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Ben-Hur
La caída de una teja sobre el nuevo gobernador romano desencadena una serie de infortunios a Ben-Hur, príncipe judío: le acusan injustamente de intento de asesinato, le condenan a galeras de por vida, arruinan y encarcelan a su familia, y Messala -su amigo de la infancia y ahora al mando de una legión- es el que viene a detenerle. Aunque promete vengarse, el encuentro con Jesús de Nazaret cambia su vida. William Wyler dirigió una de las más espectaculares versiones para el cine, en la que Charlton Heston y Stephen Boyd bordan sus interpretaciones.
422 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 12, 1880
2,744 people are currently reading
26.4k people want to read
About the author
Lew Wallace
216books61followersLewis "Lew" Wallace was a lawyer, governor, Union general in the American Civil War, American statesman, and author, best remembered for his historical novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ.
From Civil War Biography:
Although he would have much preferred to be remembered as a highly successful military hero, Lew Wallace has been thwarted in this ambition and is best known as an author. Born in Indiana, he had worked as a clerk and early displayed a fascination for Mexico which would affect him in later years. During the Mexican War he served as a second lieutenant in the lst Indiana but saw only minor action. In 1849 he was admitted to the bar in his native state and seven years later entered the state senate.
With the outbreak of the Civil War he offered his services, and his assignments included: adjutant general of Indiana (April 1861); colonel, 11th Indiana (April 25, 1861); colonel, 11th Indiana (reorganized August 31, 1861); brigadier general, USV (September 3, 1861); commanding 3rd Division, District of Cairo, Department of the Missouri (February 14-17, 1862); major general, USV (March 21, 1862); commanding 3rd Division, Army of the Tennessee (February 17-June 1862); commanding 8th Corps, Middle Department (March 22, 1864-February 1,1865 and April 19-August 1, 1865); and also commanding the department (March 22, 1864-February 1,1865 and April 19-June 27, 1865).
His career got off to a promising start when he routed an inferior Confederate force at Romney, Virginia. Promoted to brigadier general, he was given charge of a newly organized division in the midst of the operations against Fort Donelson and was soon rewarded with a second star. However, that spring his reputation plummeted after the battle of Shiloh. On the first day his division was stationed north of the main army at Crump's Landing, and a series of contradictory orders from Grant forced him to countermarch his command and delayed his arrival on the main battlefield until the fighting was nearly over. He redeemed himself on the second day, but a scapegoat was needed for the near disaster the day before and this was Wallace. Sent home to await further orders, he offered his services to Indiana Governor Oliver P. Morton and, despite his high rank, took temporary command of a regiment during the emergency posed by Kirby Smith's invasion of Kentucky. With Cincinnati threatened, Wallace was placed in charge of a mostly civilian defense force. Through a show of tremendous energy he was able to save the city without a major fight. He was then head of the commission which examined Buell's handling of the invasion and other boards until placed in charge in Maryland in early 1864. There he bought valuable time for the defenders of Washington during Early's drive into the state when he made a stand at Monocacy with an inferior scratch force.
At the close of the war he sat on the court-martial which tried the Lincoln conspirators and presided over that which sent Andersonville chief Henry Wirz to the gallows. He then joined a movement to aid the Juarez forces against Maximilian in Mexico. He tried to raise money and troops and even accepted the title of major general from the Juarez group. On November 30, 1865, he resigned from the U.S. service, but his Mexican venture collapsed and he realized little of the money which he had hoped to gain from it. In later years he was governor of the New Mexico Territory and a diplomat to Turkey. As a prolific writer, who often drew upon his own experiences, he is best remembered for Ben Hur.- A Tale of the Cbrist, one of the most popular novels of the nineteenth century
From Civil War Biography:
Although he would have much preferred to be remembered as a highly successful military hero, Lew Wallace has been thwarted in this ambition and is best known as an author. Born in Indiana, he had worked as a clerk and early displayed a fascination for Mexico which would affect him in later years. During the Mexican War he served as a second lieutenant in the lst Indiana but saw only minor action. In 1849 he was admitted to the bar in his native state and seven years later entered the state senate.
With the outbreak of the Civil War he offered his services, and his assignments included: adjutant general of Indiana (April 1861); colonel, 11th Indiana (April 25, 1861); colonel, 11th Indiana (reorganized August 31, 1861); brigadier general, USV (September 3, 1861); commanding 3rd Division, District of Cairo, Department of the Missouri (February 14-17, 1862); major general, USV (March 21, 1862); commanding 3rd Division, Army of the Tennessee (February 17-June 1862); commanding 8th Corps, Middle Department (March 22, 1864-February 1,1865 and April 19-August 1, 1865); and also commanding the department (March 22, 1864-February 1,1865 and April 19-June 27, 1865).
His career got off to a promising start when he routed an inferior Confederate force at Romney, Virginia. Promoted to brigadier general, he was given charge of a newly organized division in the midst of the operations against Fort Donelson and was soon rewarded with a second star. However, that spring his reputation plummeted after the battle of Shiloh. On the first day his division was stationed north of the main army at Crump's Landing, and a series of contradictory orders from Grant forced him to countermarch his command and delayed his arrival on the main battlefield until the fighting was nearly over. He redeemed himself on the second day, but a scapegoat was needed for the near disaster the day before and this was Wallace. Sent home to await further orders, he offered his services to Indiana Governor Oliver P. Morton and, despite his high rank, took temporary command of a regiment during the emergency posed by Kirby Smith's invasion of Kentucky. With Cincinnati threatened, Wallace was placed in charge of a mostly civilian defense force. Through a show of tremendous energy he was able to save the city without a major fight. He was then head of the commission which examined Buell's handling of the invasion and other boards until placed in charge in Maryland in early 1864. There he bought valuable time for the defenders of Washington during Early's drive into the state when he made a stand at Monocacy with an inferior scratch force.
At the close of the war he sat on the court-martial which tried the Lincoln conspirators and presided over that which sent Andersonville chief Henry Wirz to the gallows. He then joined a movement to aid the Juarez forces against Maximilian in Mexico. He tried to raise money and troops and even accepted the title of major general from the Juarez group. On November 30, 1865, he resigned from the U.S. service, but his Mexican venture collapsed and he realized little of the money which he had hoped to gain from it. In later years he was governor of the New Mexico Territory and a diplomat to Turkey. As a prolific writer, who often drew upon his own experiences, he is best remembered for Ben Hur.- A Tale of the Cbrist, one of the most popular novels of the nineteenth century
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September 26, 2021
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, Lew Wallace
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ is a novel by Lew Wallace published by Harper & Brothers on November 12, 1880, and considered "the most influential Christian book of the nineteenth century".
The story recounts in descriptive detail the adventures of Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince from Jerusalem who is enslaved by the Romans at the beginning of the 1st century and becomes a charioteer and a Christian.
Running in parallel with Judah's narrative is the unfolding story of Jesus, from the same region and around the same age.
The novel reflects themes of betrayal, conviction, and redemption, with a revenge plot that leads to a story of love and compassion. ...
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: ماه فوریه سال 1971میلادی
عنوان: بن هور؛ نویسنده: لوئیس (لو = لیو) والاس؛ مترجم: محمد نوروزی؛ تهران، امیرکبیر، فرانکلین، 1339؛ در 8ص و 535ص؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا؛ سده 19م
عنوان: بن هور - یا، داستان عیسی؛ نویسنده: لوئیس والاس؛ مترجم: محمود شایگان؛ تهران، علمی، 1363؛ در 337ص؛ فروست: داستانهای علمی تخیلی؛
خانم «ناهید سلطانی»، و آقایان: «امین نصیری»؛ «اسماعیل (اسمعیل) شایگان»؛ «کیومرث پارسای»؛ «حسن نامدار»؛ «محمدتقی دانیا»؛ نیز این کتاب را ترجمه کرده اند
کتاب در سال 1880میلادی نوشته شده است؛ داستان شاهزاده� ای «یهودی» به نام «جودا بنهور� است؛ که ناجوانمردانه به جرم سوء قصد به جان فرستاده ی سزار، توسط دوست رومی� خویش دستگیر، و به بردگی و بندگی، و دیگر اعضای خانواده� اش هم به سیاهچال فرستاده میشوند� او پس از عبور از ماجراهای بسیار، به وطن خویش بازمیگردد� تا انتقام گیرد و خواهر و مادرش را رهایی بخشد...؛
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 22/07/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 03/04/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ is a novel by Lew Wallace published by Harper & Brothers on November 12, 1880, and considered "the most influential Christian book of the nineteenth century".
The story recounts in descriptive detail the adventures of Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince from Jerusalem who is enslaved by the Romans at the beginning of the 1st century and becomes a charioteer and a Christian.
Running in parallel with Judah's narrative is the unfolding story of Jesus, from the same region and around the same age.
The novel reflects themes of betrayal, conviction, and redemption, with a revenge plot that leads to a story of love and compassion. ...
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: ماه فوریه سال 1971میلادی
عنوان: بن هور؛ نویسنده: لوئیس (لو = لیو) والاس؛ مترجم: محمد نوروزی؛ تهران، امیرکبیر، فرانکلین، 1339؛ در 8ص و 535ص؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا؛ سده 19م
عنوان: بن هور - یا، داستان عیسی؛ نویسنده: لوئیس والاس؛ مترجم: محمود شایگان؛ تهران، علمی، 1363؛ در 337ص؛ فروست: داستانهای علمی تخیلی؛
خانم «ناهید سلطانی»، و آقایان: «امین نصیری»؛ «اسماعیل (اسمعیل) شایگان»؛ «کیومرث پارسای»؛ «حسن نامدار»؛ «محمدتقی دانیا»؛ نیز این کتاب را ترجمه کرده اند
کتاب در سال 1880میلادی نوشته شده است؛ داستان شاهزاده� ای «یهودی» به نام «جودا بنهور� است؛ که ناجوانمردانه به جرم سوء قصد به جان فرستاده ی سزار، توسط دوست رومی� خویش دستگیر، و به بردگی و بندگی، و دیگر اعضای خانواده� اش هم به سیاهچال فرستاده میشوند� او پس از عبور از ماجراهای بسیار، به وطن خویش بازمیگردد� تا انتقام گیرد و خواهر و مادرش را رهایی بخشد...؛
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 22/07/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 03/04/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
December 13, 2013
The first thing I want to address is the “speed� of this book. I first read this book in the fall or winter of 1971, and at that time, as a high school senior, I was well-accustomed to reading Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Victor Hugo, and all those other authors of the Victorian era (and before!) Back then, I read one Shakespeare play every year for high school English literature (with support from my friends and the teacher!), and had even slogged through the assigned portions of Beowulf. That said�.in 1971, I was just awestruck�. dumbfounded�. enthralled by the book Ben Hur on so many levels. It was one of the foundational books of my adolescence. I tried to pick the book up again in 2011, 40 years later, and found it to be much harder to “get into.� By this time, I’d seen the 1959 version twice, and had even seen the 1925 version twice. (Incidentally, some critics say the 1925 chariot race is superior to the 1959 version, because of some of the heroic camera shots and stuntmen of the 1920s. Check it out for yourself.)
So I’ve completed Ben Hur again now, with the help of “Audible books.� My point about the “speed� of this book, is that we have all succumbed to the fast pace of Sesame Street. In this fast-moving era, we can no longer tolerate pausing for a moment in the story to feel the breeze, observe the delicate nuances of facial expressions and well-chosen words, smell the gardens, marvel at the stars, understand enough history of a childhood friendship to be able to comprehend the incomprehensible betrayal of that childhood friend, absorb the emotion of innocent women incarcerated in a jail cell known to be infected with leprosy�. and to read long enough to fully be able to empathize with the women who are coping with the long-term symptoms of leprosy as they mentally prepare for death from the disease. I’m ready to go back & pull out my nursing textbooks to brush up on signs/symptoms/treatment of leprosy!
Well, so, I had an uncomfortable feeling that my life has accelerated enough in the last 40 years, that the style of Ben Hur’s author has become probably 4X as difficult for me to read, as it was when I was 17 and well-used to reading classics of the 1700s and 1800s. This makes me feel some shame! No wonder we get Alzheimer’s! I’m well on my way!
OK. Enough of that.
The plot of this book is earthy, emotional, spiritual, exciting�. just watch 1959 and 1925! All the elements of a fast-moving plot squeezed into 90 � 120 minutes!
But I think some of us have ignored the philosophical, ethical, and spiritual questions posed and addressed in the book. Some of the Victorian descriptions are begging us to slow down first, and then take time to pick up and ponder the weighty questions of man’s existence, and God’s slow unfolding of His passionate pursuit and redemption of man throughout history.
This is the book that untimately led me to firm faith in Christ. The book I read in 1971: it was a version printed in 1901, given to my Grandpa as a high school graduation gift, illustrated with photographs of actors on a stage in New York City. At the time of this printing, the author/Union general/Governor Lew Wallace was still alive. He insisted that if this book were to be portrayed onstage, that no human was capable of playing the part of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The Christ was to be represented as a light shining into the midst of the actors. (This is another indictment of our age. In 1901, even the Broadway producers could be persuaded that Jesus Christ was too holy to be represented by a human actor.)
You undoubtedly know the story from the Paul Newman movie. Slow down your life for a couple of hours every day, and soak in this book. Take time to understand the viewpoints of Ben Hur’s associates�. that baby who had such an unusual birth, attended by one incredibly bright star, a chorus of angels in the sky, a rush of shepherds to the “postpartum-recovery room,� the arrival of mysterious Wise Men from the East�. Was he to be a Savior of the eternal souls of man? Was he to be a victorious King of Israel forever? Was he to be both? And if so, how COULD he be both? And�. was He GOD?!
Take time to feel with Judah Ben Hur the thirst for revenge�. His enemy (his childhood playmate) twisted an accusation to condemn his widowed mother, his sweet little sister, and Ben Hur himself to incarceration, slave labor in a galley ship, and inevitable death�. Of COURSE Judah Ben Hur wanted to overcome that enemy publicly! Maybe even death in a chariot race! And the search for his lost mother and sister that led him to the leper colony outside the city. (Wouldn’t you want to kill the bastard?! He deserved to die for his flippant accusation of the Hur family!)
And the restored fortune of Judah Ben Hur himself�. How to use it for the promised Messiah of Israel? This Jesus is a poor man. He does not lead an army. What better use of a fortune, than to devote it to the heir of King David?! This man who restores sight to blind men, and heals lepers�. Surely this is the man God promised to restore the eternal throne of David. And Judah Ben Hur could be in on the ground floor!
And the two women who were attracted to/by Judah Ben Hur. Which was most exciting? Which was most pure? Which was most beautiful? Which would be the best choice for Ben Hur as a lifelong companion? (See what I mean? This is an EXCITING book! And you need the time to sit back from the action to ponder the fathom-deep philosophical & spiritual questions posed in the midst of this book!) This book was the best-selling novel of the whole 19th century�. it surpassed Uncle Tom’s Cabin. To this day, “Ben Hur� has never been out of print. This is an exceptionally significant book, in terms of literary history.
All I can say now, is that it’s written in a different style than we’re used to. Over the years, we’ve gradually become used to RUN, Sally RUN! (faster, faster, faster!) and have drifted away from an afternoon playing a board game with the family with a pitcher of iced tea on the porch. Just look at the previous reviews�. good movie, but the book is weighted down with descriptions & philosophical questions. I would encourage you to tighten up your belt, squeeze on your thinking cap if you can find it, and wade into this book like you KNOW you can conquer the distance in years. Because�.. if I can do it, you can easily do it! Take some time to lay the book down when the questions get too heavy, and just THINK about it for a while. While you’re shoveling snow or mowing grass or driving the kids to soccer. Think about the questions Ben Hur and Simonides and Balthazar are wrestling with. Or think about the injustice Ben Hur’s mother and sister are living and dying with. Because these questions and issues are the same ones we have, while we’re cheering Sally to “Run, Sally, Run. Gee, Sally, can’t you run any FASTER?!�
This book takes fight and determination to read, for those of us born in the 20th century. It isn’t written for a lazy reader of Harlequin romances. It’s written for someone who wants to develop teeth and the digestion to read a book you have to churn a bit. Lew Wallace, who wrote this book, was a general with the Union army during the Civil War�. he witnessed some of the bloodiest battles this nation ever saw, and wrestled with the weightiest spiritual reasons for fighting a war�. the value of a slave’s soul and being. He struggled for most of his life with having been blamed unjustly and unfairly for the direction the battle of Shiloh took. He later served as governor of New Mexico during a time of violence and political corruption�. had to wrestle with justice versus forgiveness. He had negotiated a contract of forgiveness with the outlaw Billy the Kid, and wrestled with “the powers that be� to try to deliver this pardon, even though he was living in a world of politicians. This author was not a shallow man, and when this book was written in 1880, it undoubtedly presented the dilemmas he’d wrestled during this difficult period of American history. I think he presents these stories & concepts in a poetically beautiful manner, and a spiritually cleansing manner. Although the literary style is different from what we’ve become accustomed to, the concepts and questions are cutting edge.
Weight Watchers isn’t easy. Curves isn’t easy. 5K’s aren’t easy. Marathons aren’t easy. You can sit on the couch and watch reruns on Me TV. You can read through a Harlequin romance in a couple of days. Or you can determine to train your mind and spirit, and read one of the BEST BOOKS you’ll ever read. Although it was harder to tackle at age 60 than it was when I was 17, this is still one of the very best books I’ve ever had the privilege to read. I still have my 1901 edition, and it is one of my most highly-treasured heirlooms. But my recorded version of Ben Hur is something I want to burn to CD to share with my kids, grandkids, descendants. It is truly one of the most significant books I’ve EVER read. Or listened to.
Tackle it!
So I’ve completed Ben Hur again now, with the help of “Audible books.� My point about the “speed� of this book, is that we have all succumbed to the fast pace of Sesame Street. In this fast-moving era, we can no longer tolerate pausing for a moment in the story to feel the breeze, observe the delicate nuances of facial expressions and well-chosen words, smell the gardens, marvel at the stars, understand enough history of a childhood friendship to be able to comprehend the incomprehensible betrayal of that childhood friend, absorb the emotion of innocent women incarcerated in a jail cell known to be infected with leprosy�. and to read long enough to fully be able to empathize with the women who are coping with the long-term symptoms of leprosy as they mentally prepare for death from the disease. I’m ready to go back & pull out my nursing textbooks to brush up on signs/symptoms/treatment of leprosy!
Well, so, I had an uncomfortable feeling that my life has accelerated enough in the last 40 years, that the style of Ben Hur’s author has become probably 4X as difficult for me to read, as it was when I was 17 and well-used to reading classics of the 1700s and 1800s. This makes me feel some shame! No wonder we get Alzheimer’s! I’m well on my way!
OK. Enough of that.
The plot of this book is earthy, emotional, spiritual, exciting�. just watch 1959 and 1925! All the elements of a fast-moving plot squeezed into 90 � 120 minutes!
But I think some of us have ignored the philosophical, ethical, and spiritual questions posed and addressed in the book. Some of the Victorian descriptions are begging us to slow down first, and then take time to pick up and ponder the weighty questions of man’s existence, and God’s slow unfolding of His passionate pursuit and redemption of man throughout history.
This is the book that untimately led me to firm faith in Christ. The book I read in 1971: it was a version printed in 1901, given to my Grandpa as a high school graduation gift, illustrated with photographs of actors on a stage in New York City. At the time of this printing, the author/Union general/Governor Lew Wallace was still alive. He insisted that if this book were to be portrayed onstage, that no human was capable of playing the part of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The Christ was to be represented as a light shining into the midst of the actors. (This is another indictment of our age. In 1901, even the Broadway producers could be persuaded that Jesus Christ was too holy to be represented by a human actor.)
You undoubtedly know the story from the Paul Newman movie. Slow down your life for a couple of hours every day, and soak in this book. Take time to understand the viewpoints of Ben Hur’s associates�. that baby who had such an unusual birth, attended by one incredibly bright star, a chorus of angels in the sky, a rush of shepherds to the “postpartum-recovery room,� the arrival of mysterious Wise Men from the East�. Was he to be a Savior of the eternal souls of man? Was he to be a victorious King of Israel forever? Was he to be both? And if so, how COULD he be both? And�. was He GOD?!
Take time to feel with Judah Ben Hur the thirst for revenge�. His enemy (his childhood playmate) twisted an accusation to condemn his widowed mother, his sweet little sister, and Ben Hur himself to incarceration, slave labor in a galley ship, and inevitable death�. Of COURSE Judah Ben Hur wanted to overcome that enemy publicly! Maybe even death in a chariot race! And the search for his lost mother and sister that led him to the leper colony outside the city. (Wouldn’t you want to kill the bastard?! He deserved to die for his flippant accusation of the Hur family!)
And the restored fortune of Judah Ben Hur himself�. How to use it for the promised Messiah of Israel? This Jesus is a poor man. He does not lead an army. What better use of a fortune, than to devote it to the heir of King David?! This man who restores sight to blind men, and heals lepers�. Surely this is the man God promised to restore the eternal throne of David. And Judah Ben Hur could be in on the ground floor!
And the two women who were attracted to/by Judah Ben Hur. Which was most exciting? Which was most pure? Which was most beautiful? Which would be the best choice for Ben Hur as a lifelong companion? (See what I mean? This is an EXCITING book! And you need the time to sit back from the action to ponder the fathom-deep philosophical & spiritual questions posed in the midst of this book!) This book was the best-selling novel of the whole 19th century�. it surpassed Uncle Tom’s Cabin. To this day, “Ben Hur� has never been out of print. This is an exceptionally significant book, in terms of literary history.
All I can say now, is that it’s written in a different style than we’re used to. Over the years, we’ve gradually become used to RUN, Sally RUN! (faster, faster, faster!) and have drifted away from an afternoon playing a board game with the family with a pitcher of iced tea on the porch. Just look at the previous reviews�. good movie, but the book is weighted down with descriptions & philosophical questions. I would encourage you to tighten up your belt, squeeze on your thinking cap if you can find it, and wade into this book like you KNOW you can conquer the distance in years. Because�.. if I can do it, you can easily do it! Take some time to lay the book down when the questions get too heavy, and just THINK about it for a while. While you’re shoveling snow or mowing grass or driving the kids to soccer. Think about the questions Ben Hur and Simonides and Balthazar are wrestling with. Or think about the injustice Ben Hur’s mother and sister are living and dying with. Because these questions and issues are the same ones we have, while we’re cheering Sally to “Run, Sally, Run. Gee, Sally, can’t you run any FASTER?!�
This book takes fight and determination to read, for those of us born in the 20th century. It isn’t written for a lazy reader of Harlequin romances. It’s written for someone who wants to develop teeth and the digestion to read a book you have to churn a bit. Lew Wallace, who wrote this book, was a general with the Union army during the Civil War�. he witnessed some of the bloodiest battles this nation ever saw, and wrestled with the weightiest spiritual reasons for fighting a war�. the value of a slave’s soul and being. He struggled for most of his life with having been blamed unjustly and unfairly for the direction the battle of Shiloh took. He later served as governor of New Mexico during a time of violence and political corruption�. had to wrestle with justice versus forgiveness. He had negotiated a contract of forgiveness with the outlaw Billy the Kid, and wrestled with “the powers that be� to try to deliver this pardon, even though he was living in a world of politicians. This author was not a shallow man, and when this book was written in 1880, it undoubtedly presented the dilemmas he’d wrestled during this difficult period of American history. I think he presents these stories & concepts in a poetically beautiful manner, and a spiritually cleansing manner. Although the literary style is different from what we’ve become accustomed to, the concepts and questions are cutting edge.
Weight Watchers isn’t easy. Curves isn’t easy. 5K’s aren’t easy. Marathons aren’t easy. You can sit on the couch and watch reruns on Me TV. You can read through a Harlequin romance in a couple of days. Or you can determine to train your mind and spirit, and read one of the BEST BOOKS you’ll ever read. Although it was harder to tackle at age 60 than it was when I was 17, this is still one of the very best books I’ve ever had the privilege to read. I still have my 1901 edition, and it is one of my most highly-treasured heirlooms. But my recorded version of Ben Hur is something I want to burn to CD to share with my kids, grandkids, descendants. It is truly one of the most significant books I’ve EVER read. Or listened to.
Tackle it!
August 22, 2015
Is not his the law, Eye for eye, hand for hand, foot for foot? Oh, in all these years I have dreamed of vengeance, and prayed and provided for it, and gathered patience from the growing of my store, thinking and promising, as the Lord liveth, it will one day buy me punishment of the wrong-doers?
Who's in for a revenge tale set in the first century a.C.?
Ben-Hur is a man who's perfectly happy. He has a mother and a sister who love him, and he's friends with a Roman, and that puts him in a position of privilege. All is well until one day he killed a Roman governor. It was an accident, but no one believes him. He's desperate, yet he can do nothing.
But wait, he has a friend � Messalla - who can help him. Too bad he betrays him and sends him to the galleys in a life sentence.
Obviously, Ben-Hur is angry. His life has been completely ruined. He will never get to see his family again because the passage to the galleys is a one-way ticket.
By some turns of events � call them fate or luck - the ship in which he worked sank and he managed to get out and save a governor. Saving that governor gained him a great price: Fortune. Now, with money, his hatred turns to a desire of revenge and he's willing to make Messalla pay for what he did.
All of the above may make the book sound like some epic tale of revenge, perhaps as epic as The Count of Monte Cristo. Well, it wasn't.
Let me tell you how the book starts: Part 1 of the book is a complete recollection of Jesus' birth. It's even more detailed than in the Bible. Well, to be honest, that would not have been so bad if it weren't for the writing.
The writing gave me many, many headaches. It was T-E-R-R-I-B-L-E. Look at this passage, for example:
A moment they looked at each other; then they embraced—that is, each threw his right arm over the other’s shoulder, and the left round the side, placing his chin first upon the left, then upon the right breast.
Do you think it's necessary that amount of detail? I mean, I understand they hugged, but I need not a description of how a hug is. That's excessive. Now imagine 500 pages of descriptions like those. A nightmare, isn't it?
Not only is the writing like that. The author also assumes the reader is stupid. I couldn't find the quote, but there's a line at the beginning in which the author basically says: “I know you don't know anything about history, so I'll tell you something: Before Jesus was born, time was not measured by how many years had passed since his birth. That's because he didn't exist yet.�
Isn't it a little obvious? If the man who's used as reference for measuring years has not been born yet, how can you use his birth as reference? It's called logic, Mr. Wallace. You don't need to be an historian to know that.
Also, the writing was bland, boring and stiff. Here's your proof:
“What has happened? What does it all mean?� she asked, in sudden alarm.
“I have killed the Roman governor. The tile fell upon him.�
Doesn't it feel a little... lacking of emotion? I mean, if you kill someone important by accident, would you be so calm? Ben-Hur is supposed to be afraid, yet that passage doesn't make him sound like that. If anything, he sounds bored, like “Hey, look, the tile fell upon the Roman governor and I killed him! Bah, YOLO. Who cares?�
There's this one too:
Malluch looked into Ben-Hur’s face for a hint of meaning, but saw, instead, two bright-red spots, one on each cheek, and in his eyes traces of what might have been repressed tears (...)
No emotions, right?
Then, Wallace kept addressing the readers. I don't have a problem with that, but in this case, I hated it. Why? Because he did it in almost every page. I'm going to show you the ones I had enough patience to look for:
The reader who recollects the history of Balthasar as given by himself at the meeting in the desert will understand the effect of Ben-Hur’s assertion of disinterestedness upon that worthy.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever. Show me Ben-Hur is disinterested. I want to feel him disinterested. I don't want you telling me. Here's an advice for you, Mr. Wallace: Show, not tell.
He fell to thinking; and even the reader will say he was having a vision of the woman, and that it was more welcome than that of Esther, if only because it stayed longer with him (...)
No, you cannot tell what I was thinking at that moment. In fact, when I read that line I was wondering what the dinner was going to be.
If the reader will take a map of Greece and the AEgean, he will notice the island of Euboea lying along the classic coast like a rampart against Asia, leaving a channel between it and the continent quite a hundred and twenty miles in length, and scarcely an average of eight in width.
See? I was so damn tired of it after 20 pages! And this block has more than five. Hundred. Pages!
There's also the religious plot. I thought it would not bother me, but in the end, it did. I'll show you why:
Exhibit A: “Who's Jesus?�
Where was the Child then?
And what was his mission?
Yes, Wallace made a big mystery about Jesus. I said he assumes the reader is stupid. Here's one example of that: He tries to thrill the reader into the mystery as to who the Mesiah is. Please, you don't have to be Catholic to know who's the great Mesiah in that religion. Everyone knows that!
Exhibit B: “Believe in God, or else you go to Hell.�
This was not a revenge tale. This was a redemption tale. I knew that from the beginning because I've watched the movie thousands of times (and the name of the book makes it obvious) and I know the story as I know my house, so I didn't expect to get angry at that. What got me was that basically, the message Wallace gives you is the one I wrote as exhibit B: If you don't pray, then you're a bad person. We all know that's not necessarily true. But I'll stop talking about that here.
At the beginning of this review, I said this could have been EPIC. And indeed, it had all the chances of being so; I mean, it's a REVENGE tale. I love those, so I was expecting to like this, but what I got was an overdose of BOREDOM. Really, you could change the name of the book to "Ben-Dull: A Tale of Tediousness".
In the end, this book was bad. I do not understand why it has such a high average rating (to be exact, it has, at this moment, an av. rating of 4.00 stars with 21,073 ratings and 469 reviews). Is there something wrong with me?. I don't get very suspicious about high ratings when we're talking about classics, but this book has made me learn the lesson: That a book is a classic doesn't mean you can trust the hype.
Oh, and may I tell you something else? The movie was better.
The movie better than the book. Can you believe it? No, of course you can't. It's always the book better than the movie, but trust me, that's not the case with this book.
Now, pay attention to the following quote. It's the ending paragraph of the book:
If any of my readers, visiting Rome, will make the short journey to the Catacomb of San Calixto, which is more ancient than that of San Sebastiano, he will see what became of the fortune of Ben-Hur, and give him thanks. Out of that vast tomb Christianity issued to supersede the Caesars.
If you go there, make sure you thank Ben-Hur, or else, Wallace can get angry.
P.S.: Want to have some good laughs? Look at my infinite status updates. They'll make your day.
September 23, 2022
کتاب بن هور نوشته لیووالاس داستان و روایتی هالیوودی ایست از ظهور مسیح تا مصلوب شدن او . در حقیقت قهرمان کتاب بن هور است و برخوردهای او با عیسی ناصری سیمای مسیح را مجسم می کند .
کتاب خط داستانی جذابی دارد ، دوستان دوران کودکی که پس از بزرگ شدن به خاطر مذهب و نژاد دچار اختلاف می شوند ، مسالا شاهزاده رومی که نویسنده برای او تاریخچه ای هم ساخته و او را از نسل بروتوس (کسی که به سزار خیانت کرد ) قرار داده شخصیت منفی داستان است و بن هور نماینده قوم یهود نماینده قوم بنی اسراییل و طبیعی ایست که قهرمان داستان .
کتاب سرشار از معجزه ها و نشانه های مذهبی و شاید حماسی ایست ، از نوری که هر از چند گاهی به عنوان راهنما ظاهر می شود تا لطفی که نویسنده به شاهزاده بن هور دارد و او را از هر بلایی ایمن نگه می دارد ، بن هور در یک روایت هالیوودی از یک برده پارو زن در کشتی تبدیل به پسرخوانده یکی از بزرگان روم با ثروتی افسانه ای می شود و در سفری به اورشلیم ، به صورت تصادفی مسالا را می یابد و فرصت انتقام برای او مهیا می شود ، انتقامی که درسکانس با شکوه مسابقه ارابه رانی در فیلم بن هور به تصویر کشیده شده است ، پس از غلبه بر مسالا بن هور به دنبال فرصتی ایست تا یهودیان را از جور و ستم رومیان رها سازد و در این راه با عیسی ناصری آشنا می شود و..
کتاب تمام مشخصات یک داستان آمریکایی خالص را دارد ، جوانانی زیبا و ورزشکار ، دخترانی افسونگر ، قومی که در ظلم و ستم زندگی می کند پس باید آزاد شود ، اوج هیجان در مسابقه ارابه رانی ، شر که به جزای خود می رسد اما از بین نمی رود ، بیماری وحشتناک جذام که باید با معجزه ای پاک شود ، همه عناصر در داستان مهیاست .
واضح است که کتاب بن هور را به چشم یک اثر تاریخی نمی توان نگریست ، کتاب ابهامات زیادی به عنوان یک مرجع تاریخی دارد ، اما حتی یک نویسنده آمریکایی هم نتوانسته گناه مصلوب شدن مسیح را کاملا به گردن پونتیوس پیلاطس بیاندازد ، هر چند که محکوم شدن مسیح توسط کاهنان یهودی و عهد شکنی ملت یهود را هم اندکی نادیده گرفته است .
شاید کتاب بن هور را بیشتر بتوان در ستایش معجزه دانست ، در این داستان بلند به دنبال حقیقت نباید بود.
کتاب خط داستانی جذابی دارد ، دوستان دوران کودکی که پس از بزرگ شدن به خاطر مذهب و نژاد دچار اختلاف می شوند ، مسالا شاهزاده رومی که نویسنده برای او تاریخچه ای هم ساخته و او را از نسل بروتوس (کسی که به سزار خیانت کرد ) قرار داده شخصیت منفی داستان است و بن هور نماینده قوم یهود نماینده قوم بنی اسراییل و طبیعی ایست که قهرمان داستان .
کتاب سرشار از معجزه ها و نشانه های مذهبی و شاید حماسی ایست ، از نوری که هر از چند گاهی به عنوان راهنما ظاهر می شود تا لطفی که نویسنده به شاهزاده بن هور دارد و او را از هر بلایی ایمن نگه می دارد ، بن هور در یک روایت هالیوودی از یک برده پارو زن در کشتی تبدیل به پسرخوانده یکی از بزرگان روم با ثروتی افسانه ای می شود و در سفری به اورشلیم ، به صورت تصادفی مسالا را می یابد و فرصت انتقام برای او مهیا می شود ، انتقامی که درسکانس با شکوه مسابقه ارابه رانی در فیلم بن هور به تصویر کشیده شده است ، پس از غلبه بر مسالا بن هور به دنبال فرصتی ایست تا یهودیان را از جور و ستم رومیان رها سازد و در این راه با عیسی ناصری آشنا می شود و..
کتاب تمام مشخصات یک داستان آمریکایی خالص را دارد ، جوانانی زیبا و ورزشکار ، دخترانی افسونگر ، قومی که در ظلم و ستم زندگی می کند پس باید آزاد شود ، اوج هیجان در مسابقه ارابه رانی ، شر که به جزای خود می رسد اما از بین نمی رود ، بیماری وحشتناک جذام که باید با معجزه ای پاک شود ، همه عناصر در داستان مهیاست .
واضح است که کتاب بن هور را به چشم یک اثر تاریخی نمی توان نگریست ، کتاب ابهامات زیادی به عنوان یک مرجع تاریخی دارد ، اما حتی یک نویسنده آمریکایی هم نتوانسته گناه مصلوب شدن مسیح را کاملا به گردن پونتیوس پیلاطس بیاندازد ، هر چند که محکوم شدن مسیح توسط کاهنان یهودی و عهد شکنی ملت یهود را هم اندکی نادیده گرفته است .
شاید کتاب بن هور را بیشتر بتوان در ستایش معجزه دانست ، در این داستان بلند به دنبال حقیقت نباید بود.
November 29, 2017
Historical fiction as a genre was first developed by the writers of the Romantic school, which arose around the end of the 18th century; the Romantics were drawn by the exoticism of historical settings and the drama of epochal events, and even of daily life in a time was life was wilder and more dangerous. Lew Wallace's masterwork stands squarely in this tradition, but takes it in a new direction. For the first couple of Romantic generations, "history" largely meant European history. Biblical history, outside of the text of the Bible itself, simply wasn't that well known; archaeology was in its infancy, and neither writers or readers could really imagine the Biblical world as it actually was.
By 1880, however, scholarship had pulled back the curtain of obscurity enough to bring to light the basic contours of that ancient and Near Eastern world, and a full-fledged epic novel of the time of Christ had become possible. It was Lew Wallace's destiny to write it. A lawyer-politician with a military background in both the Mexican and Civil Wars, he was already a successful historical novelist. At the time he embarked on writing Ben Hur, by his own statement, he had no particular religious beliefs; but during the seven years of research he put in for the writing of the novel, his study of the New Testament and its historical background led him to become a Christian believer. Although title character Judah Ben Hur is the novel's protagonist, this is also very much, as the subtitle says, a tale of the Christ, who will be the decisive influence in the protagonist's life; and the author's treatment of Christ and his ministry is thoroughly reverent.
The novel isn't without its flaws. Having a background in Biblical scholarship, I'm prone to notice factual errors in the historical-cultural details; and despite Wallace's research, there are several of them here, though in the interests of time I'll refrain from cataloging them. Besides his typical 19th-century diction (which doesn't bother me personally, though it does some modern readers), his pacing can be slow, especially in the opening chapters, and a few passages of dialogue basically take the form of long, sermon-like discourses or expositions that can be on the dry side. His prose style is often description-heavy, and there sometimes isn't a corresponding gain in the clarity with which readers can visualize the scenes (for instance, despite the laborious attempt to describe the appointments of the ampitheater at Antioch, I can't say I really have a clear mental picture of it, though that may be my fault and not his). He inserts miraculous Divine activity into some contexts where the New Testament writers don't; and in common with most 19th-century Christians, he belabors a false dichotomy between Christ as a savior and "spiritual" king vs. his role as future king of the physical world, a dichotomy which IMO makes nonsense of both Old and New Testament eschatology (though Wallace is right in recognizing that Christ's mission in his first coming was vastly more profound, and less militant, than the role the Zealots wanted to cast him in).
However, the pluses here strongly outweigh the minuses. This is a substantial novel, dealing with serious spiritual, moral and psychological issues, and embodying them in the experiences and decisions of very well-drawn, lifelike characters. To be sure, there is the full panoply of a Romantic -school novel of excitement and adventure, with plenty of appeal to strong emotions (miscarriage of justice, galley slavery, piracy, shipwreck, a high-stakes chariot race with the possibility of death or injury for the contestants, a romantic triangle, revenge, betrayal, the horrors of leprosy, and above all the intense real-life drama of the crucifixion of Christ, here depicted with as much horrific force as prose can give it without the visual element). All of this, of course, is something the Realist critical establishment, of Wallace's day and ours, sees as literary mortal sin, and deprecates accordingly --and which I do not. But it's coupled with a significant message that's as profound as that of any other classic novel that's stood the test of time. That combination made this the best-selling novel of the 19th-century, and ensured that it's never been out of print since. It was the decisive influence in opening up the Biblical world as a setting for historical fiction, which innumerable authors since have made use of, and in opening up the minds of conservative Protestant readers in the English-speaking world to the legitimacy of fiction as an art form. These are no mean achievements; by any objective measure, Wallace ranks as one of the most influential and significant American authors of his period, although you would never discover this from most of the "official" literary histories and academic survey courses.
Note: I read this in the 1992 Reader's Digest unabridged edition, which has an illuminating Afterword adapted from , by Robert and Katharine Morsberger.
