Customer Reviews

Quo Vadis?

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Given that Mr Sienkiewicz won the Nobel literary prize for mainly this work, that alone is a pretty good bet for reading it. Written in the 1890's, this book is seen as one of the world's first "bestseller" novels, and is definitely an epic of, well, epic proportions.

Unfortunately, the book does suffer slightly as a result of the translation, as noted by an earlier reviewer, so if you can read Polish, do get the original version. Nevertheless, although the book starts off a tad slow, think of the beginning as a push off from a cliff, because after that it's as fast paced a thriller as money can buy.

A basic exposure to Roman and Christian history will make the book really come alive. Although certain "facts" are not correct, or have been omitted, remember that the book is meant to be fiction. The historical events are merely a platform for a passionate love story between a pagan Roman and a Christian girl. However, it is the seeming impossibility of this love, together with descriptions of the nearly moronic Roman "royal court", keeps you reading well into the night. The emotional roller-coaster makes you, the reader, feel exhausted.

Definitely recommended, and one of the most enjoyable books I've read.

If you liked this, do check out his other novels - especially the brilliant "Teutonic Knights" which is another epic of a young Polish knight (and of course a lovely maiden or two thrown in for good measure) and the history of middle ages Poland up to the battle of Grunwald where the Teutonic Knights were defeated.

The Christian v. lion's story has been around so long that it has pretty much become a kind of myth. It is a phrase one brings up in order to illustrate some point or other, but is hardly ever thought about in historical terms. In fact, Christianity itself sometimes seems as if it is becoming a kind of myth. The left doesn't take it seriously, and bashes Christians for being intolerant and condescending. But Christians, in their haste to retaliate, often act intolerant and can be arrogantly condescending. The sense of what it means to be Christian seems to get lost in all of this.

Quo Vadis takes us back to the days when Christianity was fresh and new and shows us just what kind of world it was then that caused such a movement to flourish. This alone would make it an excellent novel, but it works wonderfully on all levels. The characters are superbly drawn, the setting is realistic, the plot crackles along, and, perhaps most importantly in a novel with this subject matter, it never becomes preachy or didactic, instead maintaining an objective perspective throughout.

Rome was the greatest of the ancient empires, yet despite all of its glorious achievements, it was truly a barbaric place. The concept of human rights was non-existent. Slaves--of all races--were property, and could be used in any way one saw fit, including the most vicious or depraved. The rule of law, while discussed in philosophical terms, was only sporadically and occasionally applied. The law instead came and went at the whim of the powerful, and if the powerful happened to be someone like Nero--the ruler of Rome during the course of this novel--then the law was sadistic, cruel, wicked and unpredictable.

We see the effect that living this kind of society has on the two main characters of the novel, both of whom are members of the upper crust: Petronius, a courtier; and Vinicius, a military officer. Petronius, as Nero's confidant, can never let his guard down. He must flatter, cajole, deceive and manipulate Nero every minute of the day, for his very life depends on it. It is a life, "drained and listless and detached," as we are told in the first sentence of the novel. Vinicius falls in love with a captive Christian female, and through his love we see how Christianity changes his life. But it is an unbelievably difficult and dangerous undertaking--with the demented presence of Nero and his sycophants looming over everything--to form an attachment with a person and then a cause such as this.

It gradually dawns on us how the Christian movement began in the first place, and why attempts were made so mercilessly to stamp it out. Instead of dishonesty and cruelty, it called for honesty and kindness. Instead of privilege for the elite, its promises were made to all. Instead of arrogance, it preached submissiveness. Perhaps most importantly, it simplified one's life, and allowed one to live without fear.

Rome is burned, possibly at Nero's orders, incredibly, so that he can experience suffering as he believes a true artist must. To divert the anger of the Romans, he blames Christians. Thousands of men, women, and children are rounded up, put in dungeons for months, then on successive festival days were crucified, burned alive, mauled by gladiators, and, as we know, attacked by wild animals. Their fate is so hideous that in time even the jaded Romans became sickened by it.

These historical events, and the actions of the characters during them, are what make up the bulk of the novel. To say the least, it makes for very compelling reading; indeed, some parts are difficult to bear. And as mentioned, it is presented in a very objective way. Not all of the Christians are presented sympathetically--one, in fact, is a fiery, all-will-be-damned type--and not all the Romans are presented harshly. The noblest character in the novel may very well be Petronius, who uses his influence as much as he can to alleviate the suffering he sees around him. And although he recognizes to some degree the power and decency of the movement, he himself does not wish to become a Christian. He can not abide the idea of being required to love his fellow man, most of whom--the unwashed, ignorant mob--he detests. He is a magnificent creation.

