In a decisive departure from traditional biblical scholarship, Miscall offers a reading of 1 Samuel that is strongly influenced by New Criticism, Struc-turalism, and Deconstruction. The reading pays close attention to the text, not glossing over details that do not seem to fit and not filling in apparent gaps.

Miscall carefully probes the way in which 1 Samuel develops, or blocks the development of, plot, characters, and themes. If characters or themes are encountered that are ambiguous or undecidable, they are accepted as such and are not written off as the product of an unsophisticated style or haphazard editing.

1 Samuel is read as part of Genesis through 2 Kings, from creation to the exile. There are frequent digressions into this canonical history to provide background and to explore parallel and contrasting texts.

Miscall regards Old Testament narrative as different from what we think a good narrative should be, but "different from" does not mean more sim-plistic or more primitive than the great works of Western literature. Old Testament narrative is as complex and sophisticated as any of the great books of the Western world and demands a complex and sophisticated reading. 1 Samuel is just such a reading.