"Ben-Hur"

I finished my 100th book! And what a book to hit a milestone with! "Ben-Hur" was exciting, thrilling, sad, triumphant, and overall just a great book. Not to mention that the story was long and complex! This is a combination of my personal review and the actual book review. This is the best I can do since the book is so long. Basically I'm lazy. lol :) Enjoy!

       Surprisingly Judah, the main character's name who later becomes known as Ben-Hur and son of Arrius, was not introduced till nearly one hundred pages into this book. At the beginning this book starts out with the Wise Men and their quest to follow the star. Leading them to baby Jesus. Honestly, I thought the many many details on how each one of the Wise Men had the star come to them was too much. Especially how two out of three Wise Men you never see again. After that section in the book the prospects, for a great book, began to brighten.
        As Judah is stripped from his fortune and family the adventure begins. Will he survive the burdensome task laid at his door, when so many others cannot live past a year? Three years come and go while revenge is taking hold on his very soul. Against Messala... the very man who tore his family apart. Arriving at Rome has no splendor for him. No repose from that lustful revenge. Rome only serves to strengthen his abilities, to teach him a new art of war.
       Returning to his homeland he finds that he does have fortunes and friends, more than willing to teach any Roman what it feels like to be humiliated. With Simonides and Ester, Balthasar(one of the wise men) and Iras, Mulluch, and Sheik Ilderim with his mighty horses behind Judah his revenge would indeed take place. Coming face to face with Messala at Daphne shows him exactly how it would come to be.
        Slowly time goes on and what will become of the search for his dear mother and Tirzah, his dear sister? If he does find them will they be too far gone? Will the beautiful Iras seduce him into his own death?
        As the end of "Ben-Hur" draws closer you will see the crucifixion of Jesus passing before you. What side will Judah be on? The side screaming for His death? Or the side weeping at the foot of the Cross? Will Judah's misconceptions of why the Messiah came, ruin his chance to see what a beautiful thing was done for us?

Hopefully now you can see why I loved the book. :) God bless and have a wonderful week!