A great book, if you have the patience. Lots of chapters exist just to give historical background, so don't expect something as fast-paced as the movie version; however, some parts of this book are simply amazing. The chariot race is one of the most exciting passages in all of literature (George Lucas' pod race can't even touch it), and the passages about leprosy are some of the most heart-rending. It also does a great job of painting a clear picture of who exactly Jesus was, as well as showing us the unique context in which the people of Israel viewed him at the time--as somebody who they felt would liberate them from Roman subjugation. It's a difficult read, but Wallace is a poetic writer and Ben-Hur is the kind of Christian novel that's nearly impossible to find anymore: namely, it respects the readers' intelligence by not sermonizing on the various morals it is attempting to convey. Whether or not Ben-Hur's vengeance is justified is merely hinