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    Lion's Honey: The Myth of Samson
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    Lion's Honey: The Myth of Samson
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    Lion's Honey: The Myth of Samson
    Audiobook2 hours

    Lion's Honey: The Myth of Samson

    Written by David Grossman

    Narrated by Mel Foster

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    "There are few other Bible stories with so much drama and action, narrative fireworks and raw emotion, as we find in the tale of Samson: the battle with the lion; the three hundred burning foxes; the women he bedded and the one woman that he loved; his betrayal by all the women in his life, from his mother to Delilah; and, in the end, his murderous suicide, when he brought the house down on himself and three thousand Philistines.

    Yet beyond the wild impulsiveness, the chaos, the din, we can make out a life story that is, at bottom, the tortured journey of a single, lonely and turbulent soul who never found, anywhere, a true home in the world, whose very body was a harsh place of exile.

    "For me, this discovery, this recognition, is the point at which the myth - for all its grand images, its larger-than-life adventures - slips silently into the day-to-day existence of each of us, into our most private moments, our buried secrets"
    From David Grossman's Introduction to Lion's Honey

    "A writer of passionate honesty, unafraid to ask terrible questions." Nadine Gordimer
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateApr 1, 2006
    ISBN9781423311508
    Author

    David Grossman

    DAVID GROSSMAN is one of Israel’s most celebrated writers, winner of countless awards and the only Israeli ever to win the Man Booker International Prize, for his novel A Horse Walks into a Bar. Several of his books have been adapted for international stage and screen productions. He is the author of seventeen books translated into forty-five languages. He lives in Jerusalem, Israel.

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    Reviews for Lion's Honey

