Joseph and the Way of Forgiveness: A Story About Letting Go

by Stephen Mitchell

"A unique and special kind of masterpiece." --John Banville

Stephen Mitchell's gift is to breathe new life into ancient classics. In Joseph and the Way of Forgiveness, he offers us his riveting novelistic version of the Biblical tale in which Jacob's favorite son is sold into slavery and eventually becomes viceroy of Egypt. Tolstoy called it the most beautiful story in the world. What's new here is the lyrical, witty, vivid prose, informed by a wisdom that brings fresh insight to this foundational legend of betrayal and all-embracing forgiveness. Mitchell's retelling, which reads like a postmodern novel, interweaves the narrative with brief meditations that, with their Zen surprises, expand the narrative and illuminate its main themes.

By stepping inside the minds of Joseph and the other characters, Mitchell reanimates one of the central stories of Western culture. The engrossing tale that he has created will capture the hearts and minds of modern readers and show them that this ancient story can still challenge, delight, and astonish.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Christianity, Faith, Self Help, Philosophy

272 pages, Hardcover

Published September 17, 2019

About the author

Stephen Mitchell was educated at Amherst College, the Sorbonne, and Yale University, and de-educated through intensive Zen practice. He is widely known for his ability to make old classics thrillingly new, to step in where many have tried before and to create versions that are definitive for our time. His many books include The Gospel According to Jesus, The Second Book of the Tao, two books of fiction, and a book of poetry.

Mitchell’s Selected Poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke has been called “the most beautiful group of poetic translations [the twentieth] century has produced.” William Arrowsmith said that his Sonnets to Orpheus “instantly makes every other rendering obsolete.” His Book of Job has been called “magnificent.” His bestselling Tao Te Ching, Bhagavad Gita, and Gilgamesh—which are not translations from the original text, but rather poetic interpretations that use existing translations into Western languages as their starting point—have also been highly praised by critics, scholars, and common readers. Gilgamesh was Editor’s Choice of The New York Times Book Review, was selected as the Book Sense 2004 Highlight for Poetry, was a finalist for the first annual Quill Award in poetry. His translation of the Iliad was chosen as one of the New Yorker’s favorite books of 2011. He is a two-time winner of the Harold Morton Landon Translation Award from the Academy of American Poets.

His books for young readers include The Wishing Bone, winner of the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award as the best book of poetry for children published in the United States in 2003, and Jesus: What He Really Said and Did, which was chosen by the American Library Association’s Booklist as one of the top ten religious books for children in 2002.

He is also coauthor of two of his wife Byron Katie’s bestselling books: Loving What Is and A Thousand Names for Joy. www.thework.com

You can read extensive excerpts from all his books on his website, www.stephenmitchellbooks.com.

Reviews

[Darwin8u · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is hard to capture what this book is. Essentially, it is Mitchell taking his poetic talents, his Jewish and Zen sensibilities, the story of Joseph in the Book of Genesis and not quite reinventing it, but retelling it both as a poet and almost as a Zen Midrash. He jumps into the text and invites the reader to swim in it and experience it with slightly different eyes. I'm not sure if I loved it so much because it aligns a bit with my own sensibilities (I joke that I'm an Agnostic Zen Mormon) or because there are new insights and perspectives that absolutely resonated with me. I'm not sure it matters. I love the Story of Joseph. I've read the KJV mutliple times, soaked in Alter's translation, enjoyed Crumb's adaption, and even enjoyed the musical. I love what it teaches about family, forgiveness, knowledge, responsibility, and love. I typically avoid reading books multiple times, but this is one I'm sure I'll return to again and again.

[Ted Shaffner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every time I read a book by Stephen Mitchell, I know I am in for some deep soul searching. That is certainly the case here.

