Customer Reviews

The Robe

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As a classic many recognize in the movie version, I'd have to say to anyone that has seen the movie and not read the book, you're missing a lot. The movie is a cheap imitation of a novel that sucks you in from page one and doesn't let go until the end. Rarely do I read a book more than once ... I have read this book several times. Some authors have the inherent ability to draw you into the world they've created. Some authors possess the uncanny talent to make you really know the characters - love them or hate them. Some authors can make you feel as though you're walking side by side with the characters, living with them and enduring their emotions, seeing the things that they see. Some authors just have IT, and Lloyd C. Douglas is one of them.

The sweeping pageantry of one man's quest to find truth in a world corrupted is a quest that will stay with you long after the final page has been turned. Without giving too much away, the quick synopsis would be this: The story begins with Marcellus Gallio, the son of the rich Roman Senator Marcus Lucan Gallio, being commissioned to take command of the Roman fort at Minoa (Gaza). His trusted slave and friend, Demetrius, makes the journey with him, and they find at the fort a desolate scrap of land and a group of ruthless ruffians who don't take kindly to leadership. Marcellus takes firm control at Minoa, and it is from here that he and Demetrius end up in Jerusalem during Passover. It is at this particular Passover that Jesus is tried under Pontius Pilate and crucified. The detachment from Minoa, lead by Marcellus, is ordered to execute Jesus. During the Crucifixion, the officers get drunk to avoid the harsh reality of the task they've been assigned. They start to gamble and at one point, they gamble for Christ's robe. Marcellus wins, and his acquiring the Robe sets off a chain of events that leads to his eventual search for the truth behind the man who wore it. At first, as a man who does not believe in religion or in supernatural occurrences, Marcellus is skeptical of the miracles Jesus performed. He is especially skeptical when told of the Resurrection. At every point, he is searching for logical ways to explain the miracles. His transformation from a skeptic to a believer is logical in its progression and one that is miraculous to behold. Nothing comes across as choppy or unbelievable, and the change in Marcellus's character is a slow evolution over time.

In addition, I like that Jesus is not actually portrayed as a corporeal character in the book. Everything that deals with Him is after the Crucifixion, and Marcellus must learn about Him through the Disciples and the people who knew Him. Through their conviction, Marcellus discovers the truth and the belief he has sought.

This novel is the complete experience of everything a novel is supposed to be: Excellent characterization, believable, intriguing plot and conflict, solid sense of time and place, and a climactic ending of triumphant redemption that will leave you in tears. At the end, you're almost sad to turn the last page, disappointed to leave such a world - such an experience - behind. Though only my opinion, I cannot speak highly enough for this book and for this author who has completely revolutionized my opinion of what a novel is supposed to be.

Lloyd C. Douglas' The Robe has become my favorite book. I came upon the book quite by accident a few years ago, and I have since read it 3 times. This book is not just a great religious novel, it is a great novel. Even if the reader is not a Christian, he/she will find it hard to put down. The reader is drawn in from the very first paragraph. Douglas certainly has a knowledge of ancient Rome and Judea, and he uses historical references to great effect. The characters are some of the most richly crafted I have ever read. The tale works on many levels: a love story; a tale of suspense; a tale of political intrigue; and, ultimately, a triumph of the human spirit and the power of personal redemption. For those without a clear view of Chritianity (which is easy to understand these days), this book is for you. While a novel, this book is probably a fairly accurate portrayal of the early Jesus movement in Judea and in Rome. This book should be on every bookshelf.

'And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots' Matthew 27:35

One day in March, I was completely bored to death. My Grandma, tired of seeing me mope about, told me to get interested in a good book. Having no good books to read I told my Grandma to pick one out for me. She casually told me that The Robe was a good book and told me to find it off of the shelf that held all of her books that she got from The Peoples' Book Club. It had beautiful illustrations. I sat down to read it and from the first page I was immediately hooked.

That was in the year 1997. It is the year 2000 now and ever since then I have read The Robe 3 times and am in the middle of reading it again.

