Published in England in 1939, this is Whittlesey's "top Fall
fiction title" with a pre-publication of 25,000 and an initial
advertising appropriation over $5,000. As an historical novelist
the author handles her Rome of the early Christians expertly, and
makes a holding story of many roads to The Way that slave and noble
alike found. The first part contains the stories of the means by
which individuals were joined in Jesus' name, particularly that of
Beric, a Briton and son of a king, now bound to the house of
Crispus, Lalage, the dancer, and Phaon who was saved to be a
deacon; the latter part of the book tells of the growing
persecution and pursuit by Tigellinus and his secret police, and
the climax of the Christians' martyrdom with the collapse of the
Piso conspiracy to assassinate Nero. Here is the chain of
consequences that leads to faith, the strength found in
fellow-worshippers, the knowledge of personal freedom which has no
relation to physical slavery, the intensity of belief that made
death for that belief dignified, courageous and worthwhile, that
promises a never ending story while such faith lives. A novel -
which like I Claudius in the detailing of all accents of the period
- that should have its place among the religious audience as well
as the general reading public, this, in placing history above
histrionics, makes vital the concepts and power of Christianity.
(Kirkus Reviews)
Introduced by Donald Smith. Set in Rome during Nero's reign of
terror, The Blood of the Martyrs is a disciplined historical novel
tracing the destruction of one cell of the early church. With a
cast of slaves, ordinary Roman people, exiles and entertainers, it
is thorough in its historical interpretation and in its
determination to make the past accessible and readable. Written in
1938-9, the novel contains many symbolic parallels to the rise of
European fascism in the 1930s and the desperate plight of
persecuted minorities such as the Jews and the left-wing activists
with whom Naomi Mitchison personally campaigned at the time. With
the invasion of Britain a real possibility, she felt compelled to
write a testament to the power of human solidarity which, even
faced with death, can overcome the worst that human evil can
achieve. The Blood of the Martyrs is the least autobiographical of
Mitchison's major works of fiction, yet, with its implicit credo,
is her most passionately self-revealing.
General
Imprint: |
Canongate Classics
|
Country of origin: |
United Kingdom |
Series: |
Canongate Classics, 5 |
Release date: |
September 1990 |
First published: |
2001 |
Authors: |
Naomi Mitchison
|
Introduction by: |
Donald Smith
|
Dimensions: |
197 x 128 x 28mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback - B-format
|
Pages: |
432 |
Edition: |
Main |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-86241-192-3 |
Categories: |
Books >
Fiction >
General & literary fiction >
Modern fiction
|
LSN: |
0-86241-192-0 |
Barcode: |
9780862411923 |
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