Quo Vadis

Quo Vadis is an epic both tragic and powerful (and long!). The events in the story are loosely based on the history of Rome under the bloody reign of Emperor Nero (around AD 64), but I feel the purpose of this book was not to document it as a history. Instead, Sienkiewicz helps us to really understand the significance of the rise of Christianity as well as the fall of the old Roman gods in changing the western world. The tact with which he writes makes ancient Rome come alive, both the absolute horror and gore, as well as the blissful, delirious beauty of it. In the first chapters I was not very impressed. I felt the characters were not realistic and lacked dimension. However, as I continued I felt I came to grasp the purpose and style of the piece... and was thus gripped. I began to see the characters as almost idealised "actors" in this epic: the Christian, the Roman, the convert, the lover, the apostle, the emperor, the aesthete, the redeemed irredeemable, and so on. They all played their role - in the most tragic and dramatic way may I add - to serve the purpose of the story: to shed light on the irresistible love of Christ. I should say that I am not a Christian. However, after reading this book I feel I understand parts of the religion much better. Despite having been written in 1895-6, the accessibility of the piece has allowed me to better understand some of the debates still going on today when it comes to Christian beliefs in the world. I feel if we are to solve any of the issues in the world, we must listen to all sides of the story with open minds. This book has been an act of listening for me... as well as some proper tragic entertainment! I was heartbroken several times! My only criticism would be of one part of the ending (which I will not disclose here). It was the ending I wanted, but not the one I felt it needed.