Ben-Hur [antikvár]

introduction Lew Wallace's first book, The Fair God, was published in 1873 to tremendous acclaim, selling over one hundred and fifty thousand copies during the author's lifetime. A second novel, Ben-Hur, was inspired by research into the life and doctrine of Jesus, an exercise which had confirmed Wallace's own Christian faith. Ben-Hur, which Wallace began to write in 1876, appeared in 1880 and was an instant best-seller, exceeding sales of two million copies. A novel on a huge scale which spans some thirty years and is set in many different parts of the ancient world, Ben-Hur lent itself readily to adaptation for the cinema screen. Coimdess people remember the celebrated chariot race in the film made by William Wyler in the 1950s, yet few readers today are familiar with Wallace's rich and compelling original narrative. Sub-tided A Tale of the Christ, Ben-Hur is essentially a picaresque novel about the life and eventual conversion to Christianity of Judah Ben-Hur, heir of a rich orthodox Jewish family. Betrayed by his ambitious Roman friend, Messala, Ben-Hur's fortunes change drastically. His life runs parallel to that of Christ in the novel, touching it tangentially at various stages in a way that gives the reader an omniscient view of his sacred destiny. After many gruesome years of hardship and degradation, restored, avenged, and finally reunited with his mother and sister, Ben-Hur returns to Jerusalem on the day of the crucifixion. Miracles of physical and spiritual healing occur in a moving final scene that Wallace handles with a masterly touch. Despite Wallace's missionary intention, which was to illustrate the spiritual aspect of the promised kingdom, it is the revenge of Ben-Hur upon his false friend which is the imposing theme in the book. This element is handled with a simple vitality that is less apparent in the chapters that deal with scriptural characters and events. Yet the quality of Wallace's writing throughout has a brilliance, and though there is a slackening of tension in the novel once the hero realises that he carmot