Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ - Softcover

Carol Wallace

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1782642242 ISBN 13: 9781782642244

Publisher: Lion Fiction, 2016

Synopsis

Religion

About this title

Review:

When Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince alive during Jesus Christ's lifetime, is wrongly accused of attempting to assassinate the Roman governor of Jerusalem by his childhood friend Messala, the Romans enslave him and capture his mother and sister. While working in the galley of a battleship, Ben-Hur saves the life of a Roman tribune, Arrius, who decides to adopt the former prince, change his name to Young Arrius, take him to Rome, and train the boy in the Roman ways, including the popular sport of chariot racing. While searching for what may have happened to his family, Ben-Hur takes advantage of an opportunity to challenge Messala to a chariot race. After establishing himself as a fierce competitor, Ben-Hur is persuaded to train an army that will support the rightful king of the Jews--who some believe to be a man from Nazareth. Unbeknownst to Ben-Hur, the true savior has different plans. Wallace ("To Marry an English Lord")--the great-great-granddaughter of the author of the original "Ben-Hur," Lew Wallace--has done a fine job of revising the text for modern readers. The narrative assumes some Biblical knowledge, as Ben-Hur comes into contact with characters from well-known Bible stories, including a wise man and Jesus himself. Patches of awkward dialogue contrast the lyrical, cinematic descriptions of Ben-Hur's struggles and triumphs. The epic novel, spanning about 12 years of Ben-Hur's life, will be relished not only by fans of Christian fiction, but any reader who craves historical accounts of high adventure, action, and drama. --Publishers Weekly

From the Back Cover:

Ben-Hur is better known as a film than as a novel. Cinematic in scope and narrative, it was nevertheless as a book that it first met huge popular success on its publication in 1880. Intended as a moral and inspirational narrative, Judah Ben-Hur's life parallels that of Jesus as he makes a journey of discovery and enlightenment through the Mediterranean world from Jerusalem through Nazareth to the galleys that carry him to shipwreck in the Aegean and, finally, Rome. A spiritual tale of the quest for love and the recovery of identity and patrimony, the novel also displays a vivid realism based on Wallace's biblical research and knowledge of the Holy Land. Like other 'toga novels' of the period, Ben-Hur reflects the dissent, division, and moral contradiction of America's emerging imperial culture, the 'New Woman' question, the settlement of the Far West, and even trade unionism. Rich in social parallels, Ben-Hur is both a great historical epic and a window on late nineteenth-century literature.

About this edition

• Publisher: Lion Fiction
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1782642242
• ISBN 13: 9781782642244
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 432