Ben Hur

Rating:
Summary: Better to read it than not
Review: I am very sorry about not giving four or five stars to abeloved classic, but you can always guess what's going to happen. Itis a shame and a disappointment that Gladiator follows exactly thesame path as Ben-Hur does. Where's the trick: in that the young peoplewatching Galdiator didn't watch Ben-Hur. Having said this, I mustacknowledge that Ben-Hur makes for an interesting reading, much like"Quo vadis?" does. They are interesting, nice andgood-reading books, but not landamrks of literature. If you tell me:"Not every book has to be a landmark, you are right". Butthis book won't change your life.

Rating:
Summary: Nothing better on His life, my book was printed in 1899.
Review: I feel honored to have read this book and to be able to see the great drawing and photos from the printing in 1899. Lew Wallace "paints" a truely wonderful picture. I would love to own the Vol I of this set.

Rating:
Summary: Good Story Telling, but it Has it's Down Points
Review: I had watched the 1959 movie and thought the book would be a good one. They do differ alot, but the movie is at least a LITTLE entertaining.... in this book, it drags on with explanations, frankly I don't want to know EVERY little thing some guy is wearing, and it gets old...and boring after awhile.

Rating:
Summary: A story with heart
Review: I loved this book. The writing is full and intensely descriptive which makes reading delightful. One should not embark upon the reading of this book expecting modern language and point-blank action. Instead, savor the expressive wording which is a major part of the drama of this rich, touching story.

Rating:
Summary: This is the best book ever!
Review: I read this book in three days. I couldn't put it down. I can honestly say that Ben-Hur, without a doubt, is my favorite book.

It's about a Jew named Judah Ben-Hur living in Israel during the time of Christ. He accidentally "kills" a Roman governor. Judah was on the roof of his house and the Roman guy was below him on his horse in the street. One of the tiles on the roof of Judah's house comes loose and it scares the horse, who rears, sending the Roman flying off it.

Judah is accused as an assassin and is sent to work as a galley slave for life. On his way there, Joseph the carpenter and Jesus come into Jerusalem. Joseph is talking with Roman soldier when Jesus sees Judah, who is in agony (it's sweltering hot), and gives him water.

You'll just have to read the rest for yourself. It's definitely worth it! But I will tell you that later in the story is a really cool chariot race scene between Judah and his enemy, Messala. It's so awesome! I know you'll enjoy Ben-Hur.

Rating:
Summary: How did this become a Classic?
Review: I was studying the era of Rome and had heard great things about "Ben Hur" so my Mom and I decided to read it. We found it to be a incredibly boring book. I started dreading our reading time each day. Finally we quit it about half way through (250 pages and several months)so don't say we didn't try! Maybe every one else just loved it but I sure don't know why. I like to read but this book with its very long descriptions on everything just didn't click.

Rating:
Summary: NOT like the Movie!
Review: If you think you know the story . . . you don't. There are several major plot changes in the film which alter the story completely. Be prepared to work with this book, it is written in the 19th century style which is heavy on setting up the stage. For many the reading style is way too sloooooow. On the other hand, you can't beat the story. I really like Gen. Wallace's book and its effect upon world literature (even if he's a Yankee).

Rating:
Summary: Still Powerful After 120 Years
Review: In 1880 Union General Lew Wallace was stationed at a Western outpost when he began writing Ben Hur to dispel the boredom of his job. General Wallace who fought in some of the major campaigns of the Civil War was also questioning the meaning of his faith when the novel was written.

There are few who do not know the basic premise of this novel and fewer still who have not seen the monumental MGM film based on it. This story chronicles the life of Judah Ben Hur and his desire for revenge against the Roman Messala and all of Rome for the wrongs done him and his family.

In plot the story is simple enough. Ben Hur has been wrongly convicted of an attempt to kill the Roman Governor of Judea and sentenced to death on the Roman galleys. His fortune has been stolen and his family locked away in a dungeon. Ben Hur survives the galleys and defeats his enemy in the now famous chariot race at the Circus at Antioch.

If this were the end of Wallace's story we would have been left with a decent story of revenge and nothing more. However, Wallace incorporates into his story (bookends it really) with the story of the Passion of Jesus.

Wallace uses the coming of Jesus to examine the issues of his own faith. To analyze the dual nature of Jesus as King and Redeemer. To Ben Hur and the fiercely nationalist Jews of his time the world was waiting for a King to come to overthrow the power of Rome. Ben Hur sees this king as an element of his revenge against Rome and uses his restored fortune to build an army in support of the king.

By the end of the novel Ben Hur realizes that the King was not to come to overthrow Rome but to be a Redeemer of souls. That the kingdom to be created was not to be one of this world.

Wallace's narrative takes some time to get used to. It is sluggish and detail oriented. Literally everything is described. If you are looking for a fast read this book is not for you. If you are looking for a novel in the grand scale which also works as a powerful religous meditation give this one a try. The book was a great best seller when it was written and it can still be powerful 120 years later.

Rating:
Summary: one of the most beloved American novels
Review: In one of the most unique parlays in human history, Lew Wallace was not only a significant Union General during the Civil War, he also wrote one of the best selling novels in all of literature. After the war, posted to a deadly dull Western fort, Wallace began writing to fill the empty hours. Prompted by a casual discussion about the life and times of Jesus, he set this great story of revenge against the backdrop of Christ's mission.

Judah Ben-Hur is a Jew of Jerusalem. Arriving at manhood, he has become estranged from his childhood friend Messala, a Roman noble. The two exchange bitter words and when Ben-Hur later accidentally dislodges a roof tile which strikes a Roman official, Messala has him sent to the galleys and his mother and sister, Tirzah, sent to a leprosy infested prison cell. As he is being led to the ship on which he will be enslaved, Ben-Hur is offered a drink of water by an unforgettable stranger. Onboard ship, Ben-Hur befriends the Roman admiral Arrius and, after saving his life, is made his heir and a citizen of Rome.

Several years later, wealthy and well educated, Ben-Hur returns to Judea to look for his mother and sister and wreak his revenge on Messala. Vengeance comes when he vanquishes Messala in a chariot race, but his family, freed from their squalid cell and suffering from leprosy, hide from him. Meanwhile, Christ has come to Jerusalem preaching to increasing crowds and Ben-Hur, recognizing the kindly stranger who once helped him, becomes a leader of a group of armed guards bent on protecting him. His devotion becomes all the more complete after Christ heals Tirzah and his mother. But when the time comes, Ben-Hur heeds Christ's wishes and does not intervene. He does manage to return the long ago favor and give Christ a drink and remains to bear witness to the crucifixion. The story concludes with the increasingly wealthy Ben-Hur using his riches to fund the catacombs of Rome from which Christianity would emerge to conquer the Empire.

It is no mystery why this is one of the most beloved of all American novels. The savage revenge theme, worthy of The Count of Monte Cristo, intertwines with the story of Christ to produce a story that is thrilling, uplifting and timeless.

GRADE: A+

Rating:
Summary: The best book I have ever had the pleasure of reading.
Review: Next to the Bible of course! I first read this wonderful epic when I was twelve years old. What impressed me most is the authors gift of being able to draw you into the book as though you were a person of that era. The description of various locals were stunning. One could almost smell the orange blossoms. I've reread Ben Hur several times and see a new beauty I had not seen before each and every time.