The book is a real eye-opener, a good reminder of what the world was like before the birth of Christ, and a sobering reflection on what being a Christian truly means. At the same time it is also a superbly researched and entertaining piece of historical fiction, and the kind of thing for which historical fiction buffs are constantly on the alert. Great stuff.

(I should mention that this review is of the Kunizak translation.)

Given that Mr Sienkiewicz won the Nobel literary prize for mainly this work, that alone is a pretty good bet for reading it. Written in the 1890's, this book is seen as one of the world's first "bestseller" novels, and is definitely an epic of, well, epic proportions.

Unfortunately, the book does suffer slightly as a result of the translation, as noted by an earlier reviewer, so if you can read Polish, do get the original version. Nevertheless, although the book starts off a tad slow, think of the beginning as a push off from a cliff, because after that it's as fast paced a thriller as money can buy.

A basic exposure to Roman and Christian history will make the book really come alive. Although certain "facts" are not correct, or have been omitted, remember that the book is meant to be fiction. The historical events are merely a platform for a passionate love story between a pagan Roman and a Christian girl. However, it is the seeming impossibility of this love, together with descriptions of the nearly moronic Roman "royal court", keeps you reading well into the night. The emotional roller-coaster makes you, the reader, feel exhausted.

Definitely recommended, and one of the most enjoyable books I've read.

If you liked this, do check out his other novels - especially the brilliant "Teutonic Knights" which is another epic of a young Polish knight (and of course a lovely maiden or two thrown in for good measure) and the history of middle ages Poland up to the battle of Grunwald where the Teutonic Knights were defeated.

This is a book that took me about 50 pages or so to get completely hooked. After adjusting to the fine translation and getting accustomed to the way in which Sienkiewicz peppers his prose with latin phrases I found myself truly absorbed in the story and the characters. Nothing I've read has captured the clash of cultures that Rome and early Christianity represented as well as this book does. The decadence of Nero's Rome and court compared with the simplicity of the early Christian community in Rome that is being visited by both St. Peter and St. Paul is contrasted in such dramatic fashion that it is hard to put this down.

The characters are realistically drawn and you can feel the disgust with Nero expressed in private by those near him and sense the declining civilization of Rome in all of it's aspects. No historical novel that I've read comes close in bringing the sights and sounds and smells of the ancient capitol to life as this one does.

The underlying love story between a captured Princess who is a committed convert to Christ and a Roman centurian who is exposed to the Christian teaching through his obsessive love of her and consequent exposure to the teachings of the early church is a remarkably effective literary device that brings these contrasting world views into sharp relief.

The burning of Rome by the deranged Emperor is so vividly described that you can smell the smoke.

Truly a fabulous historical novel, Quo Vadis is a book I will read again and feel comfortable giving it my highest recommendation.

"Quo Vadis" is the kind of novel one simply must include on his shelf. For those who don't believe me, it won the Nobel Prize--and actually deserved it. In my experience, lots of books, although unworthy of receiving even a single positive review, have gotten awards. But the main reason you should read this splendid novel is because of its wonderful storytelling, compelling plot, beautiful imagery, and great characters. To boot, it wasn't very difficult to comprehend, even though it was written more than a century ago. Despite the fact that I cannot understand a shred of Polish, I know that Kuniczak's translation is an absolutely superb one, and that both he and Sienkiewicz are first-rate novelists.

What I particularly loved about "Quo Vadis" was Sienkiewicz's wonderful attention to detail and imagery. His writing style was so lyrical, poetic, and sense-evocative, I could clearly visualize what he was describing, and for the first time ever, I felt like I was actually *seeing* everything: the wild, drunken orgies of Nero's debauched reign, the city of Rome burning, the coliseum packed with rowdy citizens and sweaty gladiators. People enjoy reading books that provide a vivid visual picture of the setting; I know I do. It is also very evident that Sienkiewicz did his homework and researched extensively for this historical novel.

The characters are what drive the plot--and they certainly do that in "Quo Vadis." I found myself liking a few characters and hating several others. And it is interesting, because when I realized that this novel was about Christians in Rome during Nero's time, I had expected Sienkiewicz to have portrayed each Christian as a kindly saint and all the Romans as decadent louts. I was surprised that not every single Roman was depicted as wicked--the honorable Aulus and his gentle wife Pomponia, for example. And not every Christian was a saint in this book, with Crispus, a fervent follower of Christ, seeming to me somewhat intolerant and very narrow-minded at times. Of course, there are some characters who are pure evil; Poppaea, the golden-haired, manipulative wife of Nero, is "evil incarnate," as Sienkiewicz describes in his novel, and (in my opinion) it is difficult for anyone to like Nero.