It is the most enduring story of Marcellus Gallio, a wealthy Tribune and son of a senator in ancient Rome. When he is ordered to put a man he knows is not guilty to death by crucifixion, he goes insane. Marcellus is accompanied in this story by the tragic Demetrius, his slave, and Diana, the woman he loves and a niece to the Emperor. Marcellus, after being healed, goes on a quest to learn of the mysterious man he put to death. And discoves he is not dead at all.

This book takes 508 pages to unfold. But it is told with such mesmerising characters and such keen historical detail that you wish it would never end.

Lloyd Douglas was one of the most amazing writers of his day, and has probably yet to be surpassed as one of the greatest novelists of all time. His book The Robe was the #1 best seller for 10 years in a row in the 1940's right behind the Bible. His life is just as inspiring as his novels. After finishing this novel he soon became ill, but knew that God wanted him to write another novel. Despite being on his death bed and also battling arthritis he typed his next novel "The Big Fisherman" with only his pointer finger. After writing out 22 chapters he realized that he wanted to change the storyline a bit so he started over! Despite the efforts of his family to stop him, he did indeed start over. I believe that if you take the time to read the Robe, you will definitely want to follow up by reading the Big Fisherman! I hope that you not only enjoy this book as entertainment, but that it will challenge you to re-evaluate who Jesus Christ is, and that it will ultimately change your life!

The first time I read this book, I was about 12 years old and really loved it. At the time I was a regular church goer. Today, many years later, my religious views have become much weaker and I am no longer a regular church goer. However. I still love this book. It is the story of a young Roman and his slave who search for the truth about Christ. The hero, Marcellus had been ordered to crucify Christ and had felt that
he had crucified an innocent man. He and his slave gradually
come to believe in Christ and have to suffer because of it.
This book is extremely well written and difficult to put down.
I highly recommend it regardless of your religious beliefs. It will teach you a great deal about the Christian movement and
about life in the 1st century. My only qualm about the book is
that Mr. Douglas does take some liberties with history. For
instance,Julia had been exiled before Tiberius became emperor and her son Gaius was long dead.

Marcellus, a young and entitled Roman Tribune during the reign of Tiberius insults a social better and is sent to Judea as punishment to command a remote outpost. While stationed there, he travels to a festival in Jerusalem, and his detail of Legionnaires is required to execute a Galilean troublemaker. Marcellus wins the convict's robe in a dice game, but upon wearing it for the first time, is strangely changed forever.

What follows is Marcellus' seemingly inexplicable compulsion to understand and know the man whose robe he had won. Wandering in the Holy Land, he discovers more than he ever imagined about Jesus of Nazareth and the small-but-growing community of belivers in His prophesied Kingdom. Marcellus and those around him come to understand the promises and prophesies of the crucified Christos and await his return. As history records, however, not all around him share his profound faith.

My father told me about this book after he had given me a copy of another of Douglas' famous books, The Magnificent Obsession. I was truly enthralled by the vivid descriptions and characters. The story gives a depth to early Christianity which I had never known before. The book is written in a literary style that is unusual and somewhat unfamiliar to audiences of the current day, but I found that its unrushed elegance gave every page a quiet dignity that fit perfectly with the book's subject matter. I would not hesitate to recommend this book to anyone.

This story was made into a movie (a modest testament to its power) in 1953 and was the first movie filmed in CinemaScope.

My grandmother first introduced me to this book and in my humble opinion, it is one of the best books ever written. It was first published in 1942 although it is truly a timeless piece of work. The story is simple and follows the journey of a Roman soldier, Marcellus, who was responsible for overseeing the crucification of Christ. After the crucification, Marcellus, along with his faithful servant Demitruis, embark on a journey to discover more about the man that was crucified. Marcellus is naturally skeptical of the "miracles" that Christ performed during his time although he appreciates the teachings of Christ. The book follows the journey of faith that Demitruis and Marcellus follow, and the effects of this journey upon Marcellus and those he loves. Along the way, Marcellus meets many of Jesus' followers that cause him to question everything he knows and believes in. Hollywood made a cheesy movie version of this story with Richard Burton that was truly awful. Do not let the movie version keep you from reading this book because it truly is a beautiful retelling of the story of Christ and Douglas is a master story teller. He writes at a level that is not seen in today's crush of books that tend to follow the latest trend in selling books. Instead, he has an expansive vocabulary and draws you into a world that is fascinating and real despite the age of the story. Watching a non-believer come to grips with who Jesus was and what He meant to the world is a fascinating journey, for believers and non-believers alike and "The Robe" is truly a work of art.