By 1880, however, scholarship had pulled back the curtain of obscurity enough to bring to light the basic contours of that ancient and Near Eastern world, and a full-fledged epic novel of the time of Christ had become possible. It was Lew Wallace's destiny to write it. A lawyer-politician with a military background in both the Mexican and Civil Wars, he was already a successful historical novelist. At the time he embarked on writing Ben Hur, by his own statement, he had no particular religious beliefs; but during the seven years of research he put in for the writing of the novel, his study of the New Testament and its historical background led him to become a Christian believer. Although title character Judah Ben Hur is the novel's protagonist, this is also very much, as the subtitle says, a tale of the Christ, who will be the decisive influence in the protagonist's life; and the author's treatment of Christ and his ministry is thoroughly reverent.
The novel isn't without its flaws. Having a background in Biblical scholarship, I'm prone to notice factual errors in the historical-cultural details; and despite Wallace's research, there are several of them here, though in the interests of time I'll refrain from cataloging them. Besides his typical 19th-century diction (which doesn't bother me personally, though it does some modern readers), his pacing can be slow, especially in the opening chapters, and a few passages of dialogue basically take the form of long, sermon-like discourses or expositions that can be on the dry side. His prose style is often description-heavy, and there sometimes isn't a corresponding gain in the clarity with which readers can visualize the scenes (for instance, despite the laborious attempt to describe the appointments of the ampitheater at Antioch, I can't say I really have a clear mental picture of it, though that may be my fault and not his). He inserts miraculous Divine activity into some contexts where the New Testament writers don't; and in common with most 19th-century Christians, he belabors a false dichotomy between Christ as a savior and "spiritual" king vs. his role as future king of the physical world, a dichotomy which IMO makes nonsense of both Old and New Testament eschatology (though Wallace is right in recognizing that Christ's mission in his first coming was vastly more profound, and less militant, than the role the Zealots wanted to cast him in).
However, the pluses here strongly outweigh the minuses. This is a substantial novel, dealing with serious spiritual, moral and psychological issues, and embodying them in the experiences and decisions of very well-drawn, lifelike characters. To be sure, there is the full panoply of a Romantic -school novel of excitement and adventure, with plenty of appeal to strong emotions (miscarriage of justice, galley slavery, piracy, shipwreck, a high-stakes chariot race with the possibility of death or injury for the contestants, a romantic triangle, revenge, betrayal, the horrors of leprosy, and above all the intense real-life drama of the crucifixion of Christ, here depicted with as much horrific force as prose can give it without the visual element). All of this, of course, is something the Realist critical establishment, of Wallace's day and ours, sees as literary mortal sin, and deprecates accordingly --and which I do not. But it's coupled with a significant message that's as profound as that of any other classic novel that's stood the test of time. That combination made this the best-selling novel of the 19th-century, and ensured that it's never been out of print since. It was the decisive influence in opening up the Biblical world as a setting for historical fiction, which innumerable authors since have made use of, and in opening up the minds of conservative Protestant readers in the English-speaking world to the legitimacy of fiction as an art form. These are no mean achievements; by any objective measure, Wallace ranks as one of the most influential and significant American authors of his period, although you would never discover this from most of the "official" literary histories and academic survey courses.
Note: I read this in the 1992 Reader's Digest unabridged edition, which has an illuminating Afterword adapted from , by Robert and Katharine Morsberger.
May 27, 2013
"Out of that vast tomb Christianity issued to supersede the Caesars."
Ben Hur is one of those classic works better recognised for its many adaptations. To this end it seems fair to compare it to another highly similar work - Les Miserables. Both are classic historical fiction works which use history to spread themes and ideas about humanity as a whole. Both novels also regularly divert from the storytelling to provide detailed insights into history. This is perhaps where Ben Hur is stronger than Les Miserables - in that as a novel it works historical detail better into the plot. However, Les Miserables' message of grace and redemption holds as much power as this tale, if not more.
If you've failed to see the famous and equally classic Charlton Heston 1959 film of this novel then you would be in the minority. There are very few individuals without some knowledge of the film's story and plot - a grand sweeping tragedy that comes full circle and moves the character Judah Ben Hur from prince to slave to prince again. The book is no different, though there are perhaps elements better highlighted in each version of the tale. There is a well-portrayed sense of a love triangle within the novel, for instance, that is not there in the film. However this love triangle exists purely to work a contrast between love and death and love and duty.
It is powerful how worked his novel to feature ideas that could be linked back into his modern times. Firstly, there is the internal and consistent religious/Christian theology and debate that ensures within the novel, a line of inquiry that vanishes from the 1959 film, to be replaced with other equally strong motives. The way in which Wallace writes about the disparity between the different 'racial groups' of his novel - the Romans, Greeks, Israelites, Arabs, Negroes and Egyptians - possibly works as a form of social criticism of his own era. There is the point made that the Jews live in bondage under the Romans and are treated as much inferior people. This in turn reminds one of how African Americans were treated during the 1880s and beyond - as an inferior group. One can perhaps wonder whether Lew Wallace is observing the differences in the way groups of his own time interact and are treated and working them into his novel. Indeed, when it came to freedom and slavery (key themes within this novel) Wallace "claimed, 'In the nature of things Freedom and Slavery cannot be coexistent, and if Freedom is lost the Democratic party is responsible.' To him, the presence of some slavery made it impossible for true freedom to exist anywhere within the country." ()
"Down Eros, up Mars
Essentially, Ben Hur is a novel of many contrasts, epitomised by this quote made famous through the film. It is a novel of revenge versus love, death versus life, kingship versus servant-hood. It is a novel of all the things that compose Christianity in many regards with how Christ came and turned many things upside down in that regard. Ben Hur is compared to the journeys of the Romans around him and serves to show the effect of Christ upon a hate-filled individual. He is particularly compared to his friend Messala. On the other hand Esther is compared to the Egyptian, with the differences in love and respect for their parents particularly noticeable. Then there is the overall comparison of Roman rule when it clashes with Jewish rule or law.
Ben Hur is a great tale, and it is a real testament to its greatness that it has survived through the years and in many forms. As with Les Miserables it is a must read historical fiction classic. Though there are periods at the beginning of the novel that serve as slow exposition and could cause the reader to lose track of the plot the novel itself is a masterful fiction work. Leave behind the pseudo-historical fiction works of the modern mega selling authors and the fantasy worlds that enthral modern readers. Ben Hur is the equal and better of any of them, though it may not suit one's modern taste particularly well, as some may note the difficulty of being forced to keep focused on everything within the novel. Give Ben Hur a read, and down with Mars, down with Eros and up with true love.
April 9, 2024
Third Reading - Lent 2017
Could there be a better classic to read during Lent?!
Second reading - Lent 2016. Absolutely better on the second reading.
What American is unaware of the Charlton Heston chariot race? It is absolutely iconic. In Anne of Green Gables, Anne is caught reading Ben Hur during lessons but couldn't put it down because of the intensity of the chariot race.
Most Americans have grown up with at least a passing exposure to the Hollywood epic of Ben Hur and therefore will find the text to be surreal and disorienting at first and then much richer than the beloved movie as the story evolves.
This very complex story has a whole cast of important characters and hundreds of pages to work out their stories. It is a lot to read and keep straight - but it is packed with one incredible story and some of the most beautiful biblical imagery I have ever read.
While the story is layered, exciting and quick moving, it is the beautiful scenery that Wallace paints that stays with me. Wallace carefully orients the reader in the sights, smells and people in the background of each scene. This makes for very entertaining reading but in the scenes with Christ, this leaves a reader feeling as though they were actually there.
We see Christ through 3rd person eyes but sometimes we also see him through Judah's eyes and this is very helpful during the Passion. We relate to Judah's struggle against wanting to defend Christ with a sword against the Romans but being bound by His will. Wallace does a brilliant job of drawing Judah right into those famous biblical scenes without compromising the Gospel one iota. His ability to hold a fictional plot line in tandem with these eternally famous final days of Christ's life is inspired. I was particularly gratified by how Wallace was able to include Judah into the most famous scenes of the Gospel without changing Christ's words one syllable. The way that he fills in the context is very inspiring to this reader. In fact, I wish that more biblical movies would study the final chapters of this brilliant book.
There are so many interesting themes that one could teach an entire year on this text and the rabbit trails it takes us on. Egyptian mythology, Eastern religions, Jewish customs, Jewish law, Judaism across different cultures, Roman expansion and occupation, Roman military engineering - specifically their dominance at sea, Roman games - specifically chariot racing, Arabian horses, Leprosy, Jewish banking, Slavery, the life of Christ, persecution of the early Christians, etc. etc. etc.
This is a book that I will re-read every few years and always during Lent. This is a beautiful example of fiction revealing Truth, Goodness and Beauty. I am a better person for having let the Prince of Hur move into my heart.
First reading Apr 1-13, 2014. Without a particular thought to the season in which I chose to read this, I was, by Divine Intervention, scheduled to read this at the end of Lent. The incredible last 50 pages on Palm Sunday weekend. Ben Hur was a beloved childhood movie. I had no idea how much richer and profound the book would be. Beginning with the wisemens' meeting and ending with the persecution of Christians by Nero, this book is a Christ story as well as an incredible fictional adventure and love story. Absolutely incredible.
Could there be a better classic to read during Lent?!
Second reading - Lent 2016. Absolutely better on the second reading.
What American is unaware of the Charlton Heston chariot race? It is absolutely iconic. In Anne of Green Gables, Anne is caught reading Ben Hur during lessons but couldn't put it down because of the intensity of the chariot race.
Most Americans have grown up with at least a passing exposure to the Hollywood epic of Ben Hur and therefore will find the text to be surreal and disorienting at first and then much richer than the beloved movie as the story evolves.
This very complex story has a whole cast of important characters and hundreds of pages to work out their stories. It is a lot to read and keep straight - but it is packed with one incredible story and some of the most beautiful biblical imagery I have ever read.
While the story is layered, exciting and quick moving, it is the beautiful scenery that Wallace paints that stays with me. Wallace carefully orients the reader in the sights, smells and people in the background of each scene. This makes for very entertaining reading but in the scenes with Christ, this leaves a reader feeling as though they were actually there.
We see Christ through 3rd person eyes but sometimes we also see him through Judah's eyes and this is very helpful during the Passion. We relate to Judah's struggle against wanting to defend Christ with a sword against the Romans but being bound by His will. Wallace does a brilliant job of drawing Judah right into those famous biblical scenes without compromising the Gospel one iota. His ability to hold a fictional plot line in tandem with these eternally famous final days of Christ's life is inspired. I was particularly gratified by how Wallace was able to include Judah into the most famous scenes of the Gospel without changing Christ's words one syllable. The way that he fills in the context is very inspiring to this reader. In fact, I wish that more biblical movies would study the final chapters of this brilliant book.
There are so many interesting themes that one could teach an entire year on this text and the rabbit trails it takes us on. Egyptian mythology, Eastern religions, Jewish customs, Jewish law, Judaism across different cultures, Roman expansion and occupation, Roman military engineering - specifically their dominance at sea, Roman games - specifically chariot racing, Arabian horses, Leprosy, Jewish banking, Slavery, the life of Christ, persecution of the early Christians, etc. etc. etc.
This is a book that I will re-read every few years and always during Lent. This is a beautiful example of fiction revealing Truth, Goodness and Beauty. I am a better person for having let the Prince of Hur move into my heart.
First reading Apr 1-13, 2014. Without a particular thought to the season in which I chose to read this, I was, by Divine Intervention, scheduled to read this at the end of Lent. The incredible last 50 pages on Palm Sunday weekend. Ben Hur was a beloved childhood movie. I had no idea how much richer and profound the book would be. Beginning with the wisemens' meeting and ending with the persecution of Christians by Nero, this book is a Christ story as well as an incredible fictional adventure and love story. Absolutely incredible.
January 4, 2024
**Updated review to come upon reread. In the meantime, my updated opinion was featured on the historic fiction podcast The Gibson Girl Review! Listen as my cohost Amy Drown and I discuss this novel at **
3 stars. It seems to me there are two main schools of thought/opinion on this book—those who absolutely love it, and those who bitterly condemn it. I am of neither extreme. Rather, I see both good and bad in this novel. I was always skeptical of it because as a rule biblical fiction is not my favourite and rather dangerous, in my opinion. But I wished to read it to see why it was so wildly poplar. And I ended up reading it far quicker than I thought due to unforeseen literary circumstances.
Our setting is a mixture of Israel and Greece, from 0 A.D. to 33 A.D. I am particularly fond of the Ancient Greece and Ancient Israel aesthetic/setting, so that definitely contributed to my enjoyment. I would have liked to see more of Ancient Rome though, given how most of the characters were Roman and not actually Greek at all. But that’s quite a minor point. The writing style, however, was a mixture of enjoyment and irritation for me. I felt that Wallace wandered a great deal and added far too much information or description at times, as well as extra scenes that didn’t really feel necessary�? On the other hand, there were times when he gave a one-sentence description that was really excellent. So perhaps it was just that I was in the wrong mood to enjoy his style, or maybe its the lack of humour in the narration—Scott and Dickens, for example, are also very verbose but there’s always a tang to their writing, even in narration. But I digress.
The characters were definitely the strong point of the novel. I liked Judah/Ben-Hur quite a bit. He was a sturdy, reliable, and (usually) moral young man. I enjoyed seeing his character change from child to man, and his storyline, overall, was really epic. I hated Iras (she was well done though!) and oh, Judah drove me mad for a bit!! #IYKYK Esther was the sweetest, loveliest thing. Simonides was fascinating and unique; and Ilderim was a great old sheik. Ben-Hur’s mother and Tirzah were great side characters, as was Malluch; and Amrah was a wonderful maid. Balthasar was a good old man, although I wasn’t a fan of his beginning (more on that later). Messala was the PERFECT (and terrifying) rival, Arrius was a splendid old Roman, and somehow Thord was a pretty cool character.
