Adam and Eve are iconic. Even the unchurched recognize this couple as representing (in a literary sense) the genesis of the human race. Throughout history, Adam and Eve have been (mis)represented and held up as cautionary tales. Gender wars have been fought, armed with this archetypal relationship. In The Rise and Fall of Adam and Eve, Stephen Greenblatt offers a reception history of sorts, with a heavy emphasis on the literary history of this primeval couple. In Greenblatt’s words, this book “is a life history of one of the most extraordinary stories ever told” (2).

The chapters of Rise and Fall progress through human history. Greenblatt begins at in the exile of Judah to Babylon, where many biblical scholars believe the Torah took final form. Situating the Bible’s creation narrative in Babylon is illuminating, as is the next chapter which explores the creation myths of surrounding cultures. Christianity, of course, understands the Jewish scriptures as foundational to the faith, so Greenblatt takes a couple chapters to explore how Augustine used Adam and Eve for his own purposes.

Most surprising in this book is the amount of time spent on John Milton. Readers get a miniature biography of the English writer in chapters 9 through 11. Greenblatt argues that it is through Milton that Adam and Eve were transformed in popular imagination from mythical to real historical figures.

One final feature of this book is worth mentioning—the twenty-nine full colour photographs that show how Adam and Eve have been represented visually throughout history. These pages, along with Greenblatt’s insightful commentary, make this reception history come alive. You may never look at Adam and Eve the same way again!

Greenblatt, Stephen. The Rise and Fall of Adam and Eve. W. W. Norton & Company, 2017.