Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ

by Lew Wallace (Author)

• New

  Paperback
  2009

  $32.07

• Used

  Paperback
  1998

  $3.35

  'That moment Malluch, in the gallery, saw Ben-Hur lean forward over his Arabs, and give them the reins. Out flew the many folded lash in his hand; over the backs of the startled steeds it writhed and hissed...' Ben-Hur is readily associated with its four film versions, yet Lew Wallace's epic novel of 1880 was a huge bestseller, written by a former soldier who had fought in American Civil War. Intended as a moral and inspirational narrative, 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, the recovery of identity and patrimony, Ben-Hur's vivid description is based on a breadth of research into the Bible and the Holy Lands that never fails to delight in its detail and realism. Like many other 'toga novels', Ben-Hur is also marked by traces of contemporary issues - the dissent, division and moral contradiction of emerging imperial cultures, the 'New Woman' question, and even trade unionism. Unlike the film versions, the novel is a rich source of American Victorian concerns and tensions, as well as being one of the most entertaining of its genre.

• New

  Paperback
  1996

  $7.02

  An immediate best-seller on publication, Ben Hur remains a dazzling achievement by any standards. A thoroughly exhilarating tale of betrayal, revenge and salvation, it is the only novel that ranks with Uncle Tom's Cabin as a genuine American folk possession. This was the book that finally overcame the inherent suspicion of fiction that still prevailed in much of america in the late nineteenth century. Wallace writes with a freshness and immediacy that brings every action-packed scene to life and illuminates the geography, ethnology and customs of the ancient world.