As aforementioned, I loved Ben-Hur’s story, which is 90% of the book. The accident, slavery, adoption, and so forth didn’t strike me as super realistic (idk� I just don’t know) but it was very entertaining and the book had plenty of excitement and crisis. (The chariot race lived up to its reputation, y’all). Also, the love triangle added a lot of feeling even if I hated it. XD And then the leprosy angle� yikes.
I was less of a fan of the biblical fiction part. The Nativity section in particular frustrated me. It was in some respects unbiblical, and in other aspects super cliché (ik, it’s a silly objection but for real). Jesus, also, was not presented fully accurately to the Bible. (Did Wallace not read Isaiah 53??) However, I appreciated how Wallace only gave Him the words that the scripture gave Him (except maybe in the healing scene?? I forgot) and only in two scenes did He do something not found in the Bible. The arrest and crucifixion followed the Gospel narrative very closely. In this part of the book I am divided. It is clear Wallace writes with great reverence and feeling, and that he is describing what he imagined the Crucifixion story to be based on the Gospel (he barely, if at all, added any elements). The whole scene really struck me with 1) how the whole world was represented there; 2) how Jesus really died for a jeering multitude; 3) how the Crucifixion scene must have looked to outsiders. It gave me a new perspective and a lot of thoughts. On the other hand, I’m still unsure about the morality of Biblical fiction, plain and simple.
Besides this, I also had problems with Wallace’s theology at times (mainly in Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthasar’s talks), although at other times he made really good points. I was also bugged that Ben-Hur’s revenge was never addressed (I thought it was being built up and going to be dealt with gloriously in the end) and his salvation, as well as Simonides, was rather� flat? At least, there wasn’t much explanation for why they believed and what they believed? I expected something more� grand, I suppose.
To wrap up all my thoughts, I loved Ben-Hur’s story, I wasn’t so sure of Christ’s story, and I wasn’t a super huge fan of the author, but I really loved some of his aspects. I don’t think this book is really a masterpiece or a great epic, personally; but these are my own (not very incisive) thoughts. Take them or leave them, and make your own conclusions.
A Favourite Quote: Could he have taken the offer and said the word, history might have been other than it is; but then it would have been history ordered by men, not God--something that never was, and never will be.
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: A hope had come to him, like a singing bird. He could hardly see the visitor or hear its song; that it was there, though, he knew; his feelings told him so.
A Favourite Humorous Quote: First, the Sidonian gave the scourge to his four, and, smarting with fear and pain, they dashed desperately forward, promising for a brief time to go to the front. The effort ended in promise.
*Content list to come upon reread*
3 stars. It seems to me there are two main schools of thought/opinion on this book—those who absolutely love it, and those who bitterly condemn it. I am of neither extreme. Rather, I see both good and bad in this novel. I was always skeptical of it because as a rule biblical fiction is not my favourite and rather dangerous, in my opinion. But I wished to read it to see why it was so wildly poplar. And I ended up reading it far quicker than I thought due to unforeseen literary circumstances.
Our setting is a mixture of Israel and Greece, from 0 A.D. to 33 A.D. I am particularly fond of the Ancient Greece and Ancient Israel aesthetic/setting, so that definitely contributed to my enjoyment. I would have liked to see more of Ancient Rome though, given how most of the characters were Roman and not actually Greek at all. But that’s quite a minor point. The writing style, however, was a mixture of enjoyment and irritation for me. I felt that Wallace wandered a great deal and added far too much information or description at times, as well as extra scenes that didn’t really feel necessary�? On the other hand, there were times when he gave a one-sentence description that was really excellent. So perhaps it was just that I was in the wrong mood to enjoy his style, or maybe its the lack of humour in the narration—Scott and Dickens, for example, are also very verbose but there’s always a tang to their writing, even in narration. But I digress.
The characters were definitely the strong point of the novel. I liked Judah/Ben-Hur quite a bit. He was a sturdy, reliable, and (usually) moral young man. I enjoyed seeing his character change from child to man, and his storyline, overall, was really epic. I hated Iras (she was well done though!) and oh, Judah drove me mad for a bit!! #IYKYK Esther was the sweetest, loveliest thing. Simonides was fascinating and unique; and Ilderim was a great old sheik. Ben-Hur’s mother and Tirzah were great side characters, as was Malluch; and Amrah was a wonderful maid. Balthasar was a good old man, although I wasn’t a fan of his beginning (more on that later). Messala was the PERFECT (and terrifying) rival, Arrius was a splendid old Roman, and somehow Thord was a pretty cool character.
As aforementioned, I loved Ben-Hur’s story, which is 90% of the book. The accident, slavery, adoption, and so forth didn’t strike me as super realistic (idk� I just don’t know) but it was very entertaining and the book had plenty of excitement and crisis. (The chariot race lived up to its reputation, y’all). Also, the love triangle added a lot of feeling even if I hated it. XD And then the leprosy angle� yikes.
I was less of a fan of the biblical fiction part. The Nativity section in particular frustrated me. It was in some respects unbiblical, and in other aspects super cliché (ik, it’s a silly objection but for real). Jesus, also, was not presented fully accurately to the Bible. (Did Wallace not read Isaiah 53??) However, I appreciated how Wallace only gave Him the words that the scripture gave Him (except maybe in the healing scene?? I forgot) and only in two scenes did He do something not found in the Bible. The arrest and crucifixion followed the Gospel narrative very closely. In this part of the book I am divided. It is clear Wallace writes with great reverence and feeling, and that he is describing what he imagined the Crucifixion story to be based on the Gospel (he barely, if at all, added any elements). The whole scene really struck me with 1) how the whole world was represented there; 2) how Jesus really died for a jeering multitude; 3) how the Crucifixion scene must have looked to outsiders. It gave me a new perspective and a lot of thoughts. On the other hand, I’m still unsure about the morality of Biblical fiction, plain and simple.
Besides this, I also had problems with Wallace’s theology at times (mainly in Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthasar’s talks), although at other times he made really good points. I was also bugged that Ben-Hur’s revenge was never addressed (I thought it was being built up and going to be dealt with gloriously in the end) and his salvation, as well as Simonides, was rather� flat? At least, there wasn’t much explanation for why they believed and what they believed? I expected something more� grand, I suppose.
To wrap up all my thoughts, I loved Ben-Hur’s story, I wasn’t so sure of Christ’s story, and I wasn’t a super huge fan of the author, but I really loved some of his aspects. I don’t think this book is really a masterpiece or a great epic, personally; but these are my own (not very incisive) thoughts. Take them or leave them, and make your own conclusions.
A Favourite Quote: Could he have taken the offer and said the word, history might have been other than it is; but then it would have been history ordered by men, not God--something that never was, and never will be.
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: A hope had come to him, like a singing bird. He could hardly see the visitor or hear its song; that it was there, though, he knew; his feelings told him so.
A Favourite Humorous Quote: First, the Sidonian gave the scourge to his four, and, smarting with fear and pain, they dashed desperately forward, promising for a brief time to go to the front. The effort ended in promise.
*Content list to come upon reread*
December 4, 2017
I've been meaning to read this book for at least 40 or 50 years and have just never gotten farther than starting it and then not finishing it. The reason I hadn't finished it in the past was that I'd pick something else up to read. See this book was written or at least published in 1880...the language and the writing reflect that.
Look, that is not a criticism it's simply a fact. I had trouble acclimating myself to the period writing.
Also I suspect most reading this will have seen the Charlton Heston film. It will be almost impossible not to compare the two. Let me say (therefore) that I like the movie and have seen it enough to have favorite parts. That said there are significant differences in the book and movie(s) (there are a couple other movies "of" the same book.) The book has much more content about Jesus (I mean the book is subtitled "A Tale of the Christ). The novel takes much longer to get rolling (again probably a product of the time it was written) and it takes longer to set up the tragedy.
Also the relationship between Judah and Messala is completely different here than in the film...
Anyway, good book be ready for some slow story telling but again a pretty good book. Recommended.
Look, that is not a criticism it's simply a fact. I had trouble acclimating myself to the period writing.
Also I suspect most reading this will have seen the Charlton Heston film. It will be almost impossible not to compare the two. Let me say (therefore) that I like the movie and have seen it enough to have favorite parts. That said there are significant differences in the book and movie(s) (there are a couple other movies "of" the same book.) The book has much more content about Jesus (I mean the book is subtitled "A Tale of the Christ). The novel takes much longer to get rolling (again probably a product of the time it was written) and it takes longer to set up the tragedy.
Also the relationship between Judah and Messala is completely different here than in the film...
Anyway, good book be ready for some slow story telling but again a pretty good book. Recommended.
March 21, 2017
Indiscutabil cel mai bun roman despre începuturile răspândirii creștinismului, declarat ca o scriere care, între sfârșitul secolului XIX și începutul secolului XX, a adus "religiei lui Cristos" un uriaș aport de adepți.
Prin 2012 văzusem filmul (o peliculă cu Charlton Heston), apoi, plimbându-mă prin bibliotecă și neștiind ce să aleg (era în era când încă nu-mi desăvârşisem interesele), tot uitându-mă prin colecția de la Adevărul, am dat cu ochii de titlul acesta și-mi adusesem aminte că filmul îmi plăcuse foarte mult.
Bun! Ajung acasă și încep. Introducere în atmosfera orientală: Iudeea din timpul lui Cristos sub stăpânire romană! Cei trei magi vin din 3 direcții diferite (primele capitole nu sunt cuprinse în film probabil din lipsă de spațiu, căci pelicula și așa, scurt-cuprinzătoare, are 212 minute: variantă cea mai scurtă la care, cred eu, putea fi adusă) iar de aici începe aventura prințului Hur.
Romanul are două planuri diferite ca dimensiune spațială (și nu temporară), care urmăresc pe de o parte necazurile prințului Hur sub stăpânirea romană, iar pe de altă parte tot ce planează în jurul "pruncului".
Atât! Dacă aș scrie mai mult, aș pierde din vedere o grămadă de detalii și nu vreau să mă fac vinovat de asta.
P.S.: Recomand mai întâi vizionarea filmului, iar apoi cititul cărții. Ambele sunt mari capodopere, doar că având fundalul deșertic și firul narativ în minte, citind cartea, vei fi mai atent la detalii...
Prin 2012 văzusem filmul (o peliculă cu Charlton Heston), apoi, plimbându-mă prin bibliotecă și neștiind ce să aleg (era în era când încă nu-mi desăvârşisem interesele), tot uitându-mă prin colecția de la Adevărul, am dat cu ochii de titlul acesta și-mi adusesem aminte că filmul îmi plăcuse foarte mult.
Bun! Ajung acasă și încep. Introducere în atmosfera orientală: Iudeea din timpul lui Cristos sub stăpânire romană! Cei trei magi vin din 3 direcții diferite (primele capitole nu sunt cuprinse în film probabil din lipsă de spațiu, căci pelicula și așa, scurt-cuprinzătoare, are 212 minute: variantă cea mai scurtă la care, cred eu, putea fi adusă) iar de aici începe aventura prințului Hur.
Romanul are două planuri diferite ca dimensiune spațială (și nu temporară), care urmăresc pe de o parte necazurile prințului Hur sub stăpânirea romană, iar pe de altă parte tot ce planează în jurul "pruncului".
Atât! Dacă aș scrie mai mult, aș pierde din vedere o grămadă de detalii și nu vreau să mă fac vinovat de asta.
P.S.: Recomand mai întâi vizionarea filmului, iar apoi cititul cărții. Ambele sunt mari capodopere, doar că având fundalul deșertic și firul narativ în minte, citind cartea, vei fi mai atent la detalii...
October 25, 2022
Like probably most if not all of you I have seen the movie made from this book and more than once. To no one's surprise I last saw that movie a very long time ago. Consequently, I cannot say just how faithful the screen adaptation was to this book but I think the book, as we would all expect, is better and the ending much more fulfilling. Now why read a book first published in 1880? To be honest, as a kid, I liked the movie though after reading this book I think Charleton Heston was horribly miscast as a Jewish man in his late 20s to early 30s. Later, in my fascination with history I learned that the author of Ben Hur was Lew Wallace a Union general in our Civil War. I thought it very odd for a general of Wallace's repute would be writing a novel and a novel such as this one. So I was curious about this book and got even more curious when I learned that it was the most popular American novel of the 19th century surpassing Uncle Tom's Cabin. Life, however, doesn't always allow us to satisfy our curiosities whenever we please and I just never got around to reading this book until now.
I have to admit that I think the knowledge gained from seeing the movie did reduce the tension that one might have had if the movie had not been seen. Nevertheless, I did find the book written better than I expected. I have read books written in the 19th century and have found the written language of that time to be very formal and stiff, in fact quite dull and that was what I expected in this book. I am pleased to say my expectation was not met. While Wallace did his best to replicate the language styles of the Biblical era his writing otherwise was almost modern in its usage. I was also very impressed with the amount of research the general had to do to write this historical fiction as he had never been to the Holy Land. I knew that after the Civil War Wallace became the territorial governor of New Mexico and I had the opportunity a few years ago to tour the Old Governor's Palace in Santa Fe where part of this book was written. The general's descriptions of the culture and geography of this early Christian Era history is remarkably detailed and I was now curious as to how he managed this accomplishment. Thanks to Google I learned that Wallace spent of great deal of time in the Library of Congress specifically researching for this book. So the story while probably well known to most readers is well written and its age doesn't show in the reading and it is worth reading. After the reading you might experience the same final curiosity that I had.