The core of the plot is a love story between Vinicius, a young Roman tribune, and Ligia, the beautiful Christian girl with whom he falls deeply in love. Vinicius loves Ligia so much--not merely for her beauty, but her virtue and purity--that he actually converts to Christianity, and we see a prodigious transformation in him, from a decadent, pleasure-soaked Roman courtier to a caring and benevolent Christian. Petronius, Vinicius's uncle and another main character, is painted magnificently as well. Although Petronius does not become a Christian like Vinicius, he seems the sublimest character in the novel; he does whatever he can to lessen others' suffering (especially his nephew's) yet still, he cannot bring himself to love everyone--which is exactly what the Christian faith preaches. Petronius is a worldly Roman noble with an eye for beauty and good taste, and he is also the emperor's confidant, called the "arbiter of elegance" at Nero's court. Despite the impact Christianity has upon his life, he cannot love the dirty, recalcitrant mob for which he has such contempt.

"Quo Vadis" has everything you would want in a great novel: a stellar plot, sublime characters, lively dialogue, and graceful prose. It is a truly laudable novel of epic proportions--something to stay on my shelf beside the classics.

I would concur with what others above have written about the work. They have said, for the most part, what I would say. I would recommend this work if you plan on making a trip to the Eternal City. The places written about would be fun to track down and visit, rewarding your efforts with a cup of gelato. The characters of the work are very believable, in their flawed being, and in their heroic moments. The plot of the story is the selling point. For myself, it does get a little mushy towards the end, losing the objective structure that carries it up to that point. Chilo's conversion is credible, but others parts of the story just get a tiny bit sappy (for example, the gullibility of the Roman citizens). Up until the end, the structure of the plot is excellent. Magnificent research written in very well. Sienkiewicz has a great role for the honorable Petronius. And the risky conversion of Vinitius is honestly done. The Apostles Peter and Paul are given human form, and come off as more real than men who just re-iterate what is in their epistles. The early church, in all its anonymity, is offered as a dynamic sign of dedication for the church today. I believe this is a romance novel a man can read, and much more.

My own copy was translated by Stanley E. Conrad.

"Quo Vadis" is another outstanding book by Henryk Sienkiewicz. It was a little slow to get started, but it built steadily over time, until I couldn't put it down. Looking back on it, the slow steady build actually gave more depth to the story, as it gave me a deeper sense of knowing the characters as if I knew them personally. This seems to be a real talent of Sienkiewicz. The two books I have read by him "Quo Vadi" and "The Teutonic Knights" have had some of the most endearing characters of any books I have read.

I was a bit concerned the parts of the story about the early Christians would have a prosylitizing feel, but they didn't. Sienkiewicz stayed focused on his characters, and conveyed the history of the early Christains no differently than he conveyed other aspects of ancient Roman history. I did come away though, with a new understanding of the early Christians as real people, not just part of a religion.

Overall, this was an excellent book. Slow to start, and not quite as good as "The Teutonic Knights", but deeply satisfying as I turned the last page.

Having been a huge fan of Robert Graves' I Claudius and Claudius the God, I was always sad that Graves did not write a sequel to highlight the reign of the last Augustan ruler. Many times reading Quo Vadis, I felt like this was that book. It does give a good insight to the decadence of Nero's reign along with some references to his predecessors. It also clarified some often-misrepresented assumptions like all gladiatorial competitions taking place in the Colosseum. We learn that Nero pre-dated the Colosseum and in fact, the battles were staged in a large "wooden" arena.

Some of the action has some good vivid descriptions such as the burning of Rome and some of the gladiatorial fights. The book also gives a glimpse at what Christianity could have been. We see how the disciples Peter and Paul worshipped their religion in a way that is totally unlike anything today.

The characters are excellent and the book never gets boring.

Quo Vadis is one of my favorite all-time novels. Quo Vadis is interesting and worthwhile for many reasons - in describing the activities and lives of early Christians, in detailing the gradual conversion of a Roman patrician to Christianity (and, thus, describing plainly some of the principles important to Christians), in illustrating the history, activities and "mindset" of Rome and her citizens during the reign of Nero and in describing the upbringing and reign of Nero himself. It is beautifully and clearly written. I sought out this book after reading about it in Ayn Rand's "The Art of Fiction" in which she says "...I consider "Quo Vadis", technically, <to be> one of the best-constructed novels ever written..." (p. 16). I agree with her short analysis of this book: It was easy to follow the plot and all of the many details as they were being built while, at the same time, not appearing "simplistic".

Wow! This book is a real eye opener to the times of Nero and the ancient Roman empire. Somehow I find myself comparing Rome's decadence with present day America. Its one of those books whose freshness never dies away or ages. The characters--Petronius, Vinicius, Ligia, and Nero--are spectacularly real and believable. This was the first book I read by Sienkiewicz and surely not the last.