Taking the Bible Literally
Book Review of the The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs
A review of "The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible" by A.J. Jacobs, author of The Know-It-All
Summary
The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs is a firsthand account of a man’s quest to follow the Bible literally for one year. Jacobs attempts to follow every rule and commandment much to the bemusement of his exceedingly patient wife. During the year, apart from living by the rules, Jacobs visits many interesting people from Hassidic Jews to Evangelical Christians and participates in many rituals including sacrificing a chicken and stoning an adulterer (with tiny pebbles). By the end of the year Jacobs comes away with a stronger sense of his own spirituality and a greater appreciation for all religions.
Writing Style
Jacobs’ writing style is very fluid which keeps the reader focused on the story instead of struggling through wordy language or poor syntax. The Year of Living Biblically is very entertaining, not only because the stories are amusing, but because of the humor with which Jacobs writes. References to Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Simpsons cleverly relate his predicaments to situations recognizable from pop culture.
Content
Despite being a personal narrative, The Year of Living Biblically contains a good amount of interesting history about Judaism and Christianity. The reader learns about the sources of some of the seemingly meaningless or obscure rules and, as a result, gains a greater understanding of the culture from which they came. For readers not from religious backgrounds, The Year of Living Biblically also helps answer the question of “What exactly does the Bible say?”
Entertainment Value
The Year of Living Biblically is extremely entertaining because A.J. Jacobs tells his story with such openness and fairness that the reader cannot help but root for him along the way. Everything he does from growing his hair out to visiting his crazy uncle in Jerusalem becomes a meaningful experience that is shared candidly with the reader. Jacobs’ dry humor only helps to make The Year of Living Biblically a fun read.
Provocativeness
If nothing else, The Year of Living Biblically makes the reader think about their own religious beliefs, no matter if they are a devout Catholic or an atheist. The transition A.J. Jacobs undertakes throughout the year shows the power religion can have over a person. In his case this was a good thing. For instance, one thing Jacobs discovered was the beauty of the Sabbath. Also, Jacobs attempts to take an objective approach to the project which helps to bring people from all corners of religion together in a way.
Repeat Read?
The Year of Living Biblically was well written, interesting, entertaining, and stimulating. To that extent alone it is worth another read. Deeper still, though, is the fact that when the book is over the reader feels a loss, much like the loss A.J. Jacobs felt upon the completion of his project. The Year of Living Biblically is one of those books that the reader wants to relive again and again.
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