Ben-Hur / Lew Wallace

Ben-Hur
by Lew Wallace

fiction

copyright 1880
read in November 2015

rated 7/10: well worth reading

First up: Is Ben-Hur -- the book -- a "classic" ? I had typed "fiction, classic" up above. Then thought again. No... The movie Ben-Hur is the movie equivalent of a classic. The book... has faded with time.

As a child, I read the book. Then I watched the movie -- several times. For years, Ben-Hur would be shown on TV at Easter. Strangely enough, it was more years before I realised why ! I can remember a lot about the movie. Now, the book is fresh in my mind.

It's interesting, the way the book was adapted to the movie...

Take the chariot race:

Remember the movie ? (If not, watch it ! It's an old movie but still spectacular.) In the movie, Messala the Roman is evil. He has the blades on his wheels and he runs down any other charioteer in his way.

In the book, Messala does cause one crash. But then it is Ben-Hur who follows a deliberate plan, to crash Messala's chariot ! Ben-Hur begins the race with the deliberate intention of causing Messala to crash. Ben-Hur wants to win the race -- and to injure his enemy. Not as snow white heroic as in the movie !

The movie, in fact, loses a lot of the character development of its hero. The sub-title of the book is, A Tale of the Christ. In the movie, the hero wins the chariot race, suffers a bit more, saves his mother and sister -- a very moving scene ! -- and that's about it.

In the book, Ben-Hur wins the race -- and then spends quite a few chapters raising an army with which to overthrow Rome. The grand finale of the book is not that his family is cured, it's that Ben-Hur finally realises that Christ is preaching peace and not war. Ben-Hur gains religious insight and is able to live happily with himself.

The book is indeed A Tale of the Christ. It is a story of religion and belief and redemption and all those other religious motifs... The ones that sound good before the call to slaughter the infidels. The movie has a similar theme -- but glosses over the hero's own shift in understanding.

And speaking of the religious themes... Various characters spend a lot of time explaining their religious (and other) beliefs. Why is this not as boring as the political equivalent in 1984 ?

In 1984, the political explanations are the author, Orwell, presenting his views. They do nothing for the characters... Except, perhaps, explain why Smith is both helpless and doomed. In Ben-Hur, the explanations are an essential part of Ben-Hur himself developing his understanding. As he learns from the long-winded discussions, he shifts his internal point of view.

The religious discussions are long-winded. But they are an essential support for the development of the main character. And that development is the essential theme of this "tale of the Christ".

And finally...

As Ben-Hur is gathering his army, he looks forward to the overthrow of Rome, to the new world order under the rule of Israel. So what, I wonder, will be the advantage of rule by Israel rather than by Rome ? There is no answer, not in this book...

Plenty of people, plenty of races, want to conquer and rule the world. The usual reason is stated, that their way is best for everyone. Best for the ruler, says the more honest politician in 1984. Ben-Hur gives no reason at all, there is no statement that Israeli rule will be better... for anyone.

Perhaps... Perhaps this is due to simple religious prejudice by the author...?

Lew Wallace has written a tale of the Christ. The hero is (until the very last chapter) Jewish. So, naturally enough, the hero wants world domination by the Jewish state of Israel... The author is a Christian, so can offer no good reason why the world should be ruled by Israel. He just makes the statement, on behalf of his not-yet-Christianised Jewish hero.

This book is a strong supporter of Christianity. It is also a ripping yarn -- interspersed with passages of sweetness and light. No matter what your religious preferences, this book is well worth reading. I read it and find my religious views are safely unaltered...

Though it does make me wonder -- yet again -- at the unbelievable nature of human nature.

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"Not sure if I should really be reading 'Self Esteem for Dummies'"... adapted from Ginger Meggs