Sometimes reading the Old Testament is like stepping into a cold shower: all the senses are stimulated and for a brief moment one feels an exhilaration that is both bracing and abrasive. That quality is at the core of Frederick Buechner's The Son of Laughter. This sensitive and verbally gifted craftsman retells the story of Jacob, son of Isaac, which means laughter. It's a tale of fierce mystery and raw emotion about lives that are great reservoirs of personal drama, familial tensions, political spectacle, and spiritual adventure.
Throughout The Son of LaughterGod is referred to as "the Fear" or "the Shield." Jacob's sibling rivalry with Esau, his years of labor under the cunning Laban, and his return home are all unspooled in relationship to the Fear. Jacob notes: "The days of sorrow are the Fear's curse. The days of gladness are the Fear's blessing." God also speaks forcefully to The Son of Laughter and his son Joseph through dreams. In these sequences, Buechner's poetic prose comes to the fore and transports us into a realm where reason ends and revelations abound. Savor The Son of Laughter. It will shake you up and nourish your soul at the same time.