Lew Wallace was a military man, a man that played a key role in the Civil War and was a man of war. Ben Hur is a book set during the life of Christ and the Crucifixion is a pivotal scene in the story. Why would such a man write such a book? I thought about this while reading and I was able to see parallels between Wallace's story and the Civil War and the Reconstruction. The book is about misunderstood causes and rebellion, unjust enslavements, the useless pursuit of revenge, forgiveness and rebuilding. Upon thinking about it I could believe the writing of this book might have been very cathartic for a combat general in such a horrible war. The book might be very old but it is worth reading and I'm glad I did.
Now I have a question that I hope some of you more knowledgeable in literary history and trivia can answer. The book I have is a Wilder publication from 2011 and it is titled Ben Hur by Lew Wallace, however, at the top of every lefthand page in bold type is the name Sir Edwin Arnold as though Arnold was the author. I Googled Arnold and discovered he was a 19th century author and poet but there was no apparent relationship to Wallace or Ben Hur mentioned. I checked Wallace and there was nothing to be found connecting him to Arnold. Can anybody explain why Arnold's name is on every page of this book?
I have to admit that I think the knowledge gained from seeing the movie did reduce the tension that one might have had if the movie had not been seen. Nevertheless, I did find the book written better than I expected. I have read books written in the 19th century and have found the written language of that time to be very formal and stiff, in fact quite dull and that was what I expected in this book. I am pleased to say my expectation was not met. While Wallace did his best to replicate the language styles of the Biblical era his writing otherwise was almost modern in its usage. I was also very impressed with the amount of research the general had to do to write this historical fiction as he had never been to the Holy Land. I knew that after the Civil War Wallace became the territorial governor of New Mexico and I had the opportunity a few years ago to tour the Old Governor's Palace in Santa Fe where part of this book was written. The general's descriptions of the culture and geography of this early Christian Era history is remarkably detailed and I was now curious as to how he managed this accomplishment. Thanks to Google I learned that Wallace spent of great deal of time in the Library of Congress specifically researching for this book. So the story while probably well known to most readers is well written and its age doesn't show in the reading and it is worth reading. After the reading you might experience the same final curiosity that I had.
Lew Wallace was a military man, a man that played a key role in the Civil War and was a man of war. Ben Hur is a book set during the life of Christ and the Crucifixion is a pivotal scene in the story. Why would such a man write such a book? I thought about this while reading and I was able to see parallels between Wallace's story and the Civil War and the Reconstruction. The book is about misunderstood causes and rebellion, unjust enslavements, the useless pursuit of revenge, forgiveness and rebuilding. Upon thinking about it I could believe the writing of this book might have been very cathartic for a combat general in such a horrible war. The book might be very old but it is worth reading and I'm glad I did.
Now I have a question that I hope some of you more knowledgeable in literary history and trivia can answer. The book I have is a Wilder publication from 2011 and it is titled Ben Hur by Lew Wallace, however, at the top of every lefthand page in bold type is the name Sir Edwin Arnold as though Arnold was the author. I Googled Arnold and discovered he was a 19th century author and poet but there was no apparent relationship to Wallace or Ben Hur mentioned. I checked Wallace and there was nothing to be found connecting him to Arnold. Can anybody explain why Arnold's name is on every page of this book?
July 17, 2019
Excellent novel, weak theology.
October 19, 2016
One man's search for redemption
27 July 2010
Needless to say that the book is much better than the movie, and when it comes to Ben Hur, that is definitely saying something. While the famous scenes in the movie are replicated from the book (that being the chariot race and the sea battle), there is much more to the book than there is to the movie (though the theme is the same in both). The book is actually called Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ. It may seem that Christ is only a bit part in the book (and in the movie) but his presence in the world of Ben Hur dominates.
Much of Ben Hur is about who the Christ is and what his purpose is in the world, and there is a lot of discussion about this. We have Balthasar, an Egyptian and one of the wise men who visited Christ at birth. He is seeking a redeemer, somebody to restore the relationship between humanity and their creator. Then there is Ben Hur, a Jew who believes that the Messiah is a king who shall come and liberate them from the Romans (and he even has three legions ready to be called when the king comes on his own). To us this side of the cross, Balthasar is correct in identifying Christ as a redeemer, and it is that realisation in Ben Hur that forms the centerpiece of the book (and this is something that isn't teased out in the movie, though the scene where Ben Hur sits at the foot of the cross and looks up to Christ still sits in my mind as one of the greatest scenes in film history).
However the first part of the book (like the movie) is about how Ben Hur comes through his own redemption. At the beginning he meets Masarla, a childhood friend who traveled to Rome for an education, and it is when they meet as adults that they discover that they can no longer be friends. Masarla believes that the Jews are a backward people clinging to their outdated traditions (much like how the world views Christians today) while Ben Hur is convinced by his mother that these outdated traditions are not outdated, but eternal, and demonstrates that Masarla is incorrect when he accuses the Jews of not having a culture (and identifies the psalms and the prophets as examples of their literary ability � indeed today the book of Isaiah is considered a literary masterpiece).
Ben Hur travels to hell in the form of being a slave on a galley, but he is released shortly before the battle, and it is this act of a gracious tribune that redeems him in the eyes of Rome. From then on, while clinging to his Jewish heritage, he is reborn as a Roman and is able to pass through the Roman world as a Roman. However, it is his heritage that defines him, and Ben Hur is faithful to that heritage.
While in the film the focus is on Ben Hur's search for his mother and sister, and then his quest to see them healed of their leprosy, this is a mere sub-plot in the book. The quest is for the Christ and the redemption of Israel, however at its conclusion, it is not a physical redemption from Rome that is achieved, but a spiritual redemption with God.
27 July 2010
Needless to say that the book is much better than the movie, and when it comes to Ben Hur, that is definitely saying something. While the famous scenes in the movie are replicated from the book (that being the chariot race and the sea battle), there is much more to the book than there is to the movie (though the theme is the same in both). The book is actually called Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ. It may seem that Christ is only a bit part in the book (and in the movie) but his presence in the world of Ben Hur dominates.
Much of Ben Hur is about who the Christ is and what his purpose is in the world, and there is a lot of discussion about this. We have Balthasar, an Egyptian and one of the wise men who visited Christ at birth. He is seeking a redeemer, somebody to restore the relationship between humanity and their creator. Then there is Ben Hur, a Jew who believes that the Messiah is a king who shall come and liberate them from the Romans (and he even has three legions ready to be called when the king comes on his own). To us this side of the cross, Balthasar is correct in identifying Christ as a redeemer, and it is that realisation in Ben Hur that forms the centerpiece of the book (and this is something that isn't teased out in the movie, though the scene where Ben Hur sits at the foot of the cross and looks up to Christ still sits in my mind as one of the greatest scenes in film history).
However the first part of the book (like the movie) is about how Ben Hur comes through his own redemption. At the beginning he meets Masarla, a childhood friend who traveled to Rome for an education, and it is when they meet as adults that they discover that they can no longer be friends. Masarla believes that the Jews are a backward people clinging to their outdated traditions (much like how the world views Christians today) while Ben Hur is convinced by his mother that these outdated traditions are not outdated, but eternal, and demonstrates that Masarla is incorrect when he accuses the Jews of not having a culture (and identifies the psalms and the prophets as examples of their literary ability � indeed today the book of Isaiah is considered a literary masterpiece).
Ben Hur travels to hell in the form of being a slave on a galley, but he is released shortly before the battle, and it is this act of a gracious tribune that redeems him in the eyes of Rome. From then on, while clinging to his Jewish heritage, he is reborn as a Roman and is able to pass through the Roman world as a Roman. However, it is his heritage that defines him, and Ben Hur is faithful to that heritage.
While in the film the focus is on Ben Hur's search for his mother and sister, and then his quest to see them healed of their leprosy, this is a mere sub-plot in the book. The quest is for the Christ and the redemption of Israel, however at its conclusion, it is not a physical redemption from Rome that is achieved, but a spiritual redemption with God.
Read
March 22, 2024Brilliant, elegant, moving and timeless
Without a particular thought to the season in which I chose to read this, I was, by Divine Intervention, scheduled to read this at the end of Lent. The incredible last 50 pages on Palm Sunday weekend. Ben Hur was a beloved childhood movie. I had no idea how much richer and profound the book would be. Beginning with the wisemens' meeting and ending with the persecution of Christians by Nero, this book is a Christ story as well as an incredible fictional adventure and love story. Absolutely incredible.
Without a particular thought to the season in which I chose to read this, I was, by Divine Intervention, scheduled to read this at the end of Lent. The incredible last 50 pages on Palm Sunday weekend. Ben Hur was a beloved childhood movie. I had no idea how much richer and profound the book would be. Beginning with the wisemens' meeting and ending with the persecution of Christians by Nero, this book is a Christ story as well as an incredible fictional adventure and love story. Absolutely incredible.
December 5, 2015
Wow.
I have put off reading 'Ben-Hur' for years because well it was just too long, too big, to old, to boring sounding. And after seeing the horrible rendition of the movie I thought that I certainly didn't need to read it any time soon. Finally however my sister convinced me to read it and as soon as I picked it up I was hooked.
It takes a truly great author to write historical fiction I believe for unlike Fantasy, where you can make everything up, historical fiction has to be at least somewhat historically accurate and if its not, well Lord help the author whose book I come across that is not historically accurate.:)
Lew Wallis is one of those few truly great authors that can write a compelling, interesting, exciting, vivid, detailed, fast-paced, sweeping, epic, historical fiction book that gives the genre a great name. Ben-Hur has got to be one of the best pieces of literary work written that I have ever read.
At first, reading Ben-Hur, I was sympathetic towards Egypt and didn't like Esther who I thought weak and a wimp (My only problem with the book.) But in the end Egypt turned out to be a traitor and showed her true colors and Esther, although still a tad of a wimp, was not so bad and I believe Ben-Hur made the right choice in marrying her.
The tale of Christ, intricately woven into that of Ben-Hur and being as much part of the book as he was, was told wonderfully and accurately and by the end of the book I was crying as I read again of the love of God towards humankind and His greatest gift of His only begotten Son; Jesus Christ.
I fear that I am rambling now so I will cut it short with just one last word: at the end of the book there was a 'Afterword' telling a bit about the author and the writing of Ben-Hur. What I found extremely interesting was how it used to be a mandated read in the school system and one of the 'have to read' books for everyone. All I can say is I wish it still was and it should be made so again for everyone can benefit from this hauntingly-beautiful, thought-provoking book of mercy, loss, revenge and the greatest of all things: Love.
One more thing that I thought of that I had a problem with in this book was that there was no talk of the resurrection of Jesus Christ a very important and necessary part of salvation that shouldn't be overlooked. I feel that the author should have spoken of this for without the resurrection there can be no everlasting life in Heaven.
I have put off reading 'Ben-Hur' for years because well it was just too long, too big, to old, to boring sounding. And after seeing the horrible rendition of the movie I thought that I certainly didn't need to read it any time soon. Finally however my sister convinced me to read it and as soon as I picked it up I was hooked.
It takes a truly great author to write historical fiction I believe for unlike Fantasy, where you can make everything up, historical fiction has to be at least somewhat historically accurate and if its not, well Lord help the author whose book I come across that is not historically accurate.:)
Lew Wallis is one of those few truly great authors that can write a compelling, interesting, exciting, vivid, detailed, fast-paced, sweeping, epic, historical fiction book that gives the genre a great name. Ben-Hur has got to be one of the best pieces of literary work written that I have ever read.
At first, reading Ben-Hur, I was sympathetic towards Egypt and didn't like Esther who I thought weak and a wimp (My only problem with the book.) But in the end Egypt turned out to be a traitor and showed her true colors and Esther, although still a tad of a wimp, was not so bad and I believe Ben-Hur made the right choice in marrying her.
The tale of Christ, intricately woven into that of Ben-Hur and being as much part of the book as he was, was told wonderfully and accurately and by the end of the book I was crying as I read again of the love of God towards humankind and His greatest gift of His only begotten Son; Jesus Christ.
I fear that I am rambling now so I will cut it short with just one last word: at the end of the book there was a 'Afterword' telling a bit about the author and the writing of Ben-Hur. What I found extremely interesting was how it used to be a mandated read in the school system and one of the 'have to read' books for everyone. All I can say is I wish it still was and it should be made so again for everyone can benefit from this hauntingly-beautiful, thought-provoking book of mercy, loss, revenge and the greatest of all things: Love.
