This thread is a focused discussion group. Please see the first post below for the current topic and upcoming book discussions. While natter will inevitably happen, we encourage you to treat this like a virtual book club and try to keep your posts in that spirit.
By consensus, this thread is reopened specifically to discuss Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It will be closed again once that discussion has run its course.
***SPOILER ALERT***
- **Spoilers for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows lie here. Read at your own risk***
There's probably a case to be made for it not (necessarily) being a rape (in the way we think of rape in modern society) in Dinah's eyes, even from the Biblical account. You'll note Genesis also takes care to mention that Shechem was kind to Dinah, and how willing he and his family was to agree to Jacob's terms. I think it's highly likely that their part of the biblical story is really about pre-marital seduction of a virgin.
Oh, yes. Diamant's version seems more like reading between the lines than revisionist history.
Okay, just got the book. Even before reading I picked up a mistake on the geneology page. Diamante says Naphtali was born to Leah. The Bible (Genesis 30:7-8) states Naphtali was born to Bilhah. No biggie, just a little sloppy on Diamante's part.
Yeah Wolfram, and that's even sloppier, since Bilnah was Rachel's servant, and bore Dan and Naphtali sort of on Rachel's behalf.
That's right. In fact, Rachel names them.
We storm the publisher at midnight. I'll bring the torches. You bring the law books (biblical and secular)!
But who's going to bring the assortment of farming implements? I can't really mob well without them.
I thought they were all sisters!
The farming instruments, or the law books?
The mothers of the sons. The women Dinah refers to as her mothers.
The mothers of the sons. The women Dinah refers to as her mothers.
Rachel and Leah are sisters. Bilhah and Zilpah are their maids. (I think Diamante makes them the daughters of one of Laban's other wives, but I can't find any justification for that in the bible.)
