The book of jonah a novel

Blessed with ambition and good looks, jonah jacobstein is a 32yearold new york city corporate lawyer who has recently been placed on a highprofile case. You will also remember how god provided jonah with a living submarine to get him back where he belonged. This is a book summary of contagious by jonah berger. The traditional view is that the prophet jonah is the author, and his book is a record of his own experiences. You would think a man by the name of jonah would never go to sea. Literary characteristics unlike most other prophetic parts of the ot, this book is a narrative account of a single prophetic mission. Joshua max feldman jonah jacobstein is a lucky man. It introduces itself as a goodnatured satire of new york corporate life and the. The book is anonymous, and its authorship is in dispute.

May 12, 2018 joshua max feldmans audacious first novel, the book of jonah, dramatizes this quandary with an admirable, if literal, conceit producing a haltingly compelling tale of first testament. Feldman knows this confident young attorney right down to his briefs, and in the opening pages of the novel, he subjects him to a cross. Jonah, the title character, begins the novel as a corporate lawyer with sketchy morals and a complicated love life, living in nyc. Unlike most other prophetic parts of the ot, this book is a narrative account of a single prophetic mission. Just when life is at its sweetest, it turns upside down. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the book of jonah. Although the book is written in the third person, the traditional view is that jonah is the author of the book, and there is no persuasive reason to theorize about an unknown author. Joshua max feldmans book of jonah, and more the new york. Unlike other old testament prophetic books, jonah is not a collection of the prophets oracles but primarily a narrative about the man. The modernday jonah at the center of joshua max feldmans brilliantly conceived retelling of the book of jonah is a young manhattan lawyer named jonah jacobstein. Judith, an academic, turned art dealer, turned las vegas real estate business woman is numbed by tragedy and unable to move forward in her life. In the book, jonah teaches alex rogo by using the socratic method. The book of jonah was likely written between 793 and 758 b. Feldman is clever in his use of the jonah story, and his novel is of the same strange and enigmatic quality as the original.

The book of jonah is one of the shortest books of the bibleits four chapters could fit on two printed pagesand one of the oddest. Key personalities include jonah, the captain and the ships crew and the people of nineveh. Unlike other old testament prophetic books, jonah is not a collection of the prophets oracles but primarily a. It is the story of a man who throws everything away because of visions he develops, and a woman who has everything taken from. While jonah eventually did what he was asked to do, the book closes with showing jonah as a. Analysis of the book of jonah essay 2162 words bartleby. The book of jonah recounts real events in the life and ministry of the prophet himself. T he book of jonah is an old testament story which tells about how the prophet jonah refused to follow the lord. Like the book of jonah, the book of ruth, a masterpiece of storytelling, has a moral lesson, but this lesson may not be the chief reason why the book was written.

The text of the biblical book of jonah is minimal, and its god and its jonah are ciphers, and their motives enigmatic, but the jonah of joshua feldmans novel is fully realized, a new york corporate lawyer making recognizable compromises until, brushed by the divine, his world dissolves. Judith, an academic, turned art dealer, turned las vegas real estate business woman is numbed by. The book is based on the biblical tale of jonah, recognized by most as the story of a man who sought to flee from god and for that effort spent three days in the belly of a whale. Reading joshua max feldmans enjoyable debut novel, the book of jonah, i must admit that i was somewhat flummoxed. It is an important book to both religious traditions christianity and jewish. If you are the publisher or author of this book and feel that. In his beguiling first novel, the book of jonah, joshua max feldman gives this theme a postsept. As this funny and bold novel moves to amsterdam and then las vegas. It is one of trei asar the twelve prophets in the tanakh, and in christian tradition as oi dodeka prophetai or ton dodekapropheton, greek for the twelve prophets. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.

Although often classified with the prophets, the book of jonah is not a prophetic book. Feldmans intriguing first novel, a modern retelling of the bibles book of jonah, examines the dilemma of faith amid lifes failures and loss. His first novel, the book of jonah, has been translated into nine languages. It tells of a hebrew prophet named jonah son of amittai who is sent by god to prophesy the destruction of nineveh but tries to escape the divine mission. Written by the prophet jonah, son of amittai, around 785760 b. Book of jonah, also spelled jonas, the fifth of 12 old testament books that bear the names of the minor prophets, embraced in a single book, the twelve, in the jewish canon. The book of jonah is the fifth book in the christian canons and the jewish tanakh. A bizarre, unexpected biblical vision at a party one night will change that forever. It is the story of a man who throws everything away because of visions he develops, and a woman who has everything taken from her, turning her into a shell of a person. Its treatment of that mission is thus similar to the accounts of the ministries of elijah and elisha found in 1,2 kings. Listen to chuck swindolls overview of jonah in his audio message from the classic series gods masterwork. In a tale full of action, adventure, and strife, jonah is asked by god to tell the people of nineveh to mend their wicked ways.

Although some consider this book to be an allegory, according to 2 kings 14. Jonah is commanded to go east to nineveh but flees toward the westernmost possible point, only to be swallowed by a great fish and dumped back at this starting point 2. The purpose of this book is to show that god is a merciful and gracious god. A more recent view is that the book was written long after jonahs time by some anonymous author and that it is a work of fiction with a moral lesson. The national jewish book council it is rare that a novel juxtaposes the contemporary world and the biblical one in such dramatic fashion. Jonah, a hunchback larrikin, lives in a sydney slum where he is the leader of the local push, a street gang. Debut novel the book of jonah is a powerful modern meditation on the biblical tale of divine calling updated jan 12, 2019. The essentials here are jehovah and jonah god and manthat is what the book is all about. Jonah, ruth, and esther cliffsnotes study guides book. Book of jonah, the fifth of 12 old testament books that bear the names of the minor prophets, embraced in a single book, the twelve, in the jewish canon.