I taught a course in the Bible as Literature for many years, and so I know the story of Joseph extremely well, but this book will be crystal clear even to those who have never read it. What Mitchell offers is his own midrash, an ancient method of unpacking the stories of the Bible, since many of them are are so skeletal and obscure. This midrash is essential, but sometimes outshines the story itself. For instance, the story of Lilith, Adam's first wife, is not in the Bible, but became a mechanism of misogyny, just as the midrash about Noah's son Ham became a justification for slavery and racism. Mitchell's midrash, however, counters any prejudicial bias, siphoning it through the filter of Zen Buddhism, which has the power to purify even the most calcified fossils. By measuring the characters not just through the lens of translation and storytelling but through his own deep experience of spiritual truth, he accomplishes something so much more vital than a retelling or a translation. As he says in his Foreword, "Sometimes the only way to tell the truth is to make it up." That's why he is so good at this, and how he scrapes the millennia of rust and decay off of these gorgeous stories.

The book is certainly about forgiveness, but that is secondary. It's also about guilt and blame and desire and regret and all the other ways we create our own suffering. It's really about a journey to complete spiritual mastery, and how to survive the many apparent tragedies and injustices that threaten to throw us off that path. What I found most powerful was how Mitchell navigated Joseph's time at the bottom of the pit and in prison, how Joseph learned to face the world with true equanimity and understand that, for the Master of reality, there is nothing to forgive. And Mitchell takes an important step beyond that: how to live in the peace of that realization when others around you aren't yet ready for it.

Where Mitchell shines most is when he filters Jewish theology through Buddhist insight. Here are just a few examples. They warrant a slow reading, and an incubation, just as the rest of the book does.

"...faith has nothing to do with what we believe; it's the realization that what we can't know is wiser than all our knowing."

"The still, small voice that arose inside him was the voice of God, but it was also the voice of reason, stripped of the ordinary selfish distortions that desire and aversion impose."

"He had been trying to fight against the current of reality, and now he was riding it, his mind a sleek skiff in the onrushing river, letting it take him wherever it wished."

"He had to find his way through a world of paradox, where exile is homecoming, slavery is freedom, and not knowing is the ultimate wisdom."

And here is one more example, which will make Mitchell's method clear to any student of the Bible or of Zen: "Cain's famous question ‘Am I my brother's keeper?’ has two equally valid answers. It requires a good deal of practice to discover where the yes fits and where the no."

In the end, the book is really about how we transform experience into stories we tell ourselves, but how if we don't do this consciously, it creates suffering that we feel we can't control. Through his portrayal of Joseph, Mitchell shows that reality is a loop. We tell ourselves a story, and then we believe that story, and then we live that story, which we then tell to others. It becomes real because we MAKE it real. But this is just one possible truth. We can learn how to tell ourselves different stories. Or how to tell the same story in different ways.

Mitchell has now told this story in a way that our world really needs. We have grown hardened by the knee-jerk impulse to blame, to complain, to hold grudges, and to punish. The path of forgiveness is a long one, and true forgiveness requires passage through all the stages of spiritual maturity. By painting these stages with such clarity, Mitchell offers a way to retell not just the ancient stories, but also our own.

[Carol Painter · Rating 4 out of 5]

More than any other Stephen Mitchell book I have read, this one has left me again knowing what a gifted writer/storyteller he is, but also, knowing how much he can disturb my thinking/beliefs. That is not a negative. That is why I will undoubtedly reread this book (as I have reread his others) and also why I will continue to challenge that any single religious/spiritual belief system is "the answer".
Most likely, especially because of the times in which we live, to hear that "God's will" is behind/part of all acts, I can only imagine how that is used by religious beings AND sociopaths who justify all their abhorrent acts.
Joseph's story, of course, can be explained this way. But for now...I am not ready to say that it is a way to forgiveness for what is happening in this world.

[Ava Olender · Rating 4 out of 5]

My AP Lit teacher gave me this book at the beginning of this year. I let other things get the best of me, so I started it a week before graduation (after previously failing to make progress with it). My teacher actually reviewed the book before it was even published, making the annotations quite unique. Once I made progress, I couldn’t put this book down. I finished it in just a few days. Its ties between Catholicism and eastern religion struck me as being particularly fascinating, especially because this was the first time I’ve combined the two in my mind. This book forced me to see the bible in a good way once again, forcing me to somewhat reconcile with my religious trauma. Nine years of Catholic school can do that to you. Right book, wrong time. Maybe I should have read it when I first received it.

