977 books
—
5,701 voters
Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ” as Want to Read:
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
by
Lew Wallace
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1880) by Lew Wallace is one of the most popular and beloved 19th century American novels. This faithful New Testament tale combines the events of the life of Jesus with grand historical spectacle in the exciting story of Judah of the House of Hur, a man who finds extraordinary redemption for himself and his family.A classic of faith, fortitud
...more
Hardcover, 620 pages
Published
October 18th 2007
by Norilana Books
(first published 1880)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Reader Q&A
Community Reviews
(showing 1-30)
Is not his the law, Eye for eye, hand for hand, foot for foot? Oh, in all these years I have dreamed of vengeance, and prayed and provided for it, and gathered patience from the growing of my store, thinking and promising, as the Lord liveth, it will one day buy me punishment of the wrong-doers?
Who's in for a revenge tale set in the first century a.C.?
Ben-Hur is a man who's perfectly happy. He has a mother and a sister who love him, and he's friends with a Roman, and that puts him in a positio ...more
"Out of that vast tomb Christianity issued to supersede the Caesars."
Ben Hur is one of those classic works better recognised for its many adaptations. To this end it seems fair to compare it to another highly similar work - Les Miserables. Both are classic historical fiction works which use history to spread themes and ideas about humanity as a whole. Both novels also regularly divert from the storytelling to provide detailed insights into history. This is perhaps where Ben Hur is stronger tha ...more
The first thing I want to address is the “speed” of this book. I first read this book in the fall or winter of 1971, and at that time, as a high school senior, I was well-accustomed to reading Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Victor Hugo, and all those other authors of the Victorian era (and before!) Back then, I read one Shakespeare play every year for high school English literature (with support from my friends and the teacher!), and had even slogged through the assigned portions of Beowulf. That
...more
The first sign that I should not have read this book was the discrepancy in hours between the abridged and unabridged versions on audible. Unabridged: 21 hours, Abridged: 3 hours. I bought it anyway and soon discovered why. There's about 15% story and 85% fluff in Ben Hur. It is, hands down, the best argument for editing I have ever read.
For example, there was a section in the beginning where two men embraced. That's all we need to know, right? No, no. Of course not. We have to hear that they t ...more
For example, there was a section in the beginning where two men embraced. That's all we need to know, right? No, no. Of course not. We have to hear that they t ...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Indiscutabil cel mai bun roman despre începuturile răspândirii creștinismului, declarat ca o scriere care, între sfârșitul secolului XIX și începutul secolului XX, a adus "religiei lui Cristos" un uriaș aport de adepți.
Prin 2012 văzusem filmul (o peliculă cu Charlton Heston), apoi, plimbându-mă prin bibliotecă și neștiind ce să aleg (era în era când încă nu-mi desăvârşisem interesele), tot uitându-mă prin colecția de la Adevărul, am dat cu ochii de titlul acesta și-mi adusesem aminte că filmul ...more
Prin 2012 văzusem filmul (o peliculă cu Charlton Heston), apoi, plimbându-mă prin bibliotecă și neștiind ce să aleg (era în era când încă nu-mi desăvârşisem interesele), tot uitându-mă prin colecția de la Adevărul, am dat cu ochii de titlul acesta și-mi adusesem aminte că filmul ...more
Went to a BYU education week class on finding good books to read. A woman in the class recommended this one. One of her favorites. I look forward to reading it and then watching the movie which Sally has highly recommended.
I loved this story. It was a bit of a challenge in the beginning. There is a lot of detailed description of clothing, customs, etc. Wallace addressed the reader and would try to put you in the location he was describing. It took some patience, but I began to really enjoy it. ...more
I loved this story. It was a bit of a challenge in the beginning. There is a lot of detailed description of clothing, customs, etc. Wallace addressed the reader and would try to put you in the location he was describing. It took some patience, but I began to really enjoy it. ...more
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, Lewis "Lew" Wallace, New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1908 , 491 P.
