The question I asked when I first finished Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ was, Where has this book been all my life?
I can’t believe it took me until my late twenties to read this famous literary classic by Lew Wallace. My earliest exposure to the story was in elementary school when my homeschooling family watched the movie starring Charlton Heston as part of our history class. (We broke it up into two days because it was so long.)
So when I started the audiobook for the first time last year, I remembered what I thought was the gist of the story: a chariot race, enmity between the main character and another guy, a galley, and somewhere at the end an encounter with Christ.
I was not prepared for how much more the book had to tell.
Ben-Hur the Story
The first time I listened to the audiobook, I was captivated. I loved all the twists and turns that kept me wanting to get to the next chapter to see what happened. Some of the scenes I found most gripping were the chariot race in Antioch, the attack in the palace of Idumea, and the duel in front of Pilate’s palace. (Hint: not scenes to listen to when you’re trying to fall asleep.)
The second time I listened, earlier this year, I did find myself a little impatient at some of the slow sections, though I got much more out of the book as a whole. It took me longer to finish all 23 hours, but I also was in a much busier life season with a smaller attention span. One of the parts that touched me most was the crucifixion and what it meant for those like Ben-Hur, who thought Jesus came to be their political king and were making preparations for a military and political takeover.
The ending chapters imply more than they show, in a way that at first felt abrupt and incomplete. We get the crucifixion but not the resurrection? We see Ben-Hur’s response and then fast forward to life five years later? The second time through, however, the shift made more sense to me and left a lasting impact. (The final sentence, coming on the heels of the crucifixion scene and my own recent meditations on the Resurrection and its importance for the Christian faith, gave me chills.)
Disclaimer: I’m not sure where all of Wallace’s theology is with the Magi and their chapters. I would have to actually read the book to better understand and consider those ideas. I didn’t care for his description of Mary and Jesus (reasonable but still too European, in my opinion), but I thought his portrayal Jesus as a person was appropriate and biblically accurate.
Ben-Hur the Style
Along with an excellent story, Ben-Hur features excellent writing. True to his era of the late 19th century, Wallace wrote with beautiful description, a strong sense of setting, witty dialogue, and detailed action scenes. Generally the narrative does move at a slower pace than modern novels, with the occasional flare of what could read as melodramatic. Yet if you think of this heightened language as noble rather than melodramatic, and part of the beauty of an older art form, you’ll be able to not only navigate but be absorbed by this literary masterpiece. Because of this older writing style, I recommend listening to Ben-Hur (and other classics) on audio:
- You don’t get visually lost in the long paragraphs. (Modern writing gives lots of white space on the page.)
- You can better understand the archaic language, especially the “thee”s and “thou”s of the dialogue. Mentally reading this King James wording can be difficult and lead to stilted-sounding speech, but a good narrator (shoutout to Lloyd James) will read with natural inflections and tones that make the conversation sound normal and engaging.
Ben-Hur the Hero
Perhaps the greatest strength of this novel, however, is its main character, the Jewish prince Judah Ben-Hur. From the first time we see him, in the palace garden on Mount Zion with his childhood friend, the Roman Messala, we get a clear sense of who he is: a young man struggling to find himself through layers of passionate pride in his heritage, confusion and hurt over changing relationships, attraction to a beautiful but enigmatic woman, uncertainty about the Messiah’s identity, and beneath it all a hatred of Rome and desire for vengeance.
As I followed Ben-Hur through the story, what drew me the most was not his appearance (“handsome as the manly are”), physical abilities, or epic fighting skills, but the noble character he maintains despite the hardships he endures: betrayal by his best friend, the loss of his family, years of slavery, and ongoing attacks. He’s as human as any reader, with emotions and failures we can relate to, yet with the self-control, astuteness, valor, and graciousness of word and deed that make him a true hero.
(Okay, I’ll admit it. I have a crush on him.)
Pitted against Messala the way Israel is pitted against Rome, Ben-Hur fills the story not only as a captivating individual but also as a carrier of the book’s major themes. Through him we see and feel Israel’s desperate longing for a Messiah, someone who would throw off the shackles of Rome and restore God’s people to their former glory. Ben-Hur hears whispers of this Messiah and dedicates himself to training an army for their savior’s service—only to watch this man be crucified and realize . . . well, I’ll let you read those scenes for yourself. 🙂 Suffice to say, Wallace knew what he was doing when he crafted this story, and its hero.
There you have it: Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace, a multi-layered story of plots and politics, friendship and betrayal, romance and adventure, vengeance and faith. A story that riveted me from start to finish and gave me some great adrenaline rushes. A story with profound insight into ancient Roman and Jewish cultures and the Jews’ anticipation of the Messiah. A story with deep meaning and themes of mercy, forgiveness, and redemption that reach through the pages to touch readers’ hearts—including mine—today.
If you’d like to read more about this classic and learn some cool facts about the film that received 11 Oscars, check out the articles “Ben-Hur: How Lew Wallace Found Faith in Epic Fiction” and “Ben-Hur: The Book that Shook the World.”