[Trent Clegg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stephen Mitchell's profound yet accessible account of Jacob's favorite son makes compelling reading. If you think you already know the story from Andrew Lloyd Webber's popular musical, think again! Every page turn opens this Old Testament chestnut up afresh with sometimes bracing frankness. Most significantly, Mitchell alters the arc of Joseph’s inner journey by placing his transformative dark night of the soul not in Potiphar's prison but in the well his brothers threw him into. The author’s deep insights into each character make the narrative so engaging that by the time Joseph reveals himself and his forgiveness to his brothers in the throne room, I needed several tissues to deal with the tears streaming down my face.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Joseph is one of my favorites! As I read the book I could hear the songs in my head from the musical. Stephen Mitchell writes with a poetic flow, and the addition of the narrational thoughts make the book a delight to read. I enjoyed reading how Joseph's thoughts about himself changed. He truly believed he was what his father thought - a special person, the favorite. Then, he saw and realized how his brothers viewed that and therefore changed when he was in Egypt. In the chapter when Joseph was working for Potifar, it states, "It was the opposite of the arrogance that had been his default mode in his former life. The great things he was destined for were none of his business. His business was to see where the openings were and to glide through them." The book added side stories that helped develop Joseph's tale.

[Ryan Austin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Saccharine, cliche-ridden re-telling feels like the Bible Story equivalent of an Amish Romance novel. I couldn’t get past the first 30 pages because every other sentence caused me to cringe. Maybe the editor started paying attention after these pages but I’m not taking the chance.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

I watched Joseph: King of Dreams with my kids the other night. I am always touched when I watch it for different reasons. My dad's favorite part is the song when Joseph is in prison, and he cares and nurtures the tree: You know better than I \ You know the way \ I've let go the need to know why \ For you know better than I. This time I was struck with the poignancy of the scene when Joseph is reconciled to his brothers. The movie, like the original scripture, leaves Joseph's internal thoughts somewhat of a mystery. But the portrayal in the film still gives hints at some internal turmoil. You see Joseph recoil when he sees his brothers for the first time when they come to Egypt. He stumbles backward, has a hard time holding himself upright. He takes off his headdress, showing his crop of reddish hair underneath, hinting at the fact that he is re-living the past. And it isn't all healed yet, at least in my reading of it. He puts on a hard face for the following confrontations with his brothers. It isn't until the moment he knows they are changed men, when Judah offers himself in place of Benjamin, that he softens and beings to cry. He seems to have released his burden, and he is reconciled to his brothers. His words, asking forgiveness of his brothers brought me to tears: Can you forgive me for thinking I was some miracle from God? I think we as Latter-Day Saints could learn a lot from Joseph's story, as I think we fit well into the mold of the spoiled younger brother holding himself of much higher worth than his brothers.

A friend on Twitter read my post and mentioned Stephen Mitchell's Joseph and the Way of Forgiveness:

https://twitter.com/trent_clegg/status/1408225802554986508

I haven't encountered this book before, but I am always excited for recommendations when it comes to theology and scripture. The book purports to be a work of midrash, which Mitchell describes beautifully in his introduction:

It cries out for the ancient Jewish art of midrash, or creative transformation-- a way of inhabiting the text in order to deepen your understanding of it. To penetrate into these unsaid realms, you need a certain degree of irreverence-- or, more accurately, reverence masked as irreverence... You need to swallow the text whole, digest it, assimilate it, excrete it, walk around with it resonating inside you for hours or days, let it become your constant meditation and your unceasing prayer.

I have read another midrash on a different character from the same narrative, the story of Dinah in The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. Beautifully executed, but in a much different way than Mitchell's book. Mitchell's book still has the same essential feel to the story, whereas Diamant's turns it on its head in a Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead sort of way.