I had barely even heard of The Robe before I encountered this book at the bookstore. I've still never seen the movie. I had actually been searching for a book that was 'circa Jesus' whether or not it actually involved Jesus, just to better understand the politics of the time and enjoy some historical fiction, a genre I've always loved.

The Robe came as the answer to my search. It is the story of a young Roman's discovery of Jesus, though the story does alternate at times with Demetrius' and Diana's situations. There's a long exposition--useful, since this world is completely alien to us today--and it builds up to Marcellus winning the Robe. As Marcellus discovers the Robe, his attitudes begin to change, as do the attitudes of those who oppose his interest and support it.

The character development is wonderful--Demetrius, Marcellus, Senator Gallio, Diana, and even Lucia all develop and change throughout the course of the novel. There are some threads that are seemingly dropped to be left behind forever--the Demetrius/Lucia question, for example. Marcellus does seem to grow to appreciate Diana's beauties and her qualities as a woman too soon--for a boy who grew up knowing her as his "kid sister's best friend." I'm not sure that Simon Peter would have been quite so keen on the idea of converting Gentiles--either Douglas wasn't aware of his tendencies, or believes that he reconciled to the idea when in Rome, spurred by the interest of the Gentiles. Also, there's not really a sense of time--at all. Everything after the introduction of the Robe seems to happen all at once--no waiting, constant action and movement. However, these little nitpicky ideas of mine are miniscule when compared to the depth of the plot and the expanse it covers.

I love the idea of picking up the pieces after Jesus is gone and following his disciples in their formation of a new church--lost, alone, all muddling their experiences together to create the picture of Jesus, all piecing together their puzzles without the help of written material like the Gospels. It's a great idea--and could be easily botched--but Douglas makes it perfect. Also, he introduces perspectives of the time--questions like, "Why are all these people so excited when Jesus is dead?" Since we have the benefit of hindsight and the Gospels, it would be harder to imagine that question actually had to be asked. Also, Douglas is perfect at presenting a truly Greco-Roman perspective on a weird, unknown, Jewish sect centered in the middle of nowhere in crappy Palestine compared to the glory, water fountains, plumbing, acqueducts, baths, games, sports, military, and civilization of Rome.

When I finished this book, I immediately wanted to turn over and start again. Douglas covers strange, ancient worlds and ideas in depth, while also maintaining the scope of the problems of the Empire and the politics of the day. It's great--certainly the best I've read, and, dare I say it, better than Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt. It's an oldie but goodie.

THE ROBE

By Lloyd C. Douglas

Book report by Claire Kelan Martin, October 19, 2005

"Were you out there?" How often has this question slipped from Marcellus' throat before he realizes what he's saying? Shunning friends and strangers alike, buried in his thoughts and inner turmoil, his mind is closing off to the world around him, oblivious to all but the raging emotions within his soul, listless and depressed.

Whispered in the high circles of the Roman ruling class are the rumors that young tribune Marcellus Gallio, son of a prominent senator, and recently returned from exile in Minoa as commander of the unruly garrison there, had gone mad. But had he really? Or was it the haunting image of an innocent man stretched out high on a cross, whom he put to death cruelly with his own hands; this strange man, and his strange robe which was now in Marcellus' possession? Demetrius, his loyal slave, isn't sure what to think. Secretly pulling out this robe whenever Marcellus isn't around, he revels in the soothing feeling it brings to his heart each time he draws it near, and wonders why it seemed to have had the opposite effect upon his master. But when one day one touch of the robe heals and restores Marcellus' mind, both are left with the question, what is it?!

