The Book of Genesis, illustrated by R. Crumb

For decades R. Crumb has been a major presence in the world of comics, but there’s a good chance you’ve never read his material. Unless you’ve caught his frequent contributions to The New Yorker, you may have never encountered Crumb, even if you’re an avid fan of comics and graphic novels. This is because R. Crumb is very, very alternative. Mainstream publications are not well-suited to Crumb’s radical ideas, stories, and humor — and mainstream publications are definitely not the place for Crumb’s depictions of sex and sexuality.

So what happens when a subversive underground comics artist interprets one of the most venerated religious texts in the history of the world? As one would expect, the result is provocative and edgy and intense. But it is also reverent and tasteful, both thoughtful and thought-provoking. Put it this way: I will be giving a copy to my church-going mother for Christmas. (Mom, if you’re reading this, please act surprised on Christmas morning.)

To be sure, Crumb’s interpretation will not please everybody. His depictions of women will offend some readers: these are some very curvy ancient Hebrew women, with busts and hips drawn in their full glory, oftentimes naked. Naked men show up, too — but this is in keeping with the sacred text, after all. There are some raunchy scenes in the Book of Genesis, even when rendered in the traditional King James language. (It is a slightly-modified version of the King James text that Crumb uses throughout his book.)

Avoid this if you do not want to see graphic depictions of sex and violence; that said, I think a lot of readers will enjoy the book. If you’ve never read Genesis, you’re missing out on some of the most colorful stories in the Bible– the creation of the world, the Eden story with Adam and Eve and the snake, the flood with Noah and his ark, the razing of Sodom and Gomorrah. If you’re familiar with Genesis, you’ll find that Crumb’s artwork brings a fresh new interpretation. Even the family tree bits (somebody begot somebody else begot somebody else begot somebody else, etc.) are kind of neat, because Crumb draws interesting little pictures along the way, while the juicy bits — the betrayals, the murders, the political intrigues, the famines — are rendered with Crumb’s enthralling artistic images.

Check the WRL catalog for The Book of Genesis