in the name of his LORD. This book is a bloody dive into the dark side of religion, those who use their God's name to justify their actions, told through David Maine's unique narrative and style.
November 12, 2016
An interesting reimagining of the familiar story found in the book of Judges from the Bible.
December 25, 2024
A strange tale for Christmas Eve to read in my armchair, but as I am alone as the protagonist when it comes to companionship, I liked the manner in which Maine, after the post-Eden aftermath of "Fallen" and Flood adventure in "The Precipitationist" (both reviewed), sustains a spare, raw, no-frills--yet vividly, believably narrated by a blunt giant of a warrior--imaginative retelling of this tale. As I write, Gaza attains, as do those some claim to be descendants of antagonistic Philistines, a terrible resonance. It's fitting, ironically and sadly, as pillars topple again, a score-settling payback.
Maine's wise enough to hint at the future repetition of the clash of Israelites against the Canaanites, who apparently inhabited the fertile land leaving the Hebrews to scrape out the rockier spine of the inland terrain, while the Sea Peoples' spawn take up residence in the soil of the lush coastlands. The petty nature of rivalries over women, spoils, farms, and wealth; the bickering of soldiers and thugs; the blandishments of those appointed to sway a believer into apostasy, or seduce a drowsy partner into betrayal, loom large in Samson's memories as they do in our own small-fry, mixed-up minds.
And the stage's set for a clash between the forces of Yahweh and those of Dagon and who knows how many other deities to contend for control of this strategic land, same as it ever was. Samson careens in a campaign of revenge against early wrongs in a botched marriage, where the riddle of the lion and honeycomb generates the first of the two major showdowns between Samson and foes.
As with, say, Hilary Mantel's "The Mirror and the Light" which takes place in the mind of one we know will die, the telling of such a first-person account for all its realistic impossibility only adds to the power and sway that a foregone conclusion will have on both its clever chronicler and we as even more curious readers. Maine pulls it off. Some cringe at his convincingly brutal descriptions of sex, violence, and the more slippery of emotions overcoming commonsense and self-control, as of course Delila personifies. Yet, Maine convinces me in all three of his bible stories for adults able to handle the truths embedded beneath the basic, sometimes enigmatic or contradictory or frustrating plot lines scripture leaves for us to sift, that he's capable of invigorating the Torah with new power.
Maine's wise enough to hint at the future repetition of the clash of Israelites against the Canaanites, who apparently inhabited the fertile land leaving the Hebrews to scrape out the rockier spine of the inland terrain, while the Sea Peoples' spawn take up residence in the soil of the lush coastlands. The petty nature of rivalries over women, spoils, farms, and wealth; the bickering of soldiers and thugs; the blandishments of those appointed to sway a believer into apostasy, or seduce a drowsy partner into betrayal, loom large in Samson's memories as they do in our own small-fry, mixed-up minds.
And the stage's set for a clash between the forces of Yahweh and those of Dagon and who knows how many other deities to contend for control of this strategic land, same as it ever was. Samson careens in a campaign of revenge against early wrongs in a botched marriage, where the riddle of the lion and honeycomb generates the first of the two major showdowns between Samson and foes.
As with, say, Hilary Mantel's "The Mirror and the Light" which takes place in the mind of one we know will die, the telling of such a first-person account for all its realistic impossibility only adds to the power and sway that a foregone conclusion will have on both its clever chronicler and we as even more curious readers. Maine pulls it off. Some cringe at his convincingly brutal descriptions of sex, violence, and the more slippery of emotions overcoming commonsense and self-control, as of course Delila personifies. Yet, Maine convinces me in all three of his bible stories for adults able to handle the truths embedded beneath the basic, sometimes enigmatic or contradictory or frustrating plot lines scripture leaves for us to sift, that he's capable of invigorating the Torah with new power.
December 15, 2018
Generally I've enjoyed David Maines writing. His books have in many ways brought me to a new level of realization about the humanness of biblical characters - Noah, Adam & Eve, and now Sampson. However there are two things about his writing I dislike:
1. His very casual, or even absence of appropriate punctuation, such as not using quotation marks, and often not commas where needed. For example something might read like, (Sampson Speaking)
Then I told Delila meet me at the barn tomorrow morning.
I know that's stylistic, Maine's style, but I found it distracting.