عنوان: بن هور؛ نویسنده: لوئیس والاس؛ مترجم: محمد نوروزی؛ تهران، امیرکبیر، فرانکلین، 1339؛ در8 و 535 ص؛ فروست: داستانهای علمی تخیلی از نویسندگان امریکایی؛ قرن 19 م
عنوان: بن هور - یا، داستان عیسی؛ نویسنده: لوئیس والاس؛ مترجم: محمود شایگان؛ تهران، علمی، 1363؛ در 337 ص؛ فروست: داستانهای علمی تخیلی؛
آقایان: امین نصیری؛ اسماعیل (اسمعیل) شایگان؛ کیومرث پارسای؛ حسن نامدار؛ محمدتقی دانیا؛ و خانم ناهید سلطانی، ...more
عنوان: بن هور؛ نویسنده: لوئیس والاس؛ مترجم: محمد نوروزی؛ تهران، امیرکبیر، فرانکلین، 1339؛ در8 و 535 ص؛ فروست: داستانهای علمی تخیلی از نویسندگان امریکایی؛ قرن 19 م
عنوان: بن هور - یا، داستان عیسی؛ نویسنده: لوئیس والاس؛ مترجم: محمود شایگان؛ تهران، علمی، 1363؛ در 337 ص؛ فروست: داستانهای علمی تخیلی؛
آقایان: امین نصیری؛ اسماعیل (اسمعیل) شایگان؛ کیومرث پارسای؛ حسن نامدار؛ محمدتقی دانیا؛ و خانم ناهید سلطانی، ...more
Apr 21, 2013
Jon
added it
"Nu toate cărțile bune trebuie citite, neapărat, până la capăt."
Asa a fost şi în cazul meu cu Ben Hur...
Asa a fost şi în cazul meu cu Ben Hur...
Oct 19, 2016
David Sarkies
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
Everybody
Recommended to David by:
Charlton Heston
Shelves:
historical
One man's search for redemption
27 July 2010
Needless to say that the book is much better than the movie, and when it comes to Ben Hur, that is definitely saying something. While the famous scenes in the movie are replicated from the book (that being the chariot race and the sea battle), there is much more to the book than there is to the movie (though the theme is the same in both). The book is actually called Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ. It may seem that Christ is only a bit part in the book ...more
27 July 2010
Needless to say that the book is much better than the movie, and when it comes to Ben Hur, that is definitely saying something. While the famous scenes in the movie are replicated from the book (that being the chariot race and the sea battle), there is much more to the book than there is to the movie (though the theme is the same in both). The book is actually called Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ. It may seem that Christ is only a bit part in the book ...more
There is a very small genre that I love. Set during the late ancient times, it tends to be sensational, exciting, and full of moral fibre. That's right—I'm talking about that guilty pleasure of the Christian fiction world, the Tale of Early Christianity, the ultimate have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too book, in which people with shocking vices get saved and then (like as not) served to the lions in the Circus Maximus. Henryk Sienkiewicz won the Nobel Prize for Quo Vadis, perhaps the masterpiece of the
...more
Engaging, Moving, Thrilling, Uplifting, Unforgettable, Action Packed & Life Changing! An Amazing Classic! I Loved It!
Third reading - Sep/Oct 2016
Second reading - Lent 2016. Absolutely better on the second reading.
What American is unaware of the Charlton Heston chariot race? It is absolutely iconic. In Anne of Green Gables, Anne is caught reading Ben Hur during lessons but couldn't put it down because of the intensity of the chariot race.
Most Americans have grown up with at least a passing exposure to the Hollywood epic of Ben Hur and therefore will find the text to be surreal and disorienting at first and th ...more
Second reading - Lent 2016. Absolutely better on the second reading.
What American is unaware of the Charlton Heston chariot race? It is absolutely iconic. In Anne of Green Gables, Anne is caught reading Ben Hur during lessons but couldn't put it down because of the intensity of the chariot race.
Most Americans have grown up with at least a passing exposure to the Hollywood epic of Ben Hur and therefore will find the text to be surreal and disorienting at first and th ...more
Before reading the book, I had the pleasure of watching the 1959 film. So, whilst reading the book, I found myself constantly comparing it to the film. There are so many differences! The book, like most, have a lot more backstory and character development than in the film.
Two of the characters that stood out to me in difference from the film the most where: Tirzah (Judah Ben Hur's Sister) and Quintus Arrius (Judah's Step-father). To me both book versions where way better than what was portrayed ...more
Two of the characters that stood out to me in difference from the film the most where: Tirzah (Judah Ben Hur's Sister) and Quintus Arrius (Judah's Step-father). To me both book versions where way better than what was portrayed ...more
So this is the best selling American novel of all time. It is also a hit movie from 1959 and a new adaptation just hit the theaters last week.
The book itself is excellent. The subtitle is there so that, among other things, the last few chapters aren't a surprise. The main plot follows the young Judah Ben-Hur as he navigates his way from profound loss and betrayal back to wholeness, a wholeness which comes through his experiences of the Christ.