One more thing that I thought of that I had a problem with in this book was that there was no talk of the resurrection of Jesus Christ a very important and necessary part of salvation that shouldn't be overlooked. I feel that the author should have spoken of this for without the resurrection there can be no everlasting life in Heaven.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 30, 2022
1.5 stars
نویسنده که خودش در دوران جنگ های داخلی آمریکا فرمانده و بعد هم سیاست مدار بوده، هیچ وقت به عنوان یک نویسنده مطرح نبوده و این ضعف مهارت در نویسندگی در بیان داستان و شخصیت پردازی شخصیت های داستان مشهود است... پول نقش اساسی و تعیین کننده در داستان دارد و در بزنگاه ها آن اتفاقی که مطلوب قهرمان داستان است همیشه می افتد.....بخش زیادی از وقایع و حوادث داستان بر مبنای بخت و اقبال دقیقا همان طوری که مورد توجه نویسنده( قهرمان داستان) است رقم می خورد و در چالش هایی که رخ می دهد، خلاقیت و توانمندی نویسنده در شرح و بسط حوادث مشخص نمی شود... نهایتا می توان نتیجه گرفت که در داستان پول و شانس حلال مشکلات است که موجب شده این داستان بسیار ساده و سطحی تلقی شود
نویسنده که خودش در دوران جنگ های داخلی آمریکا فرمانده و بعد هم سیاست مدار بوده، هیچ وقت به عنوان یک نویسنده مطرح نبوده و این ضعف مهارت در نویسندگی در بیان داستان و شخصیت پردازی شخصیت های داستان مشهود است... پول نقش اساسی و تعیین کننده در داستان دارد و در بزنگاه ها آن اتفاقی که مطلوب قهرمان داستان است همیشه می افتد.....بخش زیادی از وقایع و حوادث داستان بر مبنای بخت و اقبال دقیقا همان طوری که مورد توجه نویسنده( قهرمان داستان) است رقم می خورد و در چالش هایی که رخ می دهد، خلاقیت و توانمندی نویسنده در شرح و بسط حوادث مشخص نمی شود... نهایتا می توان نتیجه گرفت که در داستان پول و شانس حلال مشکلات است که موجب شده این داستان بسیار ساده و سطحی تلقی شود
November 21, 2024
' নিজে� জন্য যা চা� না, অপরে� জন্য তা প্রত্যাশ� কোরো না� ' - যিশুখ্রিষ্�
ধ্রুপদী উপন্যা� 'বে�-হু�' প্রতিশোধের উপন্যাস। বন্ধুর বিশ্বাসঘাতকতার শো� নেওয়া� ইতিহাস 'বে�-হু�'� দু� হাজা� বছ� আগের জেরুজালেমে রোমানদের জুলুমে জর্জরি� হওয়ার উপাখ্যান 'বে�-হু�'�
মহান যিশু অত্যন্� অনবদ্যভাবে হাজি� হয়েছে� এই উপন্যাসে� সিনেমায় যাকে বল�, ক্যামি� দেওয়া� তাতে� তিনি বাজিমা� করেছেন�
শেষটুক� ভীষণ বেদনামাখা। অবশ্যই পড়ু� এব� না দেখে থাকল� কালজয়ী সিনেমাটি� দেখুন।
ধ্রুপদী উপন্যা� 'বে�-হু�' প্রতিশোধের উপন্যাস। বন্ধুর বিশ্বাসঘাতকতার শো� নেওয়া� ইতিহাস 'বে�-হু�'� দু� হাজা� বছ� আগের জেরুজালেমে রোমানদের জুলুমে জর্জরি� হওয়ার উপাখ্যান 'বে�-হু�'�
মহান যিশু অত্যন্� অনবদ্যভাবে হাজি� হয়েছে� এই উপন্যাসে� সিনেমায় যাকে বল�, ক্যামি� দেওয়া� তাতে� তিনি বাজিমা� করেছেন�
শেষটুক� ভীষণ বেদনামাখা। অবশ্যই পড়ু� এব� না দেখে থাকল� কালজয়ী সিনেমাটি� দেখুন।
June 20, 2016
There is a very small genre that I love. Set during the late ancient times, it tends to be sensational, exciting, and full of moral fibre. That's right—I'm talking about that guilty pleasure of the Christian fiction world, the Tale of Early Christianity, the ultimate have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too book, in which people with shocking vices get saved and then (like as not) served to the lions in the Circus Maximus. Henryk Sienkiewicz won the Nobel Prize for Quo Vadis, perhaps the masterpiece of the genre in 1907, but it continues today with the Mark of the Lion novels by Francine Rivers and many others.
Ben-Hur, subtitled A Tale of the Christ, may have been the first notable work in this genre. And it's a really good one. When Judah Ben-Hur's estranged childhood friend, the Roman Messala, betrays him into a life as a galley-slave and leaves his mother and sister to rot in prison, Ben-Hur survives only by vowing revenge. The wheel of fortune eventually brings him wealth, power, and an incredibly well-developed physique, so he returns to Palestine hell-bent on exacting the kind of comeuppance that would make the Count of Monte Cristo raise his eyebrows and tut. Along the way he makes the acquaintance not only of Messiah claimant Jesus of Nazareth but also of the beautiful and scheming Iras the Egyptian.
There is, at one point, a chariot race, but that's only a fraction of the fun to be had. In case you didn't notice yet, this is one ripping tale of backstabbing, revenge, adventure, true love, and more melodrama than you could possibly imagine. Mixed in are some theological musings which I, when I first read it, found very profound, and still enjoy.
I had read the book perhaps five times when I got around to seeing the movie, and was consequently surprised to see the decidedly pale and husky Charlton Heston playing Ben-Hur, although gratified to see some of the storylines played with even more melodrama. Unfortunately, the movie did not include the character of Iras the Egyptian. This is a shame, because she might be the best character in the book. I was also a little disappointed by the omission of the scene at the Palace Idernee.
Before I finish—you, dear reader, may go off to read Ben-Hur and be disappointed to find it slightly more slowly moving than you expect. It does take a little time to get underway, though it gathers steam after the Prologue and kicks into high gear halfway through. It's a fantastic adventure story well worth being patient with.
()
Ben-Hur, subtitled A Tale of the Christ, may have been the first notable work in this genre. And it's a really good one. When Judah Ben-Hur's estranged childhood friend, the Roman Messala, betrays him into a life as a galley-slave and leaves his mother and sister to rot in prison, Ben-Hur survives only by vowing revenge. The wheel of fortune eventually brings him wealth, power, and an incredibly well-developed physique, so he returns to Palestine hell-bent on exacting the kind of comeuppance that would make the Count of Monte Cristo raise his eyebrows and tut. Along the way he makes the acquaintance not only of Messiah claimant Jesus of Nazareth but also of the beautiful and scheming Iras the Egyptian.
There is, at one point, a chariot race, but that's only a fraction of the fun to be had. In case you didn't notice yet, this is one ripping tale of backstabbing, revenge, adventure, true love, and more melodrama than you could possibly imagine. Mixed in are some theological musings which I, when I first read it, found very profound, and still enjoy.
I had read the book perhaps five times when I got around to seeing the movie, and was consequently surprised to see the decidedly pale and husky Charlton Heston playing Ben-Hur, although gratified to see some of the storylines played with even more melodrama. Unfortunately, the movie did not include the character of Iras the Egyptian. This is a shame, because she might be the best character in the book. I was also a little disappointed by the omission of the scene at the Palace Idernee.
Before I finish—you, dear reader, may go off to read Ben-Hur and be disappointed to find it slightly more slowly moving than you expect. It does take a little time to get underway, though it gathers steam after the Prologue and kicks into high gear halfway through. It's a fantastic adventure story well worth being patient with.
()
April 11, 2009
Went to a BYU education week class on finding good books to read. A woman in the class recommended this one. One of her favorites. I look forward to reading it and then watching the movie which Sally has highly recommended.
I loved this story. It was a bit of a challenge in the beginning. There is a lot of detailed description of clothing, customs, etc. Wallace addressed the reader and would try to put you in the location he was describing. It took some patience, but I began to really enjoy it.
The introduction is fascinating. Ben-Hur was published in 1880. It was the bestselling novel of all time until "Gone with the Wind" was published in 1936. That surprised me since most people are familiar with the 1959 movie, but when I told them I was reading the book, they didn't know there was a book. I didn't know there was a book until last year. Lew Wallace wrote Ben-Hur as a way to sort out his beliefs concerning God and Christ. "Long before I was through with my book, I became a believer in God and Christ."
It was a perfect read for the Easter season. I finished on Good Friday. I read the Barnes and Noble edition which is 635 pages. I am excited about watching the movie with all the knowledge I have gained from the book.
I loved this story. It was a bit of a challenge in the beginning. There is a lot of detailed description of clothing, customs, etc. Wallace addressed the reader and would try to put you in the location he was describing. It took some patience, but I began to really enjoy it.
The introduction is fascinating. Ben-Hur was published in 1880. It was the bestselling novel of all time until "Gone with the Wind" was published in 1936. That surprised me since most people are familiar with the 1959 movie, but when I told them I was reading the book, they didn't know there was a book. I didn't know there was a book until last year. Lew Wallace wrote Ben-Hur as a way to sort out his beliefs concerning God and Christ. "Long before I was through with my book, I became a believer in God and Christ."
It was a perfect read for the Easter season. I finished on Good Friday. I read the Barnes and Noble edition which is 635 pages. I am excited about watching the movie with all the knowledge I have gained from the book.
January 27, 2018
În urma unui eveniment nefericit, dintr-un prinţ şi negustor bogat al Ierusalimului, evreul Ben-Hur ajunge sclav în mine, în timp ce familia lui este trimisă într-o tabără de leproşi. Martor al răstignirii lui Iisus, personajul trece printr-o serie neobişnuită de întâmplări, îşi aminteşte de prietenul lui Messala, care l-a trădat, se îndrăgosteşte şi cunoaşte o serie de personaje simbolice care îl ajută să îşi regăsească pacea şi familia de mult pierdută.
Poate folosesc cam des acest cuvânt, dar pentru mine, chiar dacă este un roman uitat şi neglijat, Ben-Hur este o capodoperă.
Poate folosesc cam des acest cuvânt, dar pentru mine, chiar dacă este un roman uitat şi neglijat, Ben-Hur este o capodoperă.
January 13, 2022
I think Elizabeth said this best: "A great story. Not always told in the greatest way."
There were moments that truly spoke to me spiritually, moments that were outstanding. But there were also many moments that were not. I wanted to rate it three stars just for those passages that were so meaningful, but I knew that two stars would more accurately reflect my opinion, so here we are.
[Also I'm in increasingly desperate need of a solid 4- or 5-star read so send help plz. *sobs*]
There were moments that truly spoke to me spiritually, moments that were outstanding. But there were also many moments that were not. I wanted to rate it three stars just for those passages that were so meaningful, but I knew that two stars would more accurately reflect my opinion, so here we are.
[Also I'm in increasingly desperate need of a solid 4- or 5-star read so send help plz. *sobs*]
April 3, 2022
Este libro ha sido uno de los grandes desafíos literarios de mi vida, básicamente porque nunca he podido ver la película de William Wyler del tirón por lo larga que es, solo por partes. Por otro lado, la novela en sí es muy extensa y no estoy acostumbrada a leer una historia con tantísimas páginas, por ello tardé años en acabármelo. También me pareció curioso que "Ben-Hur" está compuesto de varios tomos con una serie de capítulos cada uno.
"Ben-Hur" narra la historia de un príncipe judío que vive al mismo tiempo que Jesucristo y que pasa por varias vivencias a lo largo de los años entremezclando su vida con la del Redentor. El libro tiene varios detalles interesantes que me gustaría destacar. El primero, Lewis Wallace hace una descripción muy detallada de todas las culturas antiguas que vivían en esa época entre hebreos, romanos o egipcios. De hecho, ese afán descriptivo hace que a veces se pierda un poco el hilo de la historia principal aunque le viene perfecto para la famosa carrera de cuádrigas. Después, vemos cómo Wallace consigue encontrar los puntos exactos y las excusas adecuadas para entrelazar la historia de ficción con la bíblica. De aquí me quedo con cómo el autor plasma en Judá una inquietud muy común en los hebreos que esperaban al Mesías en el tiempo de la dominación romana, y es la llegada de un rey poderoso y guerrero con ejércitos militares al estilo de David (ilusión que tenían grupos radicales como los zelotes). Otro detalle por el que la obra es famosa es la relación entre Judá y el romano Messala. Para mí, el momento más destacado de la novela en cuanto a la interacción directa de ambos personajes es su reencuentro en Jerusalén y cómo la conversación profunda que mantienen compartiendo sus inquietudes de futuro provoca la evolución progresiva de amistad a rivalidad. Dentro de la historia de ficción también observamos la relación de Judá con las distintas mujeres que pasan por su vida, resaltando el amor fraterno hacia su madre y su hermana Tirzah, preocupándose por su suerte a lo largo de los años tras haber sido forzado a separarse de ellas y querer luchar por recuperarlas sin olvidarlas un solo instante; y el debate moral entre la atracción medianamente carnal hacia Iris o el amor romántico hacia Esther. Es más, diría que el amor de Judá hacia su familia o su pueblo supera el que podría sentir por una pareja.
Como curiosidad, "Ben-Hur" supuso uno de esos milagros de conversión que se aprecian mucho en el mundo cristiano: en un principio, el autor Lewis Wallace se había propuesto escribir un libro histórico que desmontara la Biblia pero, conforme fue investigando y confirmando las evidencias de la existencia de Jesucristo, terminó publicando esta novela en gloria y alabanza a Él.
Le recomiendo el libro a cualquiera que le encante el género histórico o cristiano, aunque sí aviso que será más fácil de leer para los lectores pacientes o a quienes estén acostumbrados a libros muy extensos en cuanto a páginas.