Mitchell is humble in his interpretation of the story of Joseph. He makes clear you shouldn't expect any scholarly or an attempt at historical accuracy (the Egypt of this book is an imaginary country, in which anachronism may sneak up and tap you on the shoulder). In one passage describing the landscape on the road to Egypt, he compares the rocks to Henry Moore sculptures! But Mitchell has clearly done his homework here-- he regularly cites rabbis, commentators on the Talmud, even the Kabbalah. But he also brings other works to the table: the epic of Gilgamesh and the Iliad, for example. In many instances I found this refreshing and helpful. I love an author who can bring all things into one great whole and who can find wisdom in other traditions.

However-- as with every interpretation of scripture-- I felt a distinct narrowing of the text. It wasn't after I wiki'ed Stephen Mitchell that he has a distinct Zen influence. A lot of his favorite phrases in the text began to make sense: he really likes the word "equilibrium" to describe the Joseph's mature spiritual state, and he often uses the phrase vast intelligence to describe God or a supreme being rather than just God. It gets mystical-ey at times, and even foreign to my understanding of the Biblical text as a practicing Latter-Day Saint. For example, Mitchell centers Joseph's spiritual development on learning that there is no such thing as agency. It comes through in this passage when Joseph is accepting his fate:

No one wants to suffer. And yet the fortunate among us manage to learn from our suffering what can be learned nowhere else. We become-- clearly, joyously-- aware of the cause of all suffering. Instead of sleep, the remembered pain drips into the heart, and an understanding dawns on us, even against our will, that there is a violent grace that shapes our ends. Humility follows as a natural result. We learn how to lose control. We discover that we never had it in the first place.

I prefer the You know better than I lesson from the film adaptation, personally. But Mitchell's midrash is also beautiful in its own ways. I really liked his account of the story of Tamar and Judah, the interlude between Canaan and Egypt. But I did feel that his telling does some damage to the story of reconciliation and forgiveness. The way Mitchell tells it, Joseph has his most powerful spiritual transformation in the pit in which his brothers threw him. He has already forgiven his brothers in that moment:

He could see himself from the outside, as the pampered favorite who sits at the right hand of the father, expecting the whole world to come worship at his feet. He was appalled. His heart ached at the arrogance of it and at his foolish sense of entitlement. He realized he was entitled to nothing, not even his own life.

This spiritual transformation is beautiful, to be sure. But in my eyes, it weakens the moment of reconciliation significantly. Joseph, who has by then already achieved "equilibrium" has nothing to forgive. Instead, he expresses a pity for his brothers that they can't understand that free will doesn't exist:

Joseph understood how painful it is to live in a mental world of good and evil, in which people consciously choose to think the thoughts that come into their minds and then consciously choose to believe those thoughts: a world in which God rewards and punishes people for actions that in reality they couldn't help, because those actions were the direct effect of those beliefs... True forgiveness, he had learned, is the realization that there is nothing to forgive. His brothers simply hadn't known what they were doing. And given the violence of the emotions, there was nothing else they could have done.

I have some strong disagreements with such an interpretation, and more than just aesthetics. I think there is true evil in the world. And I think people are held accountable for their actions, but from a loving Father in Heaven who understands our circumstances and only seeks our happiness and progress. I think his statement In reality, God doesn't see anything as evil doesn't account for instances of true evil in this world, the Holocaust being one prime example. And to me, this is what makes forgiveness beautiful. It isn't explaining evil away. It is the seeming paradox of being able to let feelings of anger, resentment, and retaliation go despite the evil done to you.

Still, a great book and a worthy interpretation of the story of Joseph King of Dreams.

[Jon Barr · Rating 2 out of 5]

I appreciate the artistic license with which the author tries to explain some of the finer points of the story of Joseph, and I learned some things throughout.

However, his decision to include an abundance of profanity in the story is maddening. Modern authors' reliance on foul language is my biggest complaint regarding the written word in our time, but to adapt a story from the Holy Bible and then fill it with cursing is simply inane. I wanted to love this book, but can neither adore nor recommend it.

[Malik Salam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fun and a quick read.

A beautiful and timeless story from genesis told through the eyes of Stephen Mitchell’s wisdom. He expertly weaves together the biblical and more Eastern (zen and daoist) insights about our nature and God.

