Rating: 
Summary: Love and religion, or the religion of love
Review: This novel has ideas, romance, violence, adventure, mysticism, and politics, so it can't be boring even if some reviewers complain about its slow start. Set in the middle of Nero's tenure in power, in the First century AD, it tells the story of Vinitius, a Roman military officer from a Patricious family with good standing at the court. He has the friendship and protection of Petronius, the Arbiter of Elegancy, a sensual, rich and cultivated man with much influence in court. Vinitius falls in love with the beautiful slave Ligia, who is a Christian living with a Roman Patricious family also converted to Christianity. Through his obsession with her, he gradually discovers the new religion and realizes the moral pit in which his culture has been decaying. Then Nero sets Rome on fire and Vinitius finds out that he'll have to rebel against the State in order to gain love. He is baptized and suffers persecution. Then he has to rescue his beloved from the Colliseum, just when she's going to be throwed in to the lions. The end is mystical and completely beautiful, and that's when you understand the title, which means "Where are you going, my Lord?", and is pronounced by St. Peter as he is fleeing Rome.A very entertaining and rewarding novel, it is also a fictional testimony of the early years of Christendom. My favorite character is Petronius, a liberal, magnanimous and "cool" Pagan Roman who finds disgrace for protecting those he loves. very recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Running story, never ending excitement, pretty good
Review: When I am asked a book to read, my first advice is Quo Vadis?. The story simply runs around Ligia and Vinicus, two lovers. But the additional themes make this romance far much exciting. Roman high society, birth of Christians' and of course idiocy and terror of Neron are all helping secondary themes surrounding our two lover heros. The story runs perfectly until Ligia was arrested,but then I lost track of my real life ! Although I have an important meeting the other day, I cannot stop myself from reading ! About 200 pages finished until dawn. I advice the book if you have some spare time for yourself only. The book to be read without closing the cover !
Rating: 
Summary: Nero fiddles . . . and fiddles . . . and fiddles
Review: When one of the Italian volcanoes erupted in the hey day of the Roman Empire, a Roman Centurian was caught and suffocated in the ash. In the subsequent conflagration, his corpse remained remarkably preserved. Despite his height and weight, obviously being quite smaller than us, the presence of muscular tone and apparent physical strength is both startling and revealing. National Geographic did an extraordinary photo-essay on this about 15 years ago. Needless to say, these men and women were at least physically the same as us 2000 years later. Sienkiewicz describes for us the debauchery of ancient Rome under the aegis of Emperor Nero and the blossoming of Christianity. The dialogue of the early Christians is, while not disturbing, distracting. By example, Stephen Pressfield's dialogue between Leonidis and the emissaries of Xerxes in Gates of Fire is wholly conjectural. Likewise, Vinicius' coversations with Paul of Tarsus and Peter are also guesswork. Yet, this is a brilliant story of societal conflict, love and treason. One is reminded of some of the correspondence between Lord Acton and the Pope of Rome hundreds of years later. Acton wrote, "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." And the backdrop of this remarkable love story between a Christian Princess and one of the battle weary Tribunes of Rome is one of total immorality and corruption. Additionally, we get to read a novel over a 100 years old. The first printing of Quo Vadis is in 1896 so we see a great historical romance in a style a century old. No quips here. No witty remarks between Danny Glover and Mel Gibson. It's hard times with Super Bowl-like events in the Coliseum where the losers get eaten. It's great read. You really can't go wrong with one of the first "best sellers" ever written. A little PG-13 caveat. It is quite gory.
Rating:
Summary: Stick with the original Translation
Review: While the Kuniczak translation of this GREAT novel (like THE ROBE and THE SILVER CHALICE) is ok it is no where near as good as the Curtain Translation -- sorry about that. This novel was written a hundred years ago and should be read by English translated language of 100 years ago. Otherwise you get something less than what this great epic deserves. And by the by the History in this book is indeed TRUE and anyone who suggests otherwise was educated on Rome via I, CLAUDIUS or someother such ludicrous soap opera. Read this book. BUT -- go to the Library and get the Jeremiah Curtain edition.
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