Well this is indeed an epic read! A tale of betrayal and revenge on (literally) a biblical scale Wallace follows Jewish Prince Ben-Hur as he loses everything as his 'friend' turns against him and falsely accuses him of the murder of a Roman Governer. As he finds himself trapped as a galley slave he vows to seek his revenge and his determination allows him to do just that. Intertwinned in this is the story of Christ, from his birth to his death, told in great (possibly too much) detail that adds another dimension to Ben-Hur's story as it is reflected in the life of Christ. As this was first written in 1880 it does have that old world feel to it which on one hand does make it a little hard to read but on the other it makes the story feel more real as the writing reflects a by-gone age where things are not as they are today, helping the reader step back in time. When I started this I wasn't that keen but by the end Wallace had me hooked, a sign of a good book if ever there was one.