My only quibble is that in expanding the story from about 15 pages in the Bible to the 250 pages here, the author adds a lot, not all of it welcome. Some of it is delightful and colorful, some of it makes some of the lessons and interpretations more explicit. Sometimes this leads to the beautiful chapters on equanimity and faith. Unfortunately, other times, by making so much of the implicit explicit, it can be seen as trite.

Stephen Mitchell goes out of his way to paint a picture of Joseph as a perfectly enlightened master whose every move is in perfect harmony with the universe. To his credit, he reflects on the all encompassing nature of our true nature and the absence (or unity) of good and evil. But in the later half of the book we see very little of Jacob’s darkness and when we do, it is always accompanied with some thoughtful justification as to its value for the greater good. That results in a somewhat flat character from a story telling standpoint. Really? no anger came up when he saw his brothers for the first time? I would have liked to see anger being displayed or used well but its absence is conspicuous.

All of that said, I really enjoyed this retelling, as I always enjoy Stephen Mitchell’s work.

[Kemila Zsange · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book and the hope of each individual's way out of suffering, coming from way back in our history. Many paragraphs invited us into the internal world of Joseph, which I found very insightful. Therefore I was not reading a book that told me what Joseph did in forgiveness, but how he went through it. As I was reading the book, I was referring to how "wronged" I felt by some of my family members. I could journey with it - So far away (in Egypt) and so close; so long away (the story happened thousands of years ago) and so recent. Some of the paragraphs I had to read over and over to let it sink in. True wisdom is unspeakable but I could get a full glimpse through Stephen's speaking.

Like this paragraph: He felt no apprehension about his future status, whatever that might be, because by now he had learned not to think himself into a future. He was well aware that he might be sold to a callous or even a cruel owner, who might beat him or work him to death. But he didn't let the images connect, to frighten himself with possibilities. For all he knew, the worst of this experience was already over. He was excited to see what would come next.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m always fascinated to discover new interpretations of biblical tales. One source of inspiration has been comments made by members of a study group or class I’m teaching. Other new ideas have been found in some traditional formats: books of essays about the parasha or d’var Torah columns in newspapers or online. Unless an interpretation plainly contradicts the facts of the biblical verse, it’s difficult to say it’s wrong. That’s because the text leaves so much to the imagination, in particular, what most of its characters are thinking or feeling. So I was curious about why I so greatly disagreed with Stephen Mitchell’s interpretations in “Joseph and the Way of Forgiveness: A Biblical Tale Retold” (St. Martin’s Essentials). His characterization of Joseph rubbed me the wrong way, even though his interpretation is entirely plausible. That left me to explore why there were such substantive differences in our thoughts about this biblical character.
See the rest of my review at http://www.thereportergroup.org/Artic...

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished this unique retelling of Joseph. Honestly, I am still mulling it over, and that in and of itself added a star to my ranking. Mr. Mitchell made me think and I greatly appreciate that in any work. I have read this story in the Old Testament at least a dozen times and am currently partaking in an in depth Bible study on it. As the author draws from Rabbis, hebrew text, and seems to have influences from other faiths, I had some reconciling to do with my own protestant perspective. I appreciated the dive into Egyptian culture and customs of the time, as I believe understanding the time period any story is told in infinitely adds to its depth. The only major detractor for me was the use of profanity as the words weren't really in use at the time. I do appreciate he was trying to impress upon readers the roughness of Joseph's brothers, but felt it may have slightly missed the mark. While I didn't agree with every conclusion drawn, I found the author's perspective well reasoned and intriguing.

[Mary Redd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tolstoy called the biblical tale of Joseph the most beautiful story in the world. Miller’s elegantly simple amplification of this suspenseful tale is gripping and profound. We see the grandeur of Egypt in vivid detail. The wise pharaoh, who turns power over to Joseph. After the years of plenty that Joseph predicts, during the famine that follows he shows superior leadership: The saved grain is sold for a high price to the rich, a fair price to the average person, and it is given freely to the poor.