Jan 21, 2014 the book of jonah seems like christian bookstore fiction with cool, edgy sex and swearing. The jonah is a good example of what herbert could have been, because stripped off its rather jarring and poorly done supernatural scenes the ending is especially disappointing it makes for a decent little crime novel. The book of jonah is a compelling read, a clever deconstruction of modern life as reflected in an. The book of jonah is a book of the neviim prophets in the hebrew bible. Jonah 1911 is a novel by australian writer louis stone. The story, about a prophet named jonah, was written to criticize and rebuke the narrow spirit of nationalism that jonah observed among so many of the jewish people.

The book of jonah, written primarily in the third person, does not explicitly name the prophet as the author of his own account, but we have no reason to doubt either the inspiration or the historical veracity of the book. His life falls apart when he hears the voice of gd. Joshua max feldman is a writer of fiction and plays. Conservative scholars place the writing of the book of jonah before 745. Many critics however want to lower the book of jonah to an allegory, a parable or a legend because of the miracles described in it especially the appearing of the great fish devouring jonah. While jonah eventually did what he was asked to do, the book closes with showing jonah as a bitter man. Jonah is the only old testament prophet on record whom god sent to a heathen nation with a message of repentance. If you have any question about this novel, please dont hesitate to contact us or translate team. The book of jonah seems like christian bookstore fiction with cool, edgy sex and swearing. A book for jonah alvin independent school district. A major literary debut, an epic tale of love, failure, and unexpected faith set in new york, amsterdam, and las vegas. May 21, 2017 in this book, jonah was questioning his sexuality, and in addition to the bullying, this left him very unsure and insecure with himself, but by the last page, he learned to be true to himself and to respect that he is who he is, and that he couldnt change that.

The audience of the book of jonah was the people of israel and all future readers of the bible and, typically, prophets issued warnings or gave instructions to the people of israel. Throughout the book, whenever a meeting or telephone call dialogue happens with jonah he poses a question to alex rogo or a member of his crew which in turn causes them to talk amongst themselves to come up with a solution to their problem. Jonah with book summary versebyverse bible commentary. Mar 16, 2019 written by the prophet jonah, son of amittai, around 785760 b. Twotime caldecott illustrator peter spiers visual retelling of a favorite bible story is back in print. Book of jonah overview insight for living ministries.

The book is also written as a historical narrative. The book of jonah, by joshua max feldman the washington post. However, after setting aside the clumsy, uneven way the book tried to echo the biblical story, i attempted to read the novel on its own terms. It is a story about a hebrew woman named naomi who lives during the period of the judges, prior to the establishment of the monarchy. The book of jonah preface those of you who are familiar with the story of jonah and the whale know that jonah hopped a ship heading in the opposite direction when god commanded him to go preach to the ninevites.

A major literary debut, an epic tale of love, failure, and unexpected faith set in new york, amsterdam, and las vegasthe modernday jonah at the center of joshua max feldmans brilliantly conceived retelling of the book of jonah is a young manhattan lawyer named jonah jacobstein. Which is a bummer because the concept of a modern day retelling of jonah fascinated me. Furthermore, jesus validated jonah s experience in the belly of the fish as factual matt. The book of jonah is an example that will be used to determine if this particular story describes an accurate recount of history, or if it teaches the readers a lesson.

Jonah, a hunchback larrikin, lives in a sydney slum where he is the leader of the local push. Unpublished class notes in 103 introduction to hebrew exegesis. An overview of the book of jonah leads one to determine two prominent sections, namely, jonah s abortive voyage to tarshish jon 12 and jonah s journey to nineveh. The incidentals in the book of jonah are the fish, the gourd, the east wind, the boat, and even the city of nineveh. The risktaking and sheer weirdness of the book of jonah is worth applauding. The prophetic significance of this book not only lies in the short message in nineveh but also in the entire history of jonah described in his book. Born and raised in amherst, massachusetts, he graduated from columbia university and currently lives in brooklyn. Come visit sometime to read the latest chapter of the book of jonah. Use a book for jonah and fruit for all to answer questions 2730. His debut novel, the book of jonah, will be published on february 4th by henry holt and co.

The book of jonah is narrative history and a prophetic oracle. Intro to jonah biblica the international bible society. In the book of jonah, jonah the prophet is instructed to go to a pagan city nineveh to preach to the ninevites, hoping that they will repent for their sins. Joshua max feldmans debut novel is an impressive experimentation with allegory and the antihero, leaning ever so lightly on the traditional yom. Through some supernatural events, god convinced him to obey and carry out the lords plan. Debut novel the book of jonah is a powerful modern. The book of jonah centers on young new york lawyer jonah jacobstein, who has a fateful subway encounter one night with a hasidic jew. But his life changes when he becomes father to a son, and he strives to break away from his previous life. Due to jonah shirking his divine mission, god sends. The book is replete with irony, wherein much of its humor lies. A major literary debut, an epic tale of love, failure, and unexpected faith set in new york, amsterdam, and las vegas the modernday jonah at the center of joshua max feldmans brilliantly conceived retelling of the book of jonah is a young manhattan lawyer named jonah jacobstein. The book of jonah started out entertaining, quickly became disturbing, then got even darker, became kind of boring, and wound up to be quite moving. The jonah is a good example of what herbert could have been, because stripped off its rather jarring and poorly done supernatural scenes the ending is especially disappointing it makes for a.