Moses Man of the Mountain

This is a brilliant novel. Hurston retells the story of Moses through the lens of black history and of her own day; the reader can see Hitler in Pharoah, the ghettos of Europe and America in Goshen. The Hebrews of Hurston's tale are European Jews under National Socialism and American Blacks under slavery. Moses becomes in this context a figure of contemporary hope. His being suggests that it's possible for someone to lead those in need of leadership out of trouble and to change the world. (By the way, if you get a chance, take a look at J Kristeva's book "Revolution in Poetic Language.")Hurston's novel is particularly relevent in today's world of spin politics and soundbites. To read this book is to better understand the news you're stuck with being fed.

A poetic, topical book that puts a contemporary twist on historical and spiritual (and political) issues pertaining to human rights and human potential. Highly recommended. Readers young and old should also pick up Hurston's "Tell My Horse: Voodoo And Life In Haiti And Jamaica."

To read Moses, Man of the Mountain, is to read the book of Exodus in the Old Testament Bible. Ms Hurston has a wonderfully unique style of presentation. Zora's book of Moses is one of the most entertaining, refreshing approaches of story- telling I've come across in a while, especially in the biblical realm. I was so moved by this book, I went on to read many other works by her, such as "Their eyes were watching God", Jonah's Gourd Vine, etc....I have mentioned to many others of how Moses, Man of the Mountain touched me in so many ways! Zora Nell Hurston indeed appears to have been a woman before her time!.....

This is a wonderfully evocative book of the times of Moses the man. It parallels the awesome "THE Autobiography of Jesus of Nazareth and the Missing Years" by Richard Patton. Both these books create a reality around the historical figures that is sadly lacking in the traditional texts. Both these books are rich food for thought and highly recommended.

Now, I admit that I had a hard time getting into this book. The reason...The Ten Commandments! The image of Charlton Heston parting the Red Sea kept playing through my head. I eventually got over it, all due to the narrative that this wonderful author told this story. I found myself captivated. Hurston made Moses human, with human needs and problems. This made his faith more real. Wonderful, I can't praise it enough. Check out Chapter 27, pg. 180 for a famous quote. I couldn't help but to think that Hurston knew more than she was telling. I have the feeling that she forsaw the Civil Rights Movement, some 20 years before it actually happened, this book was published in 1939. Very good!!