Grossman, David. Lion's honey; the myth of Samson.

GROSSMAN, David. Lion's honey; the myth of Samson. Read by Mel Foster. 3 tapes. 2 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2006. 1-4233-1145-0. $49.25. Vinyl; content, reader notes. A

Few men have jumped from the Old Testament and into legend quite like Samson, that Biblical strongman felled by a treacherous temptress, that larger-than-life showman whose final performance brought down the house. Goodman's book returns Samson to his Biblical roots and is not a mere retelling but a meticulous analysis and a commentary on the original text. As Goodman notes, the Bible story tells us what Samson does, not what he thinks and feels. Paying careful attention to detail and subtext and drawing support from ancient and modern scholars, Goodman paints us a portrait of a lonely, loveless and surprisingly modern man, set apart from the rest of the world and doomed from his miraculous conception to fulfill a Divine mission he neither understands nor has the power to preempt.

Advanced students would find this audiobook useful primarily as a companion to the text, where it provides an approachable introduction to the complexity of myth, literary scholarship and the fine art of reading between the lines. Foster provides a straightforward narrative, befitting a critical study of a Biblical hero. Francine Levitov, New York, NY

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.