Customer Reviews

The Far Arena

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"The Far Arena" is, quite simply, a magnificent story, which places Richard Sapir among the top ranks of novelist talents. Why this one did not receive greater acclaim is a mystery, because this is a powerful, well-written, even compelling story dealing with ancient Rome. Without spoiling the plot, it is simple enough: by entirely plausible scientific means, a Roman gladiator is revived in the modern age. His flashbacks to life in ancient Rome and his impressions of the modern age are all woven into a compelling plot that moves at lightning speed to a startling and yet wistful conclusion. This is a great story.

Sapir's prose is superb. Many authors have trouble switching from first-person narration to a third-person perspective as Sapir does in this novel, but Sapir does it effortlessly. The storyline never drags. The novel has a wonderful sense of authenticity that causes the ancient Roman Empire to become real to the reader. Sapir's characterizations are excellent as well. Eugeni, the Roman gladiator and the other leading characters all become real people about whom the reader will come to care a great deal. Put simply, there is very little about this novel not to like.

I own two copies of this one and would never part with either--I consider this to be one of the very best novels I have ever read. The discerning reader will want to read and keep this one in his or her personal library.

This is a magnificently well-written book, the work of a real writer. The portions told in first-person by Eugeni read as if Sapir were channeling rather than creating. This is how it must have been in Rome. The characters are all fully-drawn, complex human beings. A mesmerizing, unforgettable book. Find a copy, any way you can. It's a literary crime this was allowed to go out of print!

Richard Sapir, co-creator of the extraordinarily witty Destroyer series (with Warren Murphy ) writes a book on his own... and it's a triumph!

A story told from two perspectives - eye of God, and the main protagonist's own point of view - The Far Arena tells the story of a champion Roman Gladiator of the greatest "bread and blood" circus days who is exiled, frozen to death, then revived in modern times. Forget the science, although it reads well enough. Just suspend your disbelief, and read on, because this is culture shock on a grand scale.

Eugenie tells his own story of his triumphs in becoming Rome's richest Gladiator, his fall from grace, his "death", and resurrection. The contempt he holds for modern man is palpable. Throughout the book we are forced to question our modern morals and ethics, our religions and beliefs.

If you spot this book anywhere, grab it. Read it. Then mail it to me. I loaned my copy out, and..... well, you know the rest of that story!

Never mind the huge gaps in medical science, this is still an entertaining story filled with minutae that give it life and breath. You will be there in ancient Rome with Eugeni, in greedy corporate America with Lew, in the Socialist mindset with Semyon, and believe it or not, in the cloistered nunnery with Olava. It is an ensemble cast of seemingly impossible common ground, but Sapir makes their conspiracy entirely believable. I re-read this book about once a year, along with Wilbur Smith's "Sunbird" and Pat Frank's "Alas Babylon". Yep, it's THAT good.

Wonderful book, wonderful protaganist in Eugeni, the pragmatic little Roman gladiator who is brought back to life by modern science. He's like a modern-day Dorothy, in a brand new world, and both appalled and fascinated by what he encounters.
I can't believe this book is out of print,...
I also have loaned out copies and never got them back (along with The Sunbird), but luckily still have my original hard copy. If you can find this book, do buy it and do read it!

I've been a bit reluctant to rely on Amazon.com reviews after a few clunkers but thank you, thank you, thank you to the person who put this on a "best of" list. This is not only a great story, about a frozen man, who may or may not be a gladiator from Caracalla's Rome, who is revived in the 20th century, but it's a well written book as well, with lots of historical detail that never overwhelms with triviality. Sapir gives us a Russian doctor, a Nordic nun, a Roman gladiator, and a Texas engineer working for an oil company and brings them together realistically and, more amazingly, in a way that makes you care about every single one. He intercuts their efforts to resuscitate and then communicate with the Roman, with the story of the putative gladiator's life in ancient Rome. Sapir has done his research and created a very moving and fascinating story. Well worth the effort to track a copy down.

It is a shame that this book is out of print. I bought and read the book in the early 80's and it is one of the books that I read every so often. It is fascinating in its account of ancient Rome and the gladiators as well as its story of the three individuals involved with Eugeni. I recently saw the movie "Gladiator" and it prompted me to pick up The Far Arena and read it again. I never tire of the story of Eugeni. If you can get your hands on a copy of this book, do so! You can't have mine!

Too bad this book is out of print. As a kid, I was always fascinated with the gladiators of ancient Rome. When I encountered this book, the Si-Fi twist and the excellent account of our frozen gladiator's amazing journey was made believable with rich details and writing. This is a fine work that has been copied in many forms and it is sad that credit doesn't go to the original creative mind of Richard Sapir.

An incredible book that I could not put down! This is a fascinating picture not only of life in ancient Rome but also an accurate, if controversial(!), look at our life today through the eyes of a 2000-year-old gladiator! I only wish they had taken Eugeni to an NFL game to get his reaction! What is striking is how much we have in common with this world empire and also how much we owe them. An outstanding book I heartily recommend.

The author has given us a wonderful treasure that opens the ancient world of Rome and the gladitorial existance to our modern eyes. One comes away feeling in our deepest depths that the author must of been a time-travler himself. This book hits home in human ways too, raising questions of self-integrity, the value of life, and the transendance of the search for truth or meaning. Great fiction that can also be life changing. What more could we ask for? Reprint it now!