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GLADIATORS

Name: GLADIATORS
Author: Edna Cline
ISBN: 978-1-4497-3528-9

by Edna Cline ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 21, 2012

A historically exacting but somewhat-overwritten portrait of the times of Jesus.

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In this historical novel, a Roman soldier is torn between his loyalty to his emperor and his growing adoration for a religious leader he’s charged with tracking: Jesus of Nazareth.

Shortly after T. Bracia Octavio’s appointment to the Praetorian Guard, his fellow soldiers brutally murder him and his wife in a politically motivated act. He leaves behind an infant boy, Octaviate; he’s rescued by his paternal grandfather, Terullus, who flees with the boy to Jerusalem. By the time Octaviate reaches his late teens, he’s bristling at Terellus’ discipline, so he spontaneously enlists in Caesar’s legions. At 19, he marries 16-year-old Decima, a comely but violent woman; Octaviate tells her that her “lovely head incubates the brain of a cobra.” After 10 years of torturous marriage, he files for divorce, but she exacts her revenge by falsely accusing him of treason—a charge for which he must stand trial. Cline’s (The Portrait Postmortem, 2009) realistically depicts the political climate of the day in a corrupt Roman republic that harshly rules over its Jewish subjects; the Romans’ fears of insurrection are catalyzed by the charismatic preacher, Jesus, whom some Jews see as the messiah. Octaviate is moved by the plight of the Jews; he befriends a Jewish family and takes in their young boy, Jason, after Roman soldiers execute his parents. Octaviate is tasked with keeping a watchful eye on Jesus but becomes increasingly convinced he may be whom his disciples claim. Cline’s story lacks tautness, as too many subplots distract from the main story. Also, her prose can be melodramatically overwrought at times: “Cornelius Marcus, my good woman, is the spawn of a Syrian harlot who mated with an asp which was begotten of a jackal.” However, her mastery of the historical details is impressive; in particular, she provides a compelling account of Barabbas, a lesser-known figure from the Gospels.

A historically exacting but somewhat-overwritten portrait of the times of Jesus.

Pub Date: Feb. 21, 2012

ISBN: 978-1-4497-3528-9

Page Count: 332

Publisher: Westbow Press

Review Posted Online: May 16, 2019

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

RELIGIOUS FICTION

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THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS

by C.S. Lewis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 1, 1942

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These letters from some important executive Down Below, to one of the junior devils here on earth, whose job is to corrupt mortals, are witty and written in a breezy style seldom found in religious literature. The author quotes Luther, who said: "The best way to drive out the devil, if he will not yield to texts of Scripture, is to jeer and flout him, for he cannot bear scorn." This the author does most successfully, for by presenting some of our modern and not-so-modern beliefs as emanating from the devil's headquarters, he succeeds in making his reader feel like an ass for ever having believed in such ideas. This kind of presentation gives the author a tremendous advantage over the reader, however, for the more timid reader may feel a sense of guilt after putting down this book. It is a clever book, and for the clever reader, rather than the too-earnest soul.

Pub Date: Jan. 1, 1942

ISBN: 0060652934

Page Count: 53

Publisher: Macmillan

Review Posted Online: Oct. 17, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1943

Categories:

RELIGIOUS FICTION

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THE CHOSEN

by Chaim Potok ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 28, 1967

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This first novel, ostensibly about the friendship between two boys, Reuven and Danny, from the time when they are fourteen on opposing yeshiva ball clubs, is actually a gently didactic differentiation between two aspects of the Jewish faith, the Hasidic and the Orthodox. Primarily the Hasidic, the little known mystics with their beards, earlocks and stringently reclusive way of life. According to Reuven's father who is a Zionist, an activist, they are fanatics; according to Danny's, other Jews are apostates and Zionists "goyim." The schisms here are reflected through discussions, between fathers and sons, and through the separation imposed on the two boys for two years which still does not affect their lasting friendship or enduring hopes: Danny goes on to become a psychiatrist refusing his inherited position of "tzaddik"; Reuven a rabbi.... The explanation, in fact exegesis, of Jewish culture and learning, of the special dedication of the Hasidic with its emphasis on mind and soul, is done in sufficiently facile form to engage one's interest and sentiment. The publishers however see a much wider audience for The Chosen. If they "rub their tzitzis for good luck,"—perhaps—although we doubt it.