Wisdom Books (WW Norton & Co)

In this new volume of Robert Alter's award-winning translation of and commentary on the Hebrew Bible are some of the most magnificent works in world literature. In this bold new translation, the astounding poetry in the Book of Job is restored to its powerful ancient meanings and rhythms. The serene fatalism that construes life as ephemeral and without purpose suffuses Ecclesiastes with a quiet beauty. The pithy maxims of Proverbs impart a worldly wisdom that is still sound and satirically shrewd. Each book conveys and undermines the wisdom that the righteous thrive and the wicked suffer in a rational, moral order. In Alter's translation they regain the force of the original, enhancing their relevance to the lives of modern readers.