    3.5/5

    78 ratings14 reviews

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    • 4/5
      An analysis rather than a retelling of the Samson story. I love DG's writing and I loved this book but I couldn't really tell you why except that it's like having a really smart friend talk to you over coffee. The prose is passionate, bright and compelling.
    • 1/5
      Ironically, made me glad to find there are some books I don't enjoy. Minute textual analysis of the Samson tale in the OT. Quotes from many Talmudic scholars; indeed reads rather like one. seems to be trying to bring the characters to life but actually kills them stone dead, buried in speculative detail. Slightly more of interest are some of the verbal, etymological comments. I gave up. Great title, though!
    • 4/5
      13. Lion's Honey: The Myth of Samson (The Myths) by David Grossmantranslation from Hebrew by Stuart Schoffman in 2006published: 2005format: 184 page paperback, including the KJV version of Samson - The Book of Judges 13-16acquired: 2012 from amazonread: Feb 26 - Mar 1rating: 4Samson is an oddball part of the Bible, with parallels going east to Gilgamesh and west to Hercules. Gilgamesh and Hercules both kill a lion and wear a lion skin as in identifier; Samson kills a lion, then later finds a honey-rich beehive inside the carcass leading to a riddle and much fun and slaughter in this sugar-free world. Samson also ties in to the later myth of bugonia, "a ritual based on the belief that bees were spontaneously (equivocally) generated from a cow's carcass", a topic Virgil will write about and in the process become the main source of the story of Orpheus and Eurydice. But I'm off topic now. There is only a tiny amount of this stuff in Grossman's book.Grossman gets credit for writing what should be a really boring book and making it quite readable and compelling. He goes step by step through the story of Samson, with a commentary of his ideas at each step. It's repetitive and yet still readable. I love this kind of info, and yet hate reading this stuff, and yet I never felt tormented here. It's pleasant with some narrative drive.Grossman's Samson is misunderstood, alone, the only one in his time with the spirit of the Lord inside him, setting him firmly apart. His understanding questionable, and his expression minimal, his self-destructiveness the only expression we are able to read off. He is also a bit of an artist, spouting poetic lines and riddles. And having one of the most spectacular suicides in literature anywhere. I like Grossman's take, even when I felt it was incomplete. For example, he goes into detail on what Samson's mother tells and doesn't tell her husband. The angel of the Lord came on to her - sexual double-meaning working in both English and Hebrew. So, she is maybe a bit compromised by his message of this possibly partially divine son. She gives her husband the entire angel's message, except for two parts - she doesn't tell her husband this unborn son will smite Philistines and she doesn't tell him that this son's weakness is his hair. Grossman goes on and on, and yet doesn't mention once that it's possible she might have been protecting her son from a father who might be exposed to or partial to Philistines. It would seem to be the obvious explanation. They were Danites and therefore in close associated, geographically, with the more powerful Philistines. But it doesn't interest Grossman. Anyway, that's probably more than you wanted to know. I only recommend this book to those who really want to know about Samson. I wanted to know about Grossman, and I don't feel this book gave me all that much insight into this contemporary Israeli author.
    • 3/5
      Grossman has not retold the myth of Samson, as other authors have done with other myths in the same series. He was written an essay of literary criticism and speculation that relies on the author's personal imagining and impressions rather than anything objectively drawn from the text. Whether or not Samson's mother and father stood beneath Samson's hands, dancing and trying to catch honey in their open mouths as he held it above their heads, for example, seems a bit fanciful, to say the least, and provides little new insight to the reader. If Grossman was not going to actually retell the tale, I would have been much more interested to read his thoughts on how this myth relates to Israel's present view of itself, and how its symbolism compares to that of David and Goliath, for example. Interesting, but I feel it missed the mark.
    • 5/5
      I never liked Samson. I've said before that if the two of us meet someday in heaven, there will probably be a personality clash to end all clashes. I'm hoping that my new heavenly body won't be quite so easy to beat up.Then I read David Grossman's little book. David carries us deep into the mind--nay, the very heart--of this ancient hero, to uncover what makes him tick. Sampson has been transformed from a turbulent, macho man into a needy, troubled misfit. A muscle-bound one, no less, which makes for an explosive combination.I like him even less this way. I would shake Delilah's hand for uncovering his secret. No, not his long hair, but the inner child that longs to be normal, which she then carefully and deliberately manipulates.Yeah, I'm fine with the tragic ending, Samson deserved it. Nevertheless, David's clever retelling succeeds in adding life to the myth. Kudos! David draws upon various Hebrew traditions to spice up Samson's twisted personality, then leaves the poor man without even a decent shrink. How else could the story end?Sorry, David, I never did feel any sympathy for your guy. But I absolutely loved reading your story.
    • 3/5
