For seven days, I read A.J. Jacobs’ THE YEAR OF LIVING BIBLICALLY: ONE MAN’S HUMBLE QUEST TO FOLLOW THE BIBLE AS LITERALLY AS POSSIBLE here and there, when I could find the time. And on the seventh day, I rested, and I saw that it was good. Not great, mind you, but good.
After hilariously reading every page of every volume of the ENCYCLOPAEDIA BRITANNICA in a year for THE KNOW-IT-ALL: ONE MAN’S HUMBLE QUEST TO BECOME THE SMARTEST PERSON IN THE WORLD, Esquire‘s editor-at-large Jacobs now turns his calendar for an even bolder experiment: living his life as strictly to the letter of God’s word as one can. Regardless of the results, you have to hand it to Jacobs: The man commits.
Luckily for the reader, exactly what God’s word is remains open to hotly debated interpretation. Various followers of various religions using various translations of the Bible all cull various meanings, so Jacobs has to try them all on for size. This includes letting his facial hair grow without cutting it (it doesn’t take him long to look alarmingly like a terrorist), not wearing mixed fibers in his clothing, attaching tassels to his all-white duds, throwing stones at admitted adulterers (or pebbles, since the Bible doesn’t specify size), sacrificing animals (in this case, a chicken), making a pilgrimage to Israel and handling serpents (or at least watching someone far braver/stupider do so).
All the while, the largely agnostic but Jewish author (“I’m Jewish in the same way the Olive Garden is an Italian restaurant,” he clarifies) ponders life’s big questions as he attempts to adhere to the Ten Commandments. Not killing someone proves to be a cinch; coveting women is a bigger ball of wax.
Because spirituality is at stake, the subject is far more somber than a stack of encyclopedias, so obviously, BIBLICALLY is not as funny as THE KNOW-IT-ALL. That’s not to say there aren’t funny parts, because there are, but Jacobs has bigger plans and a heavy heart. The most fascinating aspect of the book is how he points out how ridiculous biblical literalism is – after all, some Bible heroes have sex with their daughters – and notes that people tend to pick choose “the parts that fit their agenda.” Amen!
Hearing preachers, priests and other religious teachers he consults interpret the words of the Bible is interesting; some are more credible than others. (I especially liked the Amish guy who couldn’t speak a sentence without turning a homespun quip.) If there’s a sin Jacobs made in writing the book, it’s certainly not one of omission; quite the opposite, it’s just a little too long. There are only so many soul-searching moments one can have, and over 365 days, they tend not to vary so much. It’s not whether he can learn to pray that’s important to the narrative, but that he prays after getting locked in the bathroom for several hours.
The “subplot,” as it were, of Jacobs and his wife’s attempts to conceive a second child could have been pruned to the work’s benefit, although it does allow him to wax neurotic about the rite of circumcision. When not dealing directly with his inane self-assignment, the family life scenarios feel a little forced and memoir-convenient. (But congrats on the twins, A.J.!)
Overall, however, Jacobs sticks to his thesis and makes the most of it. Whether he’s writing a one-pager in Esquire or an entire book, he is always good for several self-deprecating laughs, mixing well-balanced insight with good ol’ first-person journalism. In BIBLICALLY, he raises many interesting questions, but the biggest of all may be the toughest to answer: What in holy hell can he do for an encore? –Rod Lott
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I’m a Christmas and easter Jew myself…
Gal