2. The second thing I disliked about Maine's writing is his seeming fixation on sex. Of course Sampson and Delila had sex, and maybe often, that is an assumed part of the story. But the way he tells it is usually crude and very often demeaning to women. Except for Dilila, which he generally presents as a nymph, only once in all three of his "biblical" books do I recall any reference to the woman enjoying the sex. It is nearly always presented as women simply being the object of the man's desire. "Wham, Bam, Thank you Ma'am."
1. His very casual, or even absence of appropriate punctuation, such as not using quotation marks, and often not commas where needed. For example something might read like, (Sampson Speaking)
Then I told Delila meet me at the barn tomorrow morning.
I know that's stylistic, Maine's style, but I found it distracting.
2. The second thing I disliked about Maine's writing is his seeming fixation on sex. Of course Sampson and Delila had sex, and maybe often, that is an assumed part of the story. But the way he tells it is usually crude and very often demeaning to women. Except for Dilila, which he generally presents as a nymph, only once in all three of his "biblical" books do I recall any reference to the woman enjoying the sex. It is nearly always presented as women simply being the object of the man's desire. "Wham, Bam, Thank you Ma'am."
February 17, 2018
I listened to this on audiobook and I stopped after two discs. All I really know about the Bible story of Samson is that Delila cuts his hair off and he loses his super strength. This is a re-telling of the story from Samson's point of view and it's basically told by a sociopath who feels very little, kills at will (in the name of God) and ruins everything around him. He hadn't even met Delila yet before I quit on it. This was my first try at a David Maine book; I guess this is part of a trilogy of biblical stories that he re-tells, but I wasn't interested enough in the story or the characters or the setting...anything, really.
February 18, 2024
This book is unlike anything I’ve ever read. I read it for my literature of the Bible class and, if I hadn’t, I probably wouldn’t have picked it up. The premise of embellishing and adding to a Biblical story (especially such a well-known one) is interesting, but I don’t know if it’s like my cup of tea. I did actually enjoy this book, though. I know a lot of creativity in characters and descriptions went into it and I appreciated that. Still, I found myself kinda dragging through it a little bit and it really started to feel repetitive in some parts. Also the narration and the way the author did the dialogue annoyed me in places. All in all I’ll give it a 3.5.
July 10, 2022
Let me start by saying I have never read the bible. I did read the story of Samson online before picking up this book, however. The author did a great job of turning a short story into 229 pages of details - but why? Maybe I missed something critical, but Samson seemed to be a not-too-bright, violent man who remained so until the end of his life. Also, the author's way to indicate dialog was sometimes confusing as was the lack of punctuation.
April 4, 2025
The story is definitely not for everyone. I like David Maine's raw writing and so I really enjoyed this one too. Fallen is still my absolute favourite of the three (The Preservationist being the third). Blind love makes you do stupid things... and Samson fell prey to it too.
July 22, 2020
A light read, fun at times. Does not expect the reader to think beyond the first and the last pages of the book.
January 3, 2022
A retelling of the story of Samson, very good but very bloody and full of sex.
August 27, 2022
pretty darn brilliant interpretation of the biblical Samson story.
May 30, 2011
Maine has chosen another Biblical character to put his own twist on – this time the Philistine-killer Samson. In this version of the Biblical story, Samson’s birth is prophesied by an angel, he is able to talk to animals and stones, and descends into an overpowering rage whenever the Spirit of the Lord comes over him. From the very get-go, Samson tells us that his story is not a happy one, that he makes stupid mistakes and allows his pride to get the best of him at times. Maine does a fantastic job making this story not just depressing though, with titles on the chapters such as “what I did next,” “what the Philistines did next,” and “you will be forgiven at this point for thinking I’m really very stupid.” Despite his tendency to rip out people’s throats, snap their necks, and set them on fire, Samson is a likeable man. You almost feel sorry for him sometimes as he fights against the inevitable ending you know is coming (at least, if you’ve read the story of Samson before).
“I’ve noticed in my life that the less substance a man carries inside the more he will try to create on the outside to make up for it and so will wear ever finer clothes and live in ever grander mansions and buy his wife ever more expensive jewels and then he will talk about these things to ensure that you don’t overlook them and he will mention often what they cost.” – p 196
This is the second of Maine’s books I’ve read (he only has three out so far, I think) and I’m still not quite sure what to make of him. He does a great job of introducing me to facets of Biblical stories I never considered before – such as how Samson’s parents would react to his violence, or the fact that people would probably consider him a serial killer. But he also adds things in which are necessary to his story, but very unlikely to be a part of the true story, such as Samson being able to talk to animals and to communicate with stone. I like that these stories add a richer depth to Biblical accounts I’ve heard many, many times but I’m still not sure how to take the way they treat them in an almost fairytale manner at times. I’m tentatively excited to read the third Maine book – Fallen.
