Eve: Her Story

In compiling her 1977 book, Beginnings: Creation Myths, the author became fascinated by Judeo-Christian mythology. Here, she has taken a smattering of stories and ideas from the Bible, rabbinical sources and scholarly texts to create a unique interpretation of Genesis and of Adam and Eve's expulsion from the Garden. With the bittersweet perspective of old age, Eve tells of her loss of innocenceher love for Adam and her jealousy of Lilith, Adam's first wife, which leads to her inevitable tasting of the forbidden fruit. In this case, the fig, not the apple, is the culprit. Farmer portrays an Eden that is far from paradisiacal. Though an expert spinner of tales, she is hampered by her material. Clearly she is more interested in the cerebral aspects of this story; the characters take a backseat to the assembled facts. (January 18)