Quite likely, some people who read this will object ...more
The book itself is excellent. The subtitle is there so that, among other things, the last few chapters aren't a surprise. The main plot follows the young Judah Ben-Hur as he navigates his way from profound loss and betrayal back to wholeness, a wholeness which comes through his experiences of the Christ.
Quite likely, some people who read this will object ...more
Well this is indeed an epic read! A tale of betrayal and revenge on (literally) a biblical scale Wallace follows Jewish Prince Ben-Hur as he loses everything as his 'friend' turns against him and falsely accuses him of the murder of a Roman Governer. As he finds himself trapped as a galley slave he vows to seek his revenge and his determination allows him to do just that. Intertwinned in this is the story of Christ, from his birth to his death, told in great (possibly too much) detail that adds
...more
INCREDIBLE! I found this book to be on the same par as Les Miserables. The story begins with the birth of the Christ Child and a detailed depiction of the journey of the Three Wise Men (what could have happened), and ends with the Crucifixion of Jesus. In between these two world changing events is the story of a man (Ben Hur) from a wealthy family who is deeply betrayed by a Roman friend. He ends up in the bowels of a ship as an oarsman – a grueling job. Ben Hur’s life journey is described in gr
...more
One of the best historical novels I ever read. It is definitively a masterpiece of the genre together with Sienkewicz's Quo Vadis. I love it and I can recommend it to everyone that would like to read a decent historical novel.
The only bad thing is about the edition from Adevarul that I had. It had several typos and also some pages where the content is printed slightly to the right or to the left of the page. In the end, you can read it well from the respective edition, but definitively such thin ...more
The only bad thing is about the edition from Adevarul that I had. It had several typos and also some pages where the content is printed slightly to the right or to the left of the page. In the end, you can read it well from the respective edition, but definitively such thin ...more
It's been years since I read this. It was slow going in some places - my problem with writers of the past. Overall, the book was great, but it was a 'read once' for me.
I must admit that I like the movie starring Charlton Heston better than the book, but maybe that's only because I viewed it a dozen times before reading the original story. The book is VERY long, with rich descriptions that are almost purple prose at times. But don't take my mention of the descriptive narrative as a huge downside to the story. If you can be patient with it, the story is actually quite good. As you experience the tale, you should reflect on the time period when Ben Hur was writte
...more
"Ben Hur" is a novel in the style of the historical epic format that was popular in the late 19th Century. Written by Lew Wallace, a General in the Union Army during the Civil War, the novel is an attempt for Wallace to connect to Christ using the worldview of a soldier. Set in Ancient Rome, it's the story of Judah Ben Hur, a Jewish nobleman who is swept up in the Jewish insurgency that was on the rise in the time of Christ. Ben Hur becomes a slave on a Roman Galley, and during a naval battle he
...more
As a work of literature I found this just scrapped into the 'ok' slot. There is a lot of tedious and unnecessary detail and, for my tastes, too much blah blah in general. Certainly parts of it were good but the dramatic climax obviously came with the famous chariot race but because this is a religious text disguised as a novel we need to keep on going for another third while the theme of redemption is played out. Sort of. Ben-Hur isn't big on the forgiving (for which I totally don't blame him) b
...more
Dec 15, 2013
Mary JL
rated it
liked it
Recommends it for:
Fans of Christian or Historical fiction
Shelves:
fiction-classics
Written in 1880, this excellent historical novel still has much to offer the modern reader.
The story is familiar to anyone who who has seen the movie--Ben Hur is sent to the galleys as a slave; he save the Roman commander; the great chariot race and so on.
But, as is usally the case, for me, the book is SO much better. There is a lot in the book that is not shown in the movie. I find the wealth of historical detail fascinating. And a lot of details about the characters enriches the story for me. ...more
The story is familiar to anyone who who has seen the movie--Ben Hur is sent to the galleys as a slave; he save the Roman commander; the great chariot race and so on.
But, as is usally the case, for me, the book is SO much better. There is a lot in the book that is not shown in the movie. I find the wealth of historical detail fascinating. And a lot of details about the characters enriches the story for me. ...more
"It is finished."
That is, the book, and the life.
But it has only begun.
Definitely a slow, long book with many many details that were painful to wade through. But all in all, it's a fantastic story. Just...don't try to read it any quicker than two or three weeks. Give it time and get through it in 20-40 page chunks. Let it sink in, and you won't regret it.
Despite all my complaints about how long and dull sections of this are, I did enjoy the story as a whole quite a bit. Good job, Mr. Lew Wallac ...more
That is, the book, and the life.