Joseph’s forgiveness of his brothers is not simple. How to do it? He sees that they have suffered guilt. A word won’t wipe that away. Will they now care for Benjamin? The father they betrayed? Joseph’s thoughtful, compassionate actions are a stunning example of forgiveness. A great hero, great man.

[Chloe Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting and honestly kind of brash at times. Took me a while to finish it but it was interesting to think of this story with all of the emotion and minor details that the Bible doesn’t provide. I did love this though- the idea of trusting the not knowing:

“The truth was that he was waiting for a sign. Revealing himself to his family was his heart's desire, but the timing was crucial. He didn't yet know what to do, and he trusted that not knowing. He refused to take any action that was motivated by his merely personal desire, however moral it might seem. The action would have to happen spontaneously, without his conscious intervention- that is, it would have to be presented to him on a silver platter by the hand of providence. He was confident that he would be able to recognize it when it appeared.”

[Giselle Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will be reading more of Stephen's books. This Biblical story of Joseph's life plus the author's enhancements and thoughts of what he may have thought throughout his life was insightful and I found new ways at looking at forgiveness.
Towards the end, in the No Blame chapter, (this is where Joseph is in Egypt and has seen his brothers) the author says: "Forgiveness was in an inaccurate word for what he (Joseph) was expierencing, since it implies that a magmanimous "I" grants something to "you".
True forgiveness, he had learned, is the realization that there is nothing to forgive.

This book reads fast and is full of things to think about regarding forgiving yourself and others. I would recommend it to anyone!

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a strange sort of novel, but definitely one that I am glad to have read.
At first glance, the book seems to be simply a longer novelization of the Joseph story from Genesis.
This alone would be a worthy endeavor, but the author, a poet, scholar, and translator of ancient texts, included insightful anachronistic observations - bit of wisdom from contemporary scholars and philosophers and most helpfully, Rabbinical commentary from the past millennia. Of chief interest to the story teller is the process of humbling and wisdom that Joseph's many reversal of fortunes develop within him enabling him to ultimately choose the way of forgiveness with Potiphar's wife and with the brothers who wronged him. I'm eager to read more from this author.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audio book with Stephen Mitchell as the narrator. I don’t usually like audio books, but I did like this one. I have read several other retelling/translations by Stephen Mitchell. I think Gilgamesh is still my favourite. Joseph and the Way of Forgiveness a close second.

I still reread Gilgamesh when I am in need of comfort. Stephen Mitchell’s Joseph was hard for me to relate to at first. Joseph is such a talented, gifted guy. I could see myself somewhat in the brothers but more in the short descriptions of Leah perhaps.

So why this disconnect with Joseph when I get such comfort from Gilgamesh? I guess with Gilgamesh I saw how difficult it is to be human and the deep compassion of G’od or however we name unnameable goodness. With Joseph I saw how earnestly and devotedly that goodness tracks us down, accompanies us, loves us. So grateful for that.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this because I wanted to see an author's take on the Joseph story. I got that, but it came with a sort of New Age-ish, preachy-like tone. I did appreciate this at the very end:

"For God, it is all very good, as He said on the sixth day of Creation. Joseph knew that the mind finds its proper balance in that sixth-day awareness. From it, the mind moves into its Sabbath, the peace that passes all understanding."

"Sixth-day awareness," I like that. The idea that all mistakes, errors, missteps got you to this place so if not good, they were at least necessary. And I like the way he paralleled the steps of personal growth with the creation myth. But all in all, too preachy....

[Blaze Currie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the more unique books I’ve ever read. I’m not sure how to categorize it. I couldn’t put it down. It is one of the great biblical stories, wrapped in poetry, and designed to carry a deeply spiritual message. I’ll likely reread this book again.

A few favorite passages:

“True forgiveness, he had learned, is the realization that there is nothing to forgive.”

“In reality, nothing is as it seems to be through the filter of a fearful mind. Everything, even the most painful experience, turns out to be pure grace.”

“From awe there are just a few steps to humility, from humility to wisdom, and from wisdom to happiness.”