“I’ve noticed in my life that the less substance a man carries inside the more he will try to create on the outside to make up for it and so will wear ever finer clothes and live in ever grander mansions and buy his wife ever more expensive jewels and then he will talk about these things to ensure that you don’t overlook them and he will mention often what they cost.” – p 196
This is the second of Maine’s books I’ve read (he only has three out so far, I think) and I’m still not quite sure what to make of him. He does a great job of introducing me to facets of Biblical stories I never considered before – such as how Samson’s parents would react to his violence, or the fact that people would probably consider him a serial killer. But he also adds things in which are necessary to his story, but very unlikely to be a part of the true story, such as Samson being able to talk to animals and to communicate with stone. I like that these stories add a richer depth to Biblical accounts I’ve heard many, many times but I’m still not sure how to take the way they treat them in an almost fairytale manner at times. I’m tentatively excited to read the third Maine book – Fallen.
March 22, 2008
I do not rate books with stars, but I really liked this one and recommend it as being worth the time.
I love the biblical source (Book of Judges), so, besides the author's guarantee that there was lots of sex and violence (always a good start) I was intrigued to see the story retold in another form.
While of course the detailed novelistic format is foreign to the Hebrew Scriptures, I thought Dave Maine captured much of the strange, disturbing aspects of the Samson story and of the Scriptures in general. Samson here is not simply a flawed hero: he's a violent, shortsighted man, not particularly intelligent or self-aware, a slave to his appetites and to the amazing strength that God has given him. The Judges of the Scriptures are heroes of all sorts, from righteous saviors to erratic, egotistical tyrannical deliverers whose rule is only slightly less odious than the threat posed by the Philistines, Aramites etc. Maine's Sampson accurately reflects that, shedding light on those aspects of the Scriptures, where God is on our side, well, because he just is. You root for Samson's magnificence at the same time as you despise him for his brutal nature and his sanctimonious invocations of the One True God. At the same time,there's something elemental and cathartic when he brings the Temple down around him at the end: the idea of a man in chains bringing down the house is impossible to resist, even if the house he's bringing down is, in a way, our own.
I love the biblical source (Book of Judges), so, besides the author's guarantee that there was lots of sex and violence (always a good start) I was intrigued to see the story retold in another form.
While of course the detailed novelistic format is foreign to the Hebrew Scriptures, I thought Dave Maine captured much of the strange, disturbing aspects of the Samson story and of the Scriptures in general. Samson here is not simply a flawed hero: he's a violent, shortsighted man, not particularly intelligent or self-aware, a slave to his appetites and to the amazing strength that God has given him. The Judges of the Scriptures are heroes of all sorts, from righteous saviors to erratic, egotistical tyrannical deliverers whose rule is only slightly less odious than the threat posed by the Philistines, Aramites etc. Maine's Sampson accurately reflects that, shedding light on those aspects of the Scriptures, where God is on our side, well, because he just is. You root for Samson's magnificence at the same time as you despise him for his brutal nature and his sanctimonious invocations of the One True God. At the same time,there's something elemental and cathartic when he brings the Temple down around him at the end: the idea of a man in chains bringing down the house is impossible to resist, even if the house he's bringing down is, in a way, our own.
April 19, 2009
I don't know that this book would be interesting at all to anyone who isn't familiar with the story of samson. Having grown up in sunday school and deeply immersed in the Bible i was interested when i heard of David Maine who has written several books retelling popular Biblical stories. I love the idea of taking these stories that we have heard so many times and have become two dimensional little fables from which we pull a few spiritual truths and actually putting some skin on them, turning these stories into real people with problems and pain and hopes and conflicts. Turning them into stories that are not so black and white and easily categorized.
His story was particularly interesting because it was not told from a christian point of view. This was both uncomfortable and challenging for me in a good way. It both acknowledged and challenged things I have always believed and/or questioned. Brought up pieces of the story that they didn't like to/can't appropriately talk about in sunday school and tend to gloss over in church. :) (not in my church.) love you, central vineyard people!
