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Virtual Macedonia Bookstore - Quo Vadis
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List Price: $19.95
Our Price: $4.00
Your Save: $ 15.95 ( 80% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Hippocrene Books
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 891.8536
EAN: 9780781805506
ISBN: 0781805503
Label: Hippocrene Books
Manufacturer: Hippocrene Books
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 589
Publication Date: 1997-05
Publisher: Hippocrene Books
Studio: Hippocrene Books
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Finally a great translation!
Comment: I saw the movie as a kid in the fifties and subsequently struggled through the available translation. Despite the quality of that translation, the power of the story came through. This was an accidental purchase (I thought the film was finally available) but a piece of good luck. Like Tina Nunnally's translation of Undset's "Kristin Lavransdatter", Kuniczak's translation clears up any lingering questions that an English-speaker might have had about the power and grace of this story. Great book - great translation!
Customer Rating:
Summary: It's been a long time...
Comment: ...since I first read this novel. I read it forty years ago when I was a teenager. I have no idea how I first found it, but I have fond memories of having read it. It was one of the first great "adult" books I ever read. Highly recommended for young readers of all ages.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Superb work of literature!
Comment: "Quo Vadis" is one of my favorite works of literature. The characterization is generally very well executed and the plot was able to hold my interest throughout. Sienkiewicz created characters who are sure to be loved or supremely disliked by the audience and several characters change throughout the novel making them even more interesting. Despite some historical errors (most scholars now believe Nero didn't order Rome burned), the work was obviously highly reasearched. Sienkiewicz did a fantastic job at showing some of the darker sides of Roman culture; the novel is very violent in places. Sadism is quite blatantly visible in regards to some of the "amusements" the imperial court and circus crowds entertain themselves with. The scene in which Rome burns was protrayed vividly and epicly. Overall, I believe Sienkiewicz deserved a nobel prize for literature for this piece alone.
I read "Quo Vadis" earlier this summer after returning from a trip to Italy. The reading experience was greatly enhanced by seeing some of the sites promently featured in the novel. Although the novel leans Catholic, I believe Christians of about any denomination can enjoy it (I am a Southern Baptist myself). Even non-Christian readers might enjoy the plot and vivid detail.
Personally, I preferred this novel to Ben-Hur (I enjoyed and would recommend both books though).
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Summary: A different kind of Sienkiewicz...
Comment: I'm a huge Sienkiewicz fan. The Deluge, With Fire and Sword, Fire in the Steppe, The Teutonic Knights all were phenomenal books. While I also loved Quo Vadis, I didn't get the same page-turning thrill that I did with the previous Sinekiewicz books I've read. Some indefinable quality just didn't transfer from the author's martial tales of medieval Poland to Pauline-era Rome.
Perhaps, the thematic romance between Vinicius and Lygia threw me off, though, as romances go, it was deftly done. There certainly was no lack of despicable Neronian deeds and compassionless megalomania. Petronius, the protagonist's Machiavellian uncle, is one of the more finely-wrought characters one will find.
In the end, it's personal preference. I, used to Sienkiewicz tales of war, pillage, and plunder, found myself in the midst of a love story and couldn't shake it off. This is no basis to pan a piece of excellent literature - a classic that, despite my druthers, is written as well as any other. There is much to be gleaned from good historical fiction and this book proves no exception. Quo Vadis takes the reader through the horrors of Neronian empire and deposits them at the other end a better student for it. 5 stars.
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Summary: A Masterpiece, Despite Glamorization of Early Christianity
Comment: This is a story of love that defies all odds, a faith that defies the most powerful man on earth, and a moral code that survives the most brutal of tortures, the most horrible of deaths. "Where are you going?" asks the Latin title - a question that St. Peter directs at the vision of Christ, but one that Mr. Sienkiewicz directs at Rome of the first century, and by implication his world of the late 19th century - a world where the old moral values were dying, and new ones have yet to appear.
Little mentioned in modern criticism, and largely unknown to modern readers, Quo Vadis, published in Polish in 1896, is considered to be the best selling novel of all time. It has been translated to more than 40 languages, and has been adapted into a play, an opera, and four different films (the best known of those being a 1951 movie featuring Robert Taylor and Deborah Kerr). In 1905, it earned Henryk Sienkiewicz a Nobel Prize for Literature, and international fame. Its unequaled success may be partly due to its glamorized treatment of early Christianity, but the main reason for its success is more pleasant: Quo Vadis is, in fact, one of the technically greatest romantic novels ever written.
A moment before the great Roman Empire crumbles into dust, under the all-powerful emperor Nero, an impossible love affair starts a chain of events that will turn life around for many. Marcus Vinicius, a young Roman aristocrat, falls in love with Lygia, a beautiful Christian girl of royal descent. Through their tumultuous relationship Vinicius, still a pagan and a slaveholder, learns to appreciate the newly formed Christian religion, with its stress on the individual soul, respect towards one's fellow men, and forgiveness. He learns the difference between Lygia and the lewd, frivolous women of his time, and begins, gradually and torturously, to accept the new faith.
But the reign of the sadistic, narcissistic Nero is the worst possible setting for a love affair of this kind, and as Nero searches for scapegoats to blame for the burning of Rome, which he himself instigated, the Christians fit perfectly into his plans. Soon the two lovers, together with everyone they have come to love and respect, will be in the gravest danger. Not even the apostles Peter and Paul, sharing their adversity, can guarantee their safety in this world.
Henryk Sienkiewicz strove to perfect every element of his craft - and did. The plot is complex, logical, fast-paced and suspenseful. The theme is important, and so well-integrated into the plot that one cannot separate the two. The writing style is superb, alive with metaphors and very witty. One feels as if he sees the whole of Rome in front of him, its orgies and slaves, its great wealth and great corruption, the red flames consuming it while dancing enchantingly to Nero's lute.
Nothing makes turn of the first millennium Rome more real to us than its characters. Fully developed individuals to the least of them, Sienkiewicz's characters come to life in the reader's mind - and stay with him long after the book is put aside. Nero the poet, who murders and burns for inspiration; Vinicius, who has to fight his soldier's instincts and put his faith in greater forces; Petronius, a frequenter of Nero's court, who's unforgettable wit and charm are surpassed only by his hidden moral nature (which he would prefer to call simply "good taste"). Even the two apostles receive a full development and are presented as conflicted, suffering human beings - who remain true to their beliefs.
But what is the message of this story? What is its theme? And can any non-Christian sympathize with it? The answer to the last is yes, because this is not primarily a story about Christianity, but about the power of morality. The Rome that Sienkiewicz portrays is evil not because it is non-Christian, but primarily because it has no regards for morality as such. It is a nightmarish mix of nihilism, pragmatism, and hedonism - all of which are not systems of morality at all, but denials of the very need for morality. Even though Sienkiewicz offers early Christianity as the model of morality, it is clear from his choice of characters and events, as well as his stylistic focus, that he does not mean to present a specific, fully developed moral code, but to the essence of morality itself. The theme of this story is: the ultimate impotence of unprincipled evil, even if it does seem all powerful, against a principled morality.
And indeed, the objectivity of this piece is noteworthy: Not all Christians are presented as good, and not all "heathen" are presented as evil. Even inside the emperor's court, one can find heroism. Indeed - the noblest character in this novel is that of Petronius who, despite being somewhat sympathetic towards the Christians, is by no means a Christian, and does not wish to become one.
The inconsistencies of Christian morality are not glossed over or ignored. A few times throughout the novel the pacifist Christians are saved only when one of them commits the sin of self-defense and kills a few Roman soldiers. He is then overcome by guilt, and "forgiven" by the very same people he had just saved from sure death. At other times the principle of forgiveness gets the Christians in a world of trouble - and indeed this whole Christian holocaust could have been prevented with a little less forgiveness towards one very evil character. One can sense, though this is open for debate, that Sienkiewicz is not a great fan of turning the other cheek.
Heaven and hell, the afterlife, are not treated in this novel as facts, but hopes and fears of men who admit, at least to themselves, that they are not sure. In a sense, they are all holding on to their beliefs because they feel it alone gives them a sense of an orderly, just universe in face of the grim reality of ultimate power and ultimate corruption. While I disagree that only a belief in God can grant meaning to life and instill moral principles, I did enjoy this book as a story about the power of morality as such - and with that in mind one can admire the heroism of men who abide by their principles, even when one disagrees with those heartily.
Perhaps the greatest value of this work lies in the way it brings ancient history to life, and examines it. The author had obviously done a tremendous amount of historical research, and is well versed in even the smallest details of the times. The historical characters (Nero, Petronius, Burrus, Senecio, St. Peter and St. Paul) are fully developed fictional characters, yet they are true to what historical records tell us about them, even when dramatized.
Alongside its philosophical-moral theme, the novel presents a historical theme. "How is it possible," one can imagine Henryk Sienkiewicz asking, "that such a small group of people, and such a strange mix of ideas spread like wildfire and take over the Roman empire, and the entire world, so quickly?". The novel dramatizes the answer beautifully: Christianity gave absolute and more humane moral answers, at a time of a complete moral and intellectual vacuum.
The historical events described in this novel are larger than life. By selecting a time of such cataclysmic events, Sienkiewicz manages to remain both true to history, and as dramatic as any great romantic writer. One of the high points of the novel is when the great fire of Rome rages through the streets. History tells us that in that fire much of Rome was burned down to the ground, many hundreds were killed, and many thousands lost their homes. Slaves rebelled against their masters. All possible kinds of lowlifes crawled out of the gutters and tried their hands at pillaging what the fire left behind. Nero's Praetorian guards, instead of putting the fire out, helped it spread, and Nero himself did nothing but play his song on the burning of Troy.
Imagine what a great artist can do with such an event, and then rest assured: Henryk Sienkiewicz does it better. Unlike the often heavy-handed style of Hugo's historical references, you feel while reading this novel that you are learning the essentials of the time, without being burdened with historical trivia that's irrelevant to the plot.
The most serious problem with this novel is mostly the result of the specific morality it promotes: the morality of turning the other cheek. Marcus Vinicius, the so-called hero of this novel and a hot blooded soldier at the beginning of the story, is reduced to a sniveling coward by this ideal. Instead of fighting for his life and love, by the end of the novel he just keeps crying, blanching, and almost fainting like a French noblewoman whenever he hears some bad news. One is tempted at times to cry to high heavens: "Christ, bring me back the old Vinicius!"
Vinicius's transformation into a whining, quivering pacifist is as well-written as the rest of the novel. His focus is slowly shifting from self-defense to turning the other cheek, and that is followed by a shift of focus from this world to the next. As a man of action who's no longer able to strike out, Vinicius is limited to running and praying - which he does quite a bit near the end. This process is portrayed as necessary in the impossible circumstances he is put in, but one cannot avoid feeling disappointed by his weakness, and thank Sienkiewicz for at least providing a better hero, Petronius, who remains a worldly man of action to the end - and drives the plot forward.
But what a great hero-substitute is Petronius! His mind is sharp; his morality, though somewhat lacking, represents the best of first century Rome (a mix of hedonism with a sense of honor and good taste); and his wit is reason enough to read this novel. Time and again he manipulates Nero and the entire court to his favor, and time and again he manages to do some good even while playing by the rules of an evil game. When his end comes, he reclaims his integrity and directs his final stab of wit at the great Nero. The best of Rome would perish with him, but what a show it gives before the end!
A lot can be said in criticism of the glamorization of early Christianity in this novel. But despite its weaknesses, the story retains a degree of honesty, importance, and drama that was rarely matched since. Henryk Sienkiewicz's technique is near flawless, and the experience as a whole is overwhelming. The modern reader will find that the dilemmas of this novel are still very much alive today, and will rediscover the power of fiction to transcend time, distance, and language.
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Editorial Reviews:
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Translated by Stanley F Conrad. Set around the dawn of Christianity with amazing historical accuracy Quo Vadis? won Sienkiewicz the Nobel Prize. Written nearly a century ago and translated into over 40 languages, Quo Vadis, has been the greatest best-selling novel in the history of literature. Now in a sparkling new translation which restores the original glory and splendour of this masterpiece, W S Kuniczak, the most acclaimed translator of Sienkiewicz in this century, combines his special knowledge of Sienkiewicz's fiction with his own considerable talents as a novelist. An epic saga of love, courage and devotion in Nero's time, Quo Vadis portrays the degenerate days leading to the fall of the Roman Empire and the glory and the agony of early Christianity.
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