WHOSE BIBLE IS IT?

A Biblical scholar examines the history and interpretations of Judeo-Christian sacred texts and their variances from sect to sect, from language to language. The short book seems long because it is very dry. The usually superb Paul Hecht amplifies this sin with a singularly spiritless reading. Though as expressive as always, he ignores (or doesn't notice) the author's faint touches of lightness, speeds through the material, and stumbles over foreign names and even some English words. At times, his mellifluous voice and occasional wheezes betray fatigue. Nonetheless, anyone interested in the subject will find this book a cogent summary of the most recent scholarship and the reading an accurate, if labored, rendition of the text. Y.R. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 06]