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5 out of 5
by
Emily
from
The United States | Jul 10, 2008
Life-altering.
For the first time, I feel like I have an inkling of what Christ's life was like, with whom he socialized, what he ate, saw, did, and where/and whom he taught. The relationships and accounts of Christ's sermons from fictional eye-witnesses were mesmerizng.
All of the accounts are what we've read about in the New Testament all our lives, but the fictional stories of how those teachings changed the lives of humble people in forsaken villages in a forsaken countryside made me understand how Christianity spread the world over, (regardless of the Romans trying to squelch it out) and how the influence of a few compassionate acts can slowly, quietly change mankind for generations exponentially.
Besides, the details of life in Rome, Jerusalem, and Greece--in Christ's time--were intriguing. Lloyd C. Douglas whisked me to the hills of Cana in a pair of dusty sandals and dropped down in the middle of the sunny, baren hills with an Art History professor whispering into my ear. Delicious! (Except for the dusty sandals part.)
Plus, I listened to this book on my iPod and it was nice to hear an Australian accent enacting the Greek and Roman people. The love story isn't half bad along the way either. All of the descriptions of lush Greek melon fields, sunny Roman plazas with fountains, and cool dimly-lit weavers' shops run by old out-spoken Jewish men, were bewitching. I was so sad when this book came to a bang of an end.
The characters, those who change by Christ's example even after his death, are of Attitus Finch quality. This one, I will pick up again.
3 people found this review helpful
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5 out of 5
by
Nicole
from
Lake Isabella, CA | Feb 13, 2008
My interest to read this novel was sparked by watching the movie. The novel is so much better than the movie, no big surprise there! :-) Yet, I was surprised to see just how many characters and details had been eliminated in the movie version to make the plot fit into a 2-hour presentation. Douglas's novel is marvelous! The movie does not do such an emotionally-charged book justice! The main characters, Marcellus, Diana, and Demetrius, are not as valiantly noble as Douglas's words create them out to be. This novel has many minor characters like Peter, Stephen, Justice, Herod, Salome, and even Pontius Pilate from the Bible. Reading this story takes the reader on a journey through Jerusalem and Greece during the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, as one learns about the Jewish cultural system of that period. The reader is learning about history and religious doctrine without even realizing it, and one has the Gallio family intertwined into such moving, historical times. This is historical fiction at its best!
Demetrius, one of the stars of the story was down played in the movie, which disappointed me. This loyal slave is brave,clever and strong. As he learns Hebrew, his intelligence is made known. As he rescues Diana from Capri, his bravery and cleverness are evident. Furthermore, the exciting brawl with Quinntus shows his strength, so he should have played a much larger role in the movie. He was the hero of the story, displaying his arête at all times. In the book, he was very spiritual and was always saying profound declarations, like the following:
"This faith is not like a deed to a house in which one has full possession. It is more like a kit of tools with which a man may build himself a house. The tools will be worth just what he does with them. When he lays them down they have no value until he takes them up again."
Demetrius is not the only spiritually-minded character in this rare jewel. The reader is taken on an exciting journey with characters that will become your best friends. Marcellus Gallio is such an ordinary, likable guy that the reader cannot help rooting for Marcellus to get his girl in the end. Their romance was well-developed, and Douglas knew just how to satisfy that feminine audience searching for romantic stories. Wonderfully moving novel! Taught me many things about the Jewish culture, but more importantly, it gave me new insights about the early Christian martyrs. Absolutely sensational book! :-)
3 people found this review helpful
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3 out of 5
by
Mary JL
from
Omaha, NE | May 4, 2009
This is my "oldest" book. NOt by publishing date--but the first book I ever purchased for myself--at age 14 and I still have it.
The story is based on Marcellus Gallo, a wealthy young Roman tribune wh oversees Christ's crucifixion. It traces how the crucifixion affects him and his family--first Marcellus is appalled; acting crazy; resentful and so on. Then he starts touring Galilee to find ou the background of Jeses. At the end, he does join the new Christian religion--as many Romans did.
The story is a bit dated; but still holds up upon re-reading. I found the story inspirational when I first read it; but even if religion is not your interest, it is a very decent historical novel in its own right.
Recommended for fans of Christian fiction; fans of historical novels--especially the ancinet world.
2 people found this review helpful
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5 out of 5
by
Teri
from
Ontario, CA | Mar 14, 2008
It is fitting I finished reading on Easter Sunday. It was a great book to read the week of Easter. Very good story and characters. A Roman soldier, Marcellus, takes part in the crucifixion of Jesus, and is so upset by it that he eventually begins a search to find out all he can about Jesus. I liked that Douglas gives a wonderful back story to Marcellus. We learn of his loving parents and his sister, and his loyal slave, Demetrius. Demetrius is a great man. This is a character rich book, with many people we get to know in Rome as well as Greece and Jerusalem. I look forward to watching the movie today, and am on the hunt for the sequel "Demetrius and the Gladiators". The story has a great message.
1 people found this review helpful
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4 out of 5
by
Carolyn
from
North Salt Lake, UT | Mar 26, 2009
I read this to present to my book club next month. I realize that this style of writing is a little old fashioned because it is not the shorthand version written now, so it may take others a little time to get used to. And yet, it's hard to put it down.
I found the cultural context most interesting. As I became immersed in the culture, I could feel how and why the teachings of Christ were strange to the Romans and the Jews. I saw how Christ's teachings became a danger to the Jew's economy and comfort. I felt how His teachings spread through grassroots efforts. I saw how Roman superiority, greed and inhumanity ultimately, in the future, would lead to their undoing. I saw how faith grew through learning truth. I saw how standing up for what one believes has consequences. But, the consequences are worth the price, because there is more to life than this earthly existence. I saw that truth would not die regardless of the attempts of greedy men to kill it.
Life hasn't changed much since then, has it?