However, the writing was just okay. And the book didn't have enough meat to stand on its own for someone just looking for a good novel. (In my opinion.) Still glad i read it though and plan to read others in the future.
His story was particularly interesting because it was not told from a christian point of view. This was both uncomfortable and challenging for me in a good way. It both acknowledged and challenged things I have always believed and/or questioned. Brought up pieces of the story that they didn't like to/can't appropriately talk about in sunday school and tend to gloss over in church. :) (not in my church.) love you, central vineyard people!
However, the writing was just okay. And the book didn't have enough meat to stand on its own for someone just looking for a good novel. (In my opinion.) Still glad i read it though and plan to read others in the future.
April 10, 2009
David Maine has now taken three Old Testament stories and turned them into novels: The Preservationist (Noah), Fallen (Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel), and The Book of Sampson. He has a knack for showing several sides of these stories as his fertile mind sees them. In his take on Samson, we see zealotry, lust, stupidity, cunning, the nuances of gender relations, nationalism, and several other themes rise to the surface. Whereas in the biblical account, Samson comes across as a brutish zealot who's actually not very bright, Maine's take on him is both sympathetic (perhaps) and critical. We especially get into the mind of a strict believer with large urges to please both his god and his own lust.
However, Maine also avoids what could have easily been reduced to a commentary on violence and terrorism. His portrait of Samson is much more subtle and interesting.
I had just finished Samson Agonistes, John Milton's notable attempt to create a classic Greek tragedy out of an Old Testament tale, prior to reading Maine's book. The two takes on the story are quite distinct, but understandable in the context of what we learn in Judges. This made reading Maine's book all the more pleasing.
However, Maine also avoids what could have easily been reduced to a commentary on violence and terrorism. His portrait of Samson is much more subtle and interesting.
I had just finished Samson Agonistes, John Milton's notable attempt to create a classic Greek tragedy out of an Old Testament tale, prior to reading Maine's book. The two takes on the story are quite distinct, but understandable in the context of what we learn in Judges. This made reading Maine's book all the more pleasing.
November 30, 2007
Wow. Having no previous knowledge of who Samson is, biblicaly speaking I mean, I loved, loved, loved this book! The narrator (Samson himself) has a very unique voice, which pulled at me once I began reading and would not let go.
An intriguing look into the life of a mass-murderer in the name of THE ONE TRUE GOD. To see things from his side. As a man who believes he is doing the work of god.
Amazing. Must read, even if you have no interest in religious novels, as ..in my opinion.. this book can be read by anyone. at anytime.
Sidenote: I noticed that the author uses no commas in the novel. (along with no parathenesis for dialouge). (sp?)Interesting writing style.
I have read and like Fallen, and now I am going to pick up more from David Maine on my next trip to the book store!!
An intriguing look into the life of a mass-murderer in the name of THE ONE TRUE GOD. To see things from his side. As a man who believes he is doing the work of god.
Amazing. Must read, even if you have no interest in religious novels, as ..in my opinion.. this book can be read by anyone. at anytime.
Sidenote: I noticed that the author uses no commas in the novel. (along with no parathenesis for dialouge). (sp?)Interesting writing style.
I have read and like Fallen, and now I am going to pick up more from David Maine on my next trip to the book store!!
May 20, 2008
This is a send-off (I do not know if I am using the right word here) of the story of Samson found in the Book of Judges in the Bible. For those of you who are not familiar with the story, an Angel appears to Samson's mother, giving her a few restrictions on her diet, saying that she should not drink wine or strong drink or eat "unclean" food. She would have a son and he will become a Nazirite, meaning "dedicated to the LORD" and he should also stay away from strong drink and wine and "unclean" food.
For the most part I liked it, but David Maine uses some language that for "sensitive" readers, for lack of a better word/term, like me, found a bit harsh. Language that would appear in steamier roances. But I liked some of the satire that Maine included that wasn't a part of the story as it appeared in the Bible.
For the most part I liked it, but David Maine uses some language that for "sensitive" readers, for lack of a better word/term, like me, found a bit harsh. Language that would appear in steamier roances. But I liked some of the satire that Maine included that wasn't a part of the story as it appeared in the Bible.
January 15, 2008
What I like about David Maine's writing is his narrative voice, different in each of his books, but each sharing some common themes that make the characters come alive with humor, sarcasm, irreverence, malice, sincerity, honesty. Especially in The Book of Samson, the story seems to be a personal conversation between the reader and the hero of the story, and this makes the tale come alive in new ways. The actual Biblical narrative is not very long, but in this book, it comes alive with characters that seem as fresh as if they were living today. The very humanity of Samson is heartbreaking, even when infuriating.
