Comments on The Sacred Page: Worst Book Review Ever. . .

Maccoby is ridiculous. Olson is right. I can't bel...

2009-07-30T06:36:34.338-07:00

Maccoby is ridiculous. Olson is right. I can't believe this was written in NTS as late as 1991.

Maccoby's stuff is horrible. I'm a bit surprised i...

2009-07-16T23:43:57.334-07:00

Maccoby's stuff is horrible. I'm a bit surprised it would be published in any journal of even mediocre reputation.

Or alternatively, do a google search for "anthony ...

2009-07-12T13:36:09.823-07:00

Or alternatively, do a google search for "anthony saldarini james the brother of jesus", and then click on the third result down called "Freedom Fighters", and you shouldn't have to log in as a NY Times subscriber.

These are all good examples, but I think my favori...

2009-07-12T13:31:12.715-07:00

These are all good examples, but I think my favorite scathing review is the one by the late Anthony Saldarini for Robert Eisenman's preposterous James the Brother of Jesus. Read here and enjoy.

Speaking of horrible books, I have another one to ...

2009-07-07T15:43:40.499-07:00

Speaking of horrible books, I have another one to meantion which doesn't talk about Jesus -- or the Faith -- very well. You see, I did a book review once on my previous blog (which I deleted) about "The Everything Book of Catholicism" by Helen Keeler and Susan Grimbly -- you know, from the series of green-spined "Everything" books. Anyway, once I bought it, I started to read it, only to find out that it didn't support the late JPII, had a section of unorthodox groups (e.g. We Are Church, Womenpriests, etc.) which had ambivalent wording, and which was liberally biased especially at the end of the book. Plus, they didn't even list their sources in a formal bibliography -- and included hearsay! Not a very good introductory book for the Faith -- as is this one you're talking about. I just hope that the more we keep talking about the books which claim to be "Catholic" and "authoritative", the better they will realize their error and go off the market.

The worst review I've read was of a really bad rep...

2009-07-07T02:20:24.535-07:00

The worst review I've read was of a really bad reprint of a Carl Barks comic book (wrong colours, wrong layout, missing panels...).

The review was in three words only:
"It burnt well".

I nominate as worst book review of all time, Shaye...

2009-07-06T06:11:44.594-07:00

I nominate as worst book review of all time, Shaye Cohen on Neusner, 'Are There Really Tannaitic Parallels to the Gospels?'. I quote: '"This book is a disgrace to its author and a disgrace to its publisher. The scholarship is shoddy, the writing repetitious, the tone vituperative, and the argumentation flawed."

BTW, A.N. Wilson swallowed this argument, hook and...

2009-07-05T13:25:49.880-07:00

BTW, A.N. Wilson swallowed this argument, hook and crook, in his book on Paul.

Hopefully he has repented now, after his return to faith;-)

the most devastating reviewer of all time was jame...

2009-07-05T13:15:15.879-07:00

the most devastating reviewer of all time was james barr. a review by him could cripple.