      I was surprised by the form this book took; having read the other books in the Canongate myths series, I was expecting a retelling--albeit in a broad sense--but what I found was both analysis and story. Grossman tells the traditional story of Samson, but mixes in analytical, even psychological observations on his character's emotional state, motivations, etc. Rather than resetting the story, as some of the authors in this series have done, or retelling it from a different character perspective, as Atwood did with the Penelopiad, Grossman simply fills in the blanks, those holes in the original Biblical story. It may seem reductive to say "simply" because no doubt it is a complex process, but the style of this piece--straightforward, even clinical at times--makes it feel more like a textbook than fiction. (It should be noted here that this text is translated from the Hebrew, so some of the style may be a result of translation choices.) That is not to say that I didn't enjoy it; it was enjoyable in an unexpected way. Overall, a fascinating read, but not something that I will be rereading right away.
    • 2/5
      too analytical... the penelopiad much better!
    • 4/5
      This is a book that I really enjoyed because of its depth and attention to detail. Grossman would often throw in some factual information about Ancient Israel while re-telling the story from a unique perspective. I enjoyed the prose and the creativity with which he approached the book of Judges. The only drawback would be that his attention to detail didn't allow him to cover more parts of the story. In the end, Lion's Honey leaves you wanting more. Overall a good read with lots of interesting information. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys elegant prose.
    • 4/5
      This was a book I wasn't entirely sure whether I'd enjoy it or not. In the end I did. I read it in two or three extremely separated sittings, and that probably added to my overall experience of it as a somewhat ethereal and dreamlike experience. I thought, possibly like many of us, that I knew the biblical story of Samson reasonably well, but Grossman's careful exploration of the text exposed to me just how much of it I'd either forgotten or never knew. It's a wonderfully beguiling story.The author's examination of Samson's Israel is full of fleeting glimpses of a slow and gritty landscape; hints of a 'land of milk and honey' set against a backdrop of harsh nature and sporadically warring peoples with rival deities and belief systems. This is a thought provoking look at a vivid chapter from the Book of Judges that some may find perplexing, but I think that most interested readers would find worthwhile. In those days the area was thickly wooded - 'as plentiful as sycamores in the Shephelah plain' was once a simile for abundance - but today the trees are sparse, the hills exposed.
    • 5/5
      "Important, but not quite loved." -Thoughts on Lion's Honey by David Grossman (translated from Hebrew by Scott Schoffman)I am no stranger to the story of Samson; I studied in a private, religious school for 13 years, during which I was - for lack of a better, or nicer, word - force-fed the Bible and its stories*. Samson's feats of strength (the only one I was ever able to remember was the one at the end, really - collapsing the two pillars and killing three thousand Philistines in one blow) and his treacherous, short-lived romance with Delilah ("you are my sweetest downfall," so sings Regina Spektor) made a mark on me early on, if only because a) every child remembers stories of superhuman feats, b) Samson and Delilah was my first fatalist love story - I was yet to be introduced to Romeo and Juliet, and c) I was, at a very young age, wondering why Samson had to die together with the Philistines - sure, he had his eyes gouged out and was weak from his recent haircut, but if God really loved Samson, shouldn't He have saved him? Enveloped Samson in a force field while the arena tumbled down around him, perhaps?I didn't find the answer to that question in Lion's Honey, David Grossman's interpretation (or maybe it's called an analysis?) of the story of Samson (the Book of Judges, chapter 13-16, in case you want to brush up on biblical history). However, Grossman did shed quite the new light on Samson that made me go "why didn't I think of that?" and "oh my ... goodness, he's right!": that Samson was - and these are my words, not Grossman's - a misunderstood freak who never realized that he was exploited (nationalised was Grossman's term) by God, and that his womanizing (which really is too big a word in his case; does being with three women - not even simultaneously, no - count as womanizing? Then again it was the biblical times) was in truth a need for intimate connection which he'd lacked his entire life, beginning with his miraculous conception (they say his mother was barren, but hey, the patriarch should be under suspicion for infertility, too), ending with his first love Delilah's treachery (the three times she tried to harm him should have been enough of a warning - but, alas, the poor guy was in love) and ultimately leading to his demise under the two pillars with the Philistines (which in any case looked like a suicide but since it's in the Bible, it counts as a sacrifice).Grossman wasn't as blunt, though.The exploration of Samson's life is so detailed, so intricate, that Grossman even had footnotes; his discussion alone of how an angel informed Samson's mother of her impending divine pregnancy ate up the first 30 pages of the book. That Samson was a misunderstood person "who has been planted in the world and operated as a lethal weapon of divine will," at the same time clueless as to his purpose in life - "He goes through life like a walking enigma, marvelling over his secret, his riddle." - and his greatest struggle being pre-destined for such greatness as God's instrument (or puppet, depending on how one views it), a destiny which has made him different, an outcast, when all he ever wanted was to fit in. His story is littered with allusions to his great disconnect - with his parents, his people, even to himself; Samson was larger than life, yet despite his great strength, he was emotionally inadequate for the job. "How astonishing and poignant, this gulf between enormous physical strength and an immature, childlike soul."Grossman's interpretation of the story of Samson is so far, far removed from what I've grown up with; Scott Schoffman's translation is delicious in its simplicity - what could have turned out to be a boring, seemingly academic book became vivid in giving a new (albeit quite the eccentric) definition of one of the Bible's greatest heroes. I was honestly expecting a work of fiction when I picked up the book, but I'm glad I was wrong.Samson's story, though full of great feats of strength, ended sadly with his death; Lion's Honey, however, has made me even more melancholic, sadder for a man whose greatest wish was "that one person love him simply, wholly, naturally, not because of his miraculous quality, but in spite of it."I hope he didn't die in vain.PS. A thought, in retrospect: everyone's trying to be different, "but maybe it is not a weakness, an illness, to be like everyone else."* I have nothing against the Bible, though. In fact, my copy is quite the confidante (I hide small notes and the occasional rainy-day bill between its pages) and great giver of advice (the occasional Bible-dipping, as introduced by Augusten Burroughs' Running with Scissors). I'm not trying to be blasphemous, I swear.Originally posted here.
    • 5/5
      Probably not the book for everyone. But the story of Samson has always been one of my favorite stories in the Bible, and I revere David Grossman, so I adored this book.
    • 4/5
      Wonderfully readable, perceptive and profound. Being a big fan (is that the proper terminology) of Biblical studies, this is exactly the kind of book that--if I ever stopped reading long enough and mustered the requisite ambition and discipline--I would like to write. Makes me want to read more in the Canongate Myths series, though I don't expect any to top this. Makes me want to read more Grossman, too.
      If you thought Samson was simply an all-too-gullible strongman for God, let Grossman open up the relatively brief--4 chapters in the Book of Judges--story for you. It's an intense psychological study of a unique individual that has ramifications for us all.
    • 4/5
      I was a little surprised as to what comprised this book, as I expected to find a fictional retelling after the reproduction of Judges 13-16 of the King James Bible. Instead, what follows is a detailed commentary that examines and dissects the Biblical account, using even the original language to understand the full meaning of the text, with all of its nuances and allusions. As many times that I have studied the story of Samson in church growing up, there is apparently quite a bit that I never knew about such an interesting character in Hebrew history.
      As any person chosen of God to do His will, Samson is a man plagued by his destiny and how it separates him from the rest of humanity. Though chosen of God from the womb to live as a Nazarite, he is still very much human with human urges. Almost constantly at war with himself, Samson seems to set himself up to be hurt by those he puts his trust in so that he may let loose his anger and rage against those who hold his people captive -- the Philistines. Like so many modern-day psychological head cases, much of his choices are also driven by a need for that hidden something lacking in his relationship with his parents. He looks for it in the wrong places and the wrong women, even paying a visit to a prostitute. He seems to use his strength and anger with an artistic flair, first setting up a group of Philistines at his wedding with an unsolvable riddle, and later finding rather unique ways of further punishing the Philistines, such as using the jawbone of an ass to kill a thousand of them. Furthermore, every verbal account from Samson is spoken poetically.
      What I found most interesting is the way that David Grossman explored the account of Samson and Delilah. He alludes that Samson in fact knew the betrayal that Delilah harbored and welcomed it in order to finally shed his God-given destiny. While he ends his life in a final act of redemption, I have to wonder if he did complete the task that God had given him to "begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines."
      Despite the intense detail that David Grossman goes into when writing this study of Samson, the book is a very good read and well worth my time.
    • 3/5
      Unlike the two before it (The Penelopiad and Weight), this is not, in my opinion a retelling of a myth. This is more of an outline with suggestions for how the story could or should go based on historical references (with notes even), but is not fleshed out, there are no details…there is no warmth to the character and one does not truly feel his sorrow or pain…it is dry and strikes me as the way an oral tradition might have passed down the basics of a story and left it up to each individual story teller (based not only on the tellers style but on the audience he was telling to) how he fleshed it out, what details he gave, ect…from the other two I got a distinct flavor to the “old heroes” of the myth…but not here, this author looks at the myth, the sources and supposes how this or that might have been the case…but never really fleshes it out…it’s like a conversation with himself about all the variations this myth might have played out as…but never claiming any one of them and giving it life. It was ok, but not a great read…I didn’t walk away from it with a distinct feeling about how the author whished to portray Sampson and with what amounts to a, in my opinion a PC version of a myth that neither pleases or offends no one. Thus far, this is my least favorite of this series, and I had high hopes for it because it’s not a story that really gets retold anymore from a fresh perspective, at least not that I’ve seen. I give it a B-, it’s got some interesting thought lines, but I really wanted to see the author flesh this out and give it some dramatic color and life…and that just didn’t’ happen…it’s all hollow bones for me.