But it has only begun.
Definitely a slow, long book with many many details that were painful to wade through. But all in all, it's a fantastic story. Just...don't try to read it any quicker than two or three weeks. Give it time and get through it in 20-40 page chunks. Let it sink in, and you won't regret it.
Despite all my complaints about how long and dull sections of this are, I did enjoy the story as a whole quite a bit. Good job, Mr. Lew Wallac ...more
کتاب های زیادی در مورد دوران اولیه مسیحیت نوشته شده
مثل کجا میروی هنریک سینکویچ
که این کتاب هم به این سبک نوشته شده
اما آن کجا و این کجا!!!
نمیدانم اطلاعات تاریخیش چقد صحت دارد
ولی بنظرم از لحاظ ادبی ضعیف است
از ان دست کتاب ها که حسابی از خواندنش پشیمان شدم
بنظرم بعضی کتابا فقط جنبه تجاری دارند
و برای فروش آن، رواحساسات مذهبی مردم حساب ویژه ای باز کرده اند
مثل کتاب هایی که از شما خواهش میکنند ثروتمند شوید
که رو حس جاه طلبی انسان ها حساب باز میکند
مثل کجا میروی هنریک سینکویچ
که این کتاب هم به این سبک نوشته شده
اما آن کجا و این کجا!!!
نمیدانم اطلاعات تاریخیش چقد صحت دارد
ولی بنظرم از لحاظ ادبی ضعیف است
از ان دست کتاب ها که حسابی از خواندنش پشیمان شدم
بنظرم بعضی کتابا فقط جنبه تجاری دارند
و برای فروش آن، رواحساسات مذهبی مردم حساب ویژه ای باز کرده اند
مثل کتاب هایی که از شما خواهش میکنند ثروتمند شوید
که رو حس جاه طلبی انسان ها حساب باز میکند
M am pierdut printre atâtea detalii .. Greoaie si mi se pare ca e supraevaluată .
BEN-HUR: A TALE OF THE CHRIST By Lew Wallace
Book Review by:Sharon Powers.
Ulysses S. Grant sat to read the new novel, Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ. The words of the book soon caught his imagination and he was unable to escape. He couldn't put the book down, and so, mesmerized, he continued to sit and read. Abandoning all responsibilities and his family, he immersed himself in the pages of Lew Wallace's book. He sat reading. For thirty straight hours, the Great General of the Civil War, leader o ...more
Book Review by:Sharon Powers.
Ulysses S. Grant sat to read the new novel, Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ. The words of the book soon caught his imagination and he was unable to escape. He couldn't put the book down, and so, mesmerized, he continued to sit and read. Abandoning all responsibilities and his family, he immersed himself in the pages of Lew Wallace's book. He sat reading. For thirty straight hours, the Great General of the Civil War, leader o ...more
I grabbed this one as a change of pace. Seeing the movie several times in my younger years I would think there was more to the story.
The book certainly gave more of a back story of the two main characters and supporting characters, as well as, a bit more on Jesus's story.
It is a solid story depicting ancient times.
The book certainly gave more of a back story of the two main characters and supporting characters, as well as, a bit more on Jesus's story.
It is a solid story depicting ancient times.
This book was tough to read, while it got long and frustratingly dry at times, I almost found myself in Jerusalem in the time of Christ. Parts of it were very haunting and exciting. I'm glad I finished it, I almost didn't, but it was a different perspective on the coming of Jesus and very moving at times. Of course it involved every topic we live with today, racism, hate, cruelty beyond measure. Despite that, Jesus walked among the people in this book and they still took Him for granted.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christian Books T...: Ben Hur | 1 | 1 | Jan 12, 2017 09:34AM |
Lewis "Lew" Wallace was a lawyer, governor, Union general in the American Civil War, American statesman, and author, best remembered for his historical novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ.
From Civil War Biography:
Although he would have much preferred to be remembered as a highly successful military hero, Lew Wallace has been thwarted in this ambition and is best known as an author. Born in Indiana ...more
More about Lew Wallace...
From Civil War Biography:
Although he would have much preferred to be remembered as a highly successful military hero, Lew Wallace has been thwarted in this ambition and is best known as an author. Born in Indiana ...more
Share This Book
6 trivia questions
More quizzes & trivia...
“Riches take wings, comforts vanish, hope withers away,but love stays with us. Love is God.”
—
47 likes
“The happiness of love is in action; its test is what one is willing to do for others.”
—
33 likes
More quotes…
