The Blokes Bible - Dave Hopwood

ISBN 978-1-85078-712-9

I spotted this book at Lee Abbey while waiting for the hot chocolate to be served. The reviews on the back looked interesting. "Refreshingly and even Disturbingly honest ...". Also I have an interest in finding material that may be of particular interest to men. This one has a fetching black cover with a light tan coloured strip along the top. If that doesn't remind you of something straight away think toucans, or the phrase "he waits, that's what he does".

The book certainly lives up to its billing from the back cover. The story of one mans escape to his local, his pint, and some time spent reading his black book. Each chapter takes a bible story, some are well known, there's David and Goliath, and Moses' murder of the Egyptian. Some are less well known, and delve into the prophets. These sent me back to my copy of the black book to remind myself of the settings. The stories are re-told in a modern genre. There is by the authors own admission some licence in the re-telling. Then the stories are related to the 'real life' situation in Cutters, which is the Local pub.

"The whole of human life is here" is a phrase often used of the Bible, and is really true of this adaption as well. This version though is a lot shorter! The writing is good and clear, and the biblical characters come to life, you can sometimes get the sense that you knew the sort of person they were. I especially like the characterization of the apostle Thomas (the doubter?).

Does it connect with men? Well assuming you can get them to read, then yes it does. Unfortunately books are not the easiest thing to give to some men. For those that will read it there should certainly be some degree of emotional response as they engage with the biblical stories, although that may not be so true of the cast of Cutters. They, of course, are just a mechanism to ground the story into the real world - the stories themselves are what its all about.

The Blokes Bible is an interesting way of presenting the Bible, which I enjoyed reading. I hope it gets shared around, and gets out there to a wider audience than those who attend Lee Abbey, where the book is sold, and where Dave works.

Here it is on Amazon.