In search of the answer to this enigma, Marcellus and Demetrius embark on a quest which takes them, of all the strange places, through the backwoods of Israel, where they eventually discover the secret of the robe, and of its amazing previous owner.

Winding its way through historical facts and places, some true and some added merely for the reader's interest, this semi-fictional novel is nonetheless based primarily on the true account of Jesus and the legacy which He left on Earth. Digging into this book's Biblical foundation, we realize that Jesus' power was not limited to His body, or even His robe, but that His power to save lives and change hearts still lives on today. The evocative tone of this inspiring novel is very touching, the language and mannerisms hilarious and excellent, the plot intriguing, and the message clear.

And the very best part is that this same power of healing and salvation is still available on demand for anyone today who desires it. Try it for yourself!

The Robe probably has transcended its original scope of reconstructing the life of Jesus and his stamping on the mind of many about the coming of his new kingdom. Douglas has not only added new touch and sentiment to the story of Jesus, but also invigorated the historical period a skein of unforgettable characters whose lives were touched and thus inevitably changed their lives by Jesus' teaching.

It might be difficult to conceive that Marcellus Gallio, son of a prestigious Senator and a Tribune; Diana, the granddaughter of the Emperor Tiberias; and Demetrius, the Greek slave from Corinth, to believe Jesus' miracles and his resurrection. Lloyd Douglas has written truly a religious classic, one whose appeal is not limited to a particular time or a particular place, through the delineation of the characters' own struggle to cross that arbitrary line beyond which the credibility should go. .

Marcellus was a Roman soldier who by a fortuity executed Jesus' crucifixion and subsequently won Jesus' robe as a gambling prize. The robe symbolized his crime, the crime of recklessly crucifying an innocent man who exhausted him life in advocating love, kindness, and goodwill. The memory of the crucifixion, had been an interminable torture that plunged Marcellus into a deep melancholy. Demetrius could never tell when his master was hit by a capricious seizure that sent sweat streaming his face.

The robe miraculously healed the inconsolable Marcellus as he touched it. From there Marcellus set off on a quest to seek the truth about the robe and the Nazarene who claimed to own his kingdom somewhere not in the world. Testimony about Jesus' miraculous power, which to a large extent agrees with my nostalgic memories from the bible, had been cumulative and that it had been coming at Marcellus from all directions. Jesus' teachings and the marks he left on those whose lives changed had penetrated Marcellus' skeptical mind and descended in him a sense of duty and mission. He had killed this man who had spent his life doing kind things for needy people, and the only way he could square up for it was to spend his life like Jesus did.

It dawned on Marcellus that a thorough understanding of Jesus and his teachings required faith and surrender rather than a recondite knowledge. This point bespeaks the minds of modern-day Christians who involuntarily proceed to push the intrusive concept away no matter how convincing the evidences of supernatural power in the miracles are. His slave Demetrius, who had been inebriated by Jesus long before his master, had such an indomitable faith in the truth of Jesus' resurrection though his master had vaunted his frustration and indignation over him.

Quest for the robe also accents the beauty of a master-slave relationship. Demetrius' life had become so inextricably related to the life of Marcellus that his freedom, if it was offered him, indeed by the Senator as he was to take Marcellus to Athens, might cost him more in companionship than it was worth in liberty of action. When offered his freedom, Demetrius magnanimously denied it at the peril of his master's recovery. The witty slave also directed to have Marcellus disguised as a fabric connoisseur in order to penetrate inconspicuously into Galilee to capture wind of the savior. It was not surprising to see that the whole quest for the robe made the master-slave relationship difficult to sustain.

Ancient Rome against which the book sets accents the significance and validity of men's faith. The quest for the mysterious truth allowed Marcellus to take on a different perspective with the world, especially Rome with which he felt so out of place. He began to despise its injustice, to pity its tragic unhappiness, and to shun the avarice of the influential ones. Marcellus felt his own obligation to associate with a movement that the Government had outlawed, had labeled seditionists, and unflinchingly preached the word to everyone. He embarked on the defense of a good cause Jesus started and had yet to finish.

2004 (10)