Jonah

About the book

Jonah leaves the desert carrying a divine message, confident that his vocation gives him a clear place in the affairs of Israel. Priests and rulers, however, receive prophecy through the practical needs of administration, war, and social position. Nathan's world permits conversations with animals and visits from angels, while its human inhabitants remain recognizably occupied with family pride, ambition, and the search for happiness. Jonah's meeting with Judith brings personal affection into tension with the life his calling seems to require. The novel treats its ancient setting as a fable rather than a reconstruction, combining humor with sympathy for an idealist poorly equipped for worldly bargaining. Its questions concern how spiritual assurance survives contact with institutions and desires that will not arrange themselves into a simple moral pattern.

• Vocation and desire
• Power and religion
• Idealism and practical life

Why read it

Talking creatures and worldly officials share the same gently ironic narrative, allowing theological questions to emerge through character and comedy.

English Robert M. McBride & Company edition of 1925