Words of Delight: A Literary Introduction to the Bible Book

This book is like a super-magnet. I thought I would just read the section on poetry to help me prepare for some teaching I was doing. It was so good, I just couldn't stop re-reading the rest of the book (this was my second time reading it).

Ryken is an English professor, and he brings all of his literary expertise to bear on his analysis of the Bible. At times, it can probably seem a little tedious (especially since his goal is only to analyze the literature of the Bible, rarely to apply it). But to the lover of literature, this book is simply beautiful and attractive.

He spends about 150 pages on narrative, followed by 100 pages on poetry. Then another 100 pages on other OT genres like proverb, drama, and satire. Finally, he spends about 200 pages on NT literary forms. I thought the section on poetry was the best, closely followed by the chapter on gospel narrative.

I'm sure I'll avoid reading this again for another 5 years or so (since it's so long). But then something will cause me to flip through it for a reminder or assistance in some particular area. Then I simply won't be able to put it down again. I think I'm forever doomed to repeat the cycle with this book.