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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A magnificent saga of ancient Rome from today's perspective.,
By Roger J. Buffington (Huntington Beach, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: The Far Arena (Mass Market Paperback)
"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.
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Masterpiece from a writer too soon gone...,
By
This review is from: The Far Arena (Hardcover)
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!
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
We who are about to die...,
By
This review is from: The Far Arena (Mass Market Paperback)
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!
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