[John Haydon · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting interpretation with some Zen flavor. Joseph makes a great story but Judah and Tamar are the real stars. The lineage of Jesus comes through Judah and Tamar. Tamar is probably one of the greatest woman in history, risking her life to have a child. Note the struggle in her womb as the her children restore the Abel and Cain (Jacob and Esau) problem in the womb as the fight to be the firstborn. Five woman: Tamar, Ruth, Rehab, Bathsheba and Mary are all mentioned in the linage of Jesus in Matthew's Gospel. All played a major role and all were involved in questionable relationships.

[Bill Samuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mitchell seeks to open up the Biblical story of Joseph and how he was able to forgive his brothers after what they did to him. He imagines parts of the story that aren't in the Biblical text. He does a wonderful job of developing the characters and the story, and providing insights into the psychology of the characters and of the spiritual meaning of events. I'm not sure if the theology presented is intended to be simply what he conceives as Joseph's understanding, or whether he intends to assert it all as true. I personally have problems with some of it but I think it is likely true to Joseph.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not one I would recommend for everyone, but I really enjoyed this 'midrash' of the story of Joseph. It was some interesting insight - and the idea of simply allowing all to be without the need to judge it as good or bad - rather accept and move forward thus allowing the need for forgiveness to almost disappear. - For the reason for needing to forgive is gone for the bigger understanding allows us to not worry about the perceived slight.

Interesting view - and one with some deep ramifications. Enjoyed the read.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing pulling together of midrash to add nuance and layers to the story of Joseph in Genesis. It delves into the lives of many of the characters in the story and gives them more dimensionality and complexity in an effort to enhance their motivations and its implications on the story itself. It is also subtle and deft in its notion of the divine. The author points out the absence of an overt divine in the original story and in kind finds ways to manifest It in a more creative and artful manner.

[Jenny Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure in the beginning if Mitchell was simply providing an expanded retelling, or if there was more to the project. But once Joseph gets into that pit, it’s clear there’s more going on. Mitchell describes the book as a midrash; I’d go with midrash-adjacent—it’s not just contemplative expansion and with commentary. Rather, it’s that plus a recontextualization via the medium of zen-inflected language that ends up presenting the same story, but with a philosophically significant difference.

I’ll be re-reading this. It’s very readable—lovely and thoughtful in all the good ways.

[Ethan Doucet · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was highly entertaining, but can get no more than 2 stars. This story is a novelized version of the story of Joseph from the book of Genesis, and the author made it his mission to “read between the lines” of Scripture. Although it was enjoyable/entertaining, the writer put FAR too many new details into the story. It also included some mildly graphic details about reproduction that were completely unnecessary (especially in the exploration of Judah and Tamar’s story). This was certainly an interesting read, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

[Joy Corwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thinking deep thoughts after reading this one--the biblical story of Joseph is one near and dear to me as my grandfather read this to me from the bible. I remember it was the only time I saw my grandfather cry. Mitchell's re-telling makes me ponder how God's will works in my life and in the world, how forgiving someone relates to accepting God's will, and how humanity's role in God's plan is part of a design mere humans are unable to see in the midst of personal turmoil.

[Ahdom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an amazing retelling of Joseph's story. Mitchell adds his poetic expertise and makes an unforgettable biblical tale even more relatable and even more unforgettable. There is a good balance of the original tale in here, with added narration, wisdom, and zen themes. There is a good understanding of the message of Joseph, yet this retelling takes it further by bringing in other sources and directly speaking to the reader. You will not likely forget this retelling of Joseph's journey.

[Eva Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ugh, my goodness. Rip me in two! Though I’ve always loved the biblical story of Joseph, Mitchell’s beautifully told narrative bursts it right open with detail, color, and fresh perspective. I feel as if now I’ll never forget the richness of this tale and its importance to the unfolding of the merciful love of Jesus. I’d read a million more of these about other Bible stories if Mitchell were to write them!!

[Jackie]

I can't even give this one star. It wasn't a did not finish but a could not finish. Mr. Mitchell can certainly write with flair. Even with his skill as a writer I won't be ever reading anything by this author again. Surely a re-telling of a Bible story could be done without objectionable language?