"Ben-Hur" narra la historia de un príncipe judío que vive al mismo tiempo que Jesucristo y que pasa por varias vivencias a lo largo de los años entremezclando su vida con la del Redentor. El libro tiene varios detalles interesantes que me gustaría destacar. El primero, Lewis Wallace hace una descripción muy detallada de todas las culturas antiguas que vivían en esa época entre hebreos, romanos o egipcios. De hecho, ese afán descriptivo hace que a veces se pierda un poco el hilo de la historia principal aunque le viene perfecto para la famosa carrera de cuádrigas. Después, vemos cómo Wallace consigue encontrar los puntos exactos y las excusas adecuadas para entrelazar la historia de ficción con la bíblica. De aquí me quedo con cómo el autor plasma en Judá una inquietud muy común en los hebreos que esperaban al Mesías en el tiempo de la dominación romana, y es la llegada de un rey poderoso y guerrero con ejércitos militares al estilo de David (ilusión que tenían grupos radicales como los zelotes). Otro detalle por el que la obra es famosa es la relación entre Judá y el romano Messala. Para mí, el momento más destacado de la novela en cuanto a la interacción directa de ambos personajes es su reencuentro en Jerusalén y cómo la conversación profunda que mantienen compartiendo sus inquietudes de futuro provoca la evolución progresiva de amistad a rivalidad. Dentro de la historia de ficción también observamos la relación de Judá con las distintas mujeres que pasan por su vida, resaltando el amor fraterno hacia su madre y su hermana Tirzah, preocupándose por su suerte a lo largo de los años tras haber sido forzado a separarse de ellas y querer luchar por recuperarlas sin olvidarlas un solo instante; y el debate moral entre la atracción medianamente carnal hacia Iris o el amor romántico hacia Esther. Es más, diría que el amor de Judá hacia su familia o su pueblo supera el que podría sentir por una pareja.
Como curiosidad, "Ben-Hur" supuso uno de esos milagros de conversión que se aprecian mucho en el mundo cristiano: en un principio, el autor Lewis Wallace se había propuesto escribir un libro histórico que desmontara la Biblia pero, conforme fue investigando y confirmando las evidencias de la existencia de Jesucristo, terminó publicando esta novela en gloria y alabanza a Él.
Le recomiendo el libro a cualquiera que le encante el género histórico o cristiano, aunque sí aviso que será más fácil de leer para los lectores pacientes o a quienes estén acostumbrados a libros muy extensos en cuanto a páginas.
November 26, 2014
کتاب های زیادی در مورد دوران اولیه مسیحیت نوشته شده
مثل کجا میروی هنریک سینکویچ
که این کتاب هم به این سبک نوشته شده
اما آن کجا و این کجا!!!
نمیدانم اطلاعات تاریخیش چقد صحت دارد
ولی بنظرم از لحاظ ادبی ضعیف است
از ان دست کتاب ها که حسابی از خواندنش پشیمان شدم
بنظرم بعضی کتابا فقط جنبه تجاری دارند
و برای فروش آن، رواحساسات مذهبی مردم حساب ویژه ای باز کرده اند
مثل کتاب هایی که از شما خواهش میکنند ثروتمند شوید
که رو حس جاه طلبی انسان ها حساب باز میکند
مثل کجا میروی هنریک سینکویچ
که این کتاب هم به این سبک نوشته شده
اما آن کجا و این کجا!!!
نمیدانم اطلاعات تاریخیش چقد صحت دارد
ولی بنظرم از لحاظ ادبی ضعیف است
از ان دست کتاب ها که حسابی از خواندنش پشیمان شدم
بنظرم بعضی کتابا فقط جنبه تجاری دارند
و برای فروش آن، رواحساسات مذهبی مردم حساب ویژه ای باز کرده اند
مثل کتاب هایی که از شما خواهش میکنند ثروتمند شوید
که رو حس جاه طلبی انسان ها حساب باز میکند
September 3, 2016
“A man is never so on trial as in the moment of excessive good fortune.�
Read the book. Many people argue about the relative merits of the 2015 movie version of Ben-Hur versus the classic 1959 version. I liked both, but realized I hadn’t read the underlying book, published in 1880. Now I have: forget the movies; read the book.
“When God walks the earth, his steps are often centuries apart.�
Moderns think, “That’s the story about the chariot race.� No. The chariot race occurs two-thirds of the way through, years before the ministry of Jesus. Both movies identify the source of a healing miracle as the blood of Jesus draining from the cross; the book ascribes a more obvious, but no less miraculous agent. Characters and subplots multiple, barely referred to in the movies.
“If thy faith is equal to thy knowledge, he will hear thee though all the heavens thunder.�
Like some modern novels, Ben-Hur weaves a new tale into the periphery of a well-known story, such as a Shakespeare play or a classic novel. Here the background story is the gospel of Jesus, the interwoven tale is that of Judah Ben-Hur, a wealthy Hellenized Jew of the Sadducee persuasion who runs afoul of vindictive Romans.
“The daughter who despises her father will bring her husband to grief.�
In addition to using the King James Version of the Bible as his outline and dialogue style book, Wallace wove in many nineteenth century myths surrounding the life of Jesus. For example one plot thread concerns one of the three wise men, using the traditional names. Jesus is described as physically fitting the northern European model prevalent in paintings of that time. Wallace had not yet visited the Holy Land when he wrote the novel (though he did later as US Minister to the Ottoman Empire) but he thoroughly researched its geography and history. Biographies suggest that the inciting incident of the book is modeled after how misunderstanding of his role at the battle of Shiloh hounded Wallace for the rest of his life.
“While carving justice for ourselves, it is never wise to be unjust to others.�
First published in 1880, Ben-Hur shares the credits and debits of nineteenth-century novels. Even the best suffer from long narrative descriptions and sermonizing. The characters tend to be idealized and the plots convoluted. The texture is rich, the pace occasionally slow.
“The poor make themselves poorer as apes of the rich, and the merely rich carry themselves like princes.�
Quibbles: Aside from perpetuating myths surrounding the person and history of Jesus, Wallace of course viewed the world as his contemporaries. The term “millions� is loosely applied. For example, Wallace claims three million witnessed the Crucifixion. Ben-Hur himself is of too-good-to-be-true hero type. Despite his transparent Christianity, Wallace skips the Resurrection.
“He is never alone who is where God is--and God is everywhere.�
I often jot down apt quotes for inclusion in these reviews. Normally those notes fill two to three pages; Ben-Hur exceeded seven. Some have passed into our everyday language. For example, Rudyard Kipling is often credited with, “God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers.� In fact, Wallace published it in Ben-Hur when Kipling was but fourteen years old. (Other sources identify it as a Jewish proverb.)
“All great peoples are proud, but the pride of [Rome] is � so grown the gods barely escape it.�
Finally, thanks to Project Gutenberg for keeping old works like this available in electronic form.
“God meant to make us know ourselves created for another and better life.�
Read the book. Many people argue about the relative merits of the 2015 movie version of Ben-Hur versus the classic 1959 version. I liked both, but realized I hadn’t read the underlying book, published in 1880. Now I have: forget the movies; read the book.
“When God walks the earth, his steps are often centuries apart.�
Moderns think, “That’s the story about the chariot race.� No. The chariot race occurs two-thirds of the way through, years before the ministry of Jesus. Both movies identify the source of a healing miracle as the blood of Jesus draining from the cross; the book ascribes a more obvious, but no less miraculous agent. Characters and subplots multiple, barely referred to in the movies.
“If thy faith is equal to thy knowledge, he will hear thee though all the heavens thunder.�
Like some modern novels, Ben-Hur weaves a new tale into the periphery of a well-known story, such as a Shakespeare play or a classic novel. Here the background story is the gospel of Jesus, the interwoven tale is that of Judah Ben-Hur, a wealthy Hellenized Jew of the Sadducee persuasion who runs afoul of vindictive Romans.
“The daughter who despises her father will bring her husband to grief.�
In addition to using the King James Version of the Bible as his outline and dialogue style book, Wallace wove in many nineteenth century myths surrounding the life of Jesus. For example one plot thread concerns one of the three wise men, using the traditional names. Jesus is described as physically fitting the northern European model prevalent in paintings of that time. Wallace had not yet visited the Holy Land when he wrote the novel (though he did later as US Minister to the Ottoman Empire) but he thoroughly researched its geography and history. Biographies suggest that the inciting incident of the book is modeled after how misunderstanding of his role at the battle of Shiloh hounded Wallace for the rest of his life.
“While carving justice for ourselves, it is never wise to be unjust to others.�
First published in 1880, Ben-Hur shares the credits and debits of nineteenth-century novels. Even the best suffer from long narrative descriptions and sermonizing. The characters tend to be idealized and the plots convoluted. The texture is rich, the pace occasionally slow.
“The poor make themselves poorer as apes of the rich, and the merely rich carry themselves like princes.�
Quibbles: Aside from perpetuating myths surrounding the person and history of Jesus, Wallace of course viewed the world as his contemporaries. The term “millions� is loosely applied. For example, Wallace claims three million witnessed the Crucifixion. Ben-Hur himself is of too-good-to-be-true hero type. Despite his transparent Christianity, Wallace skips the Resurrection.
“He is never alone who is where God is--and God is everywhere.�
I often jot down apt quotes for inclusion in these reviews. Normally those notes fill two to three pages; Ben-Hur exceeded seven. Some have passed into our everyday language. For example, Rudyard Kipling is often credited with, “God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers.� In fact, Wallace published it in Ben-Hur when Kipling was but fourteen years old. (Other sources identify it as a Jewish proverb.)
“All great peoples are proud, but the pride of [Rome] is � so grown the gods barely escape it.�
Finally, thanks to Project Gutenberg for keeping old works like this available in electronic form.
“God meant to make us know ourselves created for another and better life.�
July 30, 2022
Es ameno aunque algunas partes se me hicieron algo pesadas, esta muy bien escrito, con buenas descripciones de los paisajes así como de los personajes. Me recordó mucho a la película. 7/10
March 9, 2023
It was kinda boring read 3 stars
August 30, 2017
Having just watched the 2016 Ben Hur (which was inferior to the classic 1959 film, but very interesting as a companion piece), I decided to reread the book because my memory of it is muddled by all the film versions. Enjoying it so far and surprised by some of the book facts that the movies changed.
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I'm listening to the . AND reading the Readers' Digest version which is unabridged and has illustrations on every page. It's the next best thing to watching a movie while I read.
I read this story many years ago, long before I was Christian. Certainly it long before I picked up the fact that the author was a Civil War General ... which somehow just makes the book that much more interesting. I also recently was in a conversation in which I learned that Ben-Hur was the Harry Potter of its day. Since people couldn't afford to travel, this was a great way to combine exotic travelogue and an inspiring tale.
I decided it was time to revisit the book. And so here I am ... we shall see if my three-star review changes or not since it wasn't based on the story but on my perception of the writing quality.
FINAL
Still enjoyable and holds up but my star rating holds.
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I'm listening to the . AND reading the Readers' Digest version which is unabridged and has illustrations on every page. It's the next best thing to watching a movie while I read.
I read this story many years ago, long before I was Christian. Certainly it long before I picked up the fact that the author was a Civil War General ... which somehow just makes the book that much more interesting. I also recently was in a conversation in which I learned that Ben-Hur was the Harry Potter of its day. Since people couldn't afford to travel, this was a great way to combine exotic travelogue and an inspiring tale.
I decided it was time to revisit the book. And so here I am ... we shall see if my three-star review changes or not since it wasn't based on the story but on my perception of the writing quality.
FINAL
Still enjoyable and holds up but my star rating holds.
August 17, 2021
This is the second time I have read this, and it's one of my favorites. It did go a little slow at some points, especially in the wordy descriptions. But the story is wonderful, and definitely feels more authentic than The Robe, though I did enjoy that one as well.
"To the heart divinely original, yet so human in all the better elements of humanity, going with sure prevision to a death of all the inventions of men the foulest and most cruel, breathing even then in the forecast shadow of the awful event, and still as hungry and thirsty for love and faith as in the beginning, how precious and ineffably soothing the farewell exclamation of the grateful woman:
'To God in the highest, glory! Blessed, thrice blessed, the Son whom he hath given us!'"
"To the heart divinely original, yet so human in all the better elements of humanity, going with sure prevision to a death of all the inventions of men the foulest and most cruel, breathing even then in the forecast shadow of the awful event, and still as hungry and thirsty for love and faith as in the beginning, how precious and ineffably soothing the farewell exclamation of the grateful woman:
'To God in the highest, glory! Blessed, thrice blessed, the Son whom he hath given us!'"
August 6, 2016
Engaging, Moving, Thrilling, Uplifting, Unforgettable, Action Packed & Life Changing! An Amazing Classic! I Loved It!
May 24, 2024
DNF.
I hate to start a book and not finish it. It feels like a waste of time. The story interested me; after all, I have never seen the movie. But I couldn't get past the author's choice of language. Written in 1880, Lew Wallace chose to write the book using King James English. He had the characters (shepherds, wise men, Joseph) speaking King James English. Arrrrrggggggghhhhhh!!!!!!!! I respect people who use the KJV Bible, but it's not for me. I hate to tell him that they spoke Aramaic.
I hate to start a book and not finish it. It feels like a waste of time. The story interested me; after all, I have never seen the movie. But I couldn't get past the author's choice of language. Written in 1880, Lew Wallace chose to write the book using King James English. He had the characters (shepherds, wise men, Joseph) speaking King James English. Arrrrrggggggghhhhhh!!!!!!!! I respect people who use the KJV Bible, but it's not for me. I hate to tell him that they spoke Aramaic.
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