May 7, 2014
I have read all of David Maines books. They are all great! I love reading about biblical charaters and stories , wether they are heartfelt books about the bible or wether they are just fun to read books that make me laugh. Well, this is one of the fun to read and make you laugh type books. Very fast reading, very unique writing style, and his own twist on Samson and Delilah. You have to remember while reading books like this, that they are FICTION and you can't read it and get upset because he puts his own twist on it. You have to read and just enjoy his storytelling which is amazing.
October 3, 2010
Samson is often compared with Heracles, and here that parallel is striking. Both men are utter thickheaded pricks who would rather pull the temple down on their own heads than look at the world in full color rather than with the monochrome blinders they wear. The original biblical story reads almost as farce, and Maine plays to that. But he also brings home the whole dilemma of ethnic hatred that's been with us since the beginning. Loved Samson's parents too. My personal favorite of his "biblical trilogy."
March 17, 2010
An interesting and innovative retelling of the Biblical story of Samson. I would have rated this higher, but I am not a fan of the "If I knew then what I know now" style of flashback storytelling. It doesn't let you live in the moment and really experience a story. Also, I don't really feel like I got to know Samson as a person. I heard about his life, and his battles, and his women, but not enough about who he was or what he felt. I just wish there had been more substance. But it was definitely entertaining. :)
July 8, 2014
Of course it's fiction! But it's interesting to meet a Samson with personality and whose thoughts you can hear. This allows the reader to explore his character and identify with his experiences. Now that can be a bad thing as it may bring you to another shore. However, it will oblige you to read your Bible so I guess it's a good thing. Anyway, anyway, it was a good read. And it's hilarious. I'd probably read his other books. Particularly, The Preservationist (The Flood) [2004], Fallen [2005], and The Gamble of the Godless [2011]. Sana may mahanap. Na sale, haha.
April 20, 2016
I discovered David Maine only a few short months ago, and have devoured all three of his novels in that time. I absolutely love his works, and will eagerly await his next novel.
Samson is a fascinating character, complex and real. The story fast paced and interesting.
Maine uses humor and humanity in all his books, and as a result takes these familiar scenes and implants them in our minds in a whole new way.
His playfulness with language is wonderful, though at times I found the odd punctuation distracting.
Samson is a fascinating character, complex and real. The story fast paced and interesting.
Maine uses humor and humanity in all his books, and as a result takes these familiar scenes and implants them in our minds in a whole new way.
His playfulness with language is wonderful, though at times I found the odd punctuation distracting.
October 23, 2008
Truly disappointing. I read David Maine's story of Cain & Abel and was truly impressived. This book, however, was just poorly written. The writing style was sloppy, lazy and ugly. The story was univentive and rather than exploring the Samson & Delilah myth, Maine just jumped right into the typical story of Samson as ultimate male ruined by the she-devil Delilah. Maine needed to get an editor and try something other than misogynistic rambling.
August 10, 2009
I started this yesterday and could not put it down until I was finished. David Maine has a very unique writing style. I loved how it felt like a modern tale, but at the same time still very biblical. It really brought the characters to life for me. I have heard and read this story countless times since I was a little girl, but Maine really put a spin on it with humor and a more in-depth back story for Samson and Dalila.
September 27, 2015
Anyone even moderately interested in the story of Samson & Delila will devour this. I did. The writing style is different -there are exactly zero commas in the entire book- but IMHO this enhanced not hindered the storytelling.
I feel like Maine is standing up to deliver a retelling of the paper-thin biblical characters, not to preach but to tell their story, to give a voice to the voiceless. I can only hope he continues to make such emotionally charged novels.
I feel like Maine is standing up to deliver a retelling of the paper-thin biblical characters, not to preach but to tell their story, to give a voice to the voiceless. I can only hope he continues to make such emotionally charged novels.
February 17, 2010
Loved the sparse prose & the lack of punctuation; the author personified Samson well, or at least what my sense of Samson is. The character's total faith in his purpose and God's driving force in his life is at first ridiculous (how could God want Samson to slaughter 30 men for a lost bet?), but Samson remains true to his beliefs. Whether you believe the story and God's hand moving Samson is unimportant; the story of unwavering dedication and belief is well-stated.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews