A Project Gutenberg text to while away slow periods. Um. Heavy-handed. The animosity between Messalah and Judah has less founding here than in the movie and latter's involvement in Jesus' mission is much more promiment.
With Mel Gibson's "Passion" in theatres, I was particularly interested in how Lew Wallace would treat Christ's last day. He might have sought to place the blame for the execution on the entire race of humanity by making the ridiculous number of three million witnesses Jews from everywhere, Libya, the Rhine, Egypt, still those who thronged to see him suffer and be debased were only Jewish. Eww, and maybe that three million was not supposed to represent the vastness of the human population but to be a census of all the Jews then living. Even Rome at its peak had only a million inhabitants. He does say that Pilate was inclined to be merciful but that Jesus wouldn't defend himself, which should allow the reader not to blame the Jews or Romans but know Jesus chose his fate.
When I saw the ballet "Romeo and Juliet," I thought it odd that Mercutio, however much more likeable in the play than either lead, took much longer to die than Romeo, Juliet, and Paris added together. There's something about dramatic tension, I suppose, but I am naughtily inclined and compared the word counts of the chariot race vs. the passion. And, okay, from "About three o'clock, speaking in modern style, the program was concluded except the chariot-race." to "And the race was won!" inclusive is 5,558 words, while from "There are certain chapters in the First Book of this story which were written to give the reader an idea of the composition of the Jewish nationality as it was in the time of Christ. They were also written in anticipation of this hour and scene; so that he who has read them with attention can now see all Ben-Hur saw of the going to the crucifixion--a rare and wonderful sight!" to "A tremor shook the tortured body; there was a scream of fiercest anguish, and the mission and the earthly life were over at once. The heart, with all its love, was broken; for of that, O reader, the man died!" is 7,306 words. So Wallace didn't pull a Prokofiev. Good for him.
I can't wait to get back to The Count of Monte Cristo.
Two 3.8-mile city rides. Somehow I forgot to put on my helmet when I left work and to notice until I got home, when its absence interrupted the automatic shedding of helmet and gloves. I'm in a quandary about how to get to work on Monday. I'll be aware of its absence and therefore in a lot more danger over the exact same route than I was today.