raconteur reviewed on + 168 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 7
Ok, I will say this - I loved this book. It felt like sitting in front of a storyteller, letting me know how things used to be, my roots, my past history, my shared history, etc. So, reading this was really a fantastic experience that opened up my mind to possibilities.
However ... the word "storyteller" is key here! I'm a feminist myself, but even I have some doubts about Merlin Stone's interpretation of archaeological evidence. The facts are - we have no real idea about pre-patriarchal times, or even if there was such a time. Granted, there may have been a more equal culture, and there are some instances here and there of goddess worship. However, I don't think this is enough evidence to draw the conclusions Stone does. There is a lot of debate among archaeologists and scholars when it comes to this topic. Also, this book was written in the 1970s - we have 40 more years of archaeological discoveries now.
Of course, one can argue that all of history is an interpretation of data. And the story changes depending on who is doing the interpreting. So, this book holds one interpretation.
Having said that, I heartily recommend this book. It can be a source of inspiration, possibilities, hope, and metaphorical truth. Personally, I see it as a wonderful story, in the same way we have other stories about the world, i.e. creation stories, god stories, goddess stories, etc.
However ... the word "storyteller" is key here! I'm a feminist myself, but even I have some doubts about Merlin Stone's interpretation of archaeological evidence. The facts are - we have no real idea about pre-patriarchal times, or even if there was such a time. Granted, there may have been a more equal culture, and there are some instances here and there of goddess worship. However, I don't think this is enough evidence to draw the conclusions Stone does. There is a lot of debate among archaeologists and scholars when it comes to this topic. Also, this book was written in the 1970s - we have 40 more years of archaeological discoveries now.
Of course, one can argue that all of history is an interpretation of data. And the story changes depending on who is doing the interpreting. So, this book holds one interpretation.
Having said that, I heartily recommend this book. It can be a source of inspiration, possibilities, hope, and metaphorical truth. Personally, I see it as a wonderful story, in the same way we have other stories about the world, i.e. creation stories, god stories, goddess stories, etc.
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