The Book of Samson

I read this book without ever hearing anything about the author or the book so I was totally in the dark, having only the book jacket to clue me in. I was pleasantly surprised and laughed through the entire (short) book. The story is not biblically and maybe not historically accurate but Maine never claims it to be. It is irreverant and sometimes graphic, but never disrespectful. Some conservative Christians may take issue with Maine's take on the story of Samson, but this one found it endearing, entertaining, and hilarious. I'm now reading The Preservationist.

I loved David Maines 2 prior books, so of course I had to get the book of samson. After reading the reviews here I wasnt sure how good it was going to be. But after reading it myself Id say its definitly worth reading. Sure there are some parts that may not be 100% correct or even far feched...but its a novel...your allowed to make stuff up. Although each book has been great in its own way. I still hold the preservastionest to be my favorite. And I would encourge anyone to start with that book. But they are all great.

After the brilliance of "The Preservationist," I was mildly disappointed with David Maine's follow-up, "Fallen." Both books succeeded in making ancient stories breathe with vitality and even a certain modern sensibility, but "Fallen" felt less fresh, more forced. So I opened up "The Book of Samson" wondering what to expect? This third tale in Maine's biblical repertoire is everything I hoped. And more. Not only does the story of Samson and Delilah (spelled Dalila, in the book) come alive, it reads like a thriller. Racing from scenes of Samson's momentous birth to his in a Dagon temple, this book gives new insight into a well-worn tale. It answers questions of logic, it explores questions of faith, and it leaves open-ended its interpretation of these issues as they relate to modern conflicts between Palestinians and Jews. Perhaps the most impressive element is Maine's ability to give Samson his own voice, a distinctly different one from that in Maine's previous books. When he utters his final sentence in the wonderfully rendered finale, you believe his every word. With this glittering, yet gritty, example of characterization and narrative, David Maine vaults high up my list of authors to follow with fervor in the coming years. He writes with reverence for his source material, while never thinking too highly of his subjects--men and women, just like me or you. They sweat, they curse, they occasionally do great things. "The Book of Samson" ranks easily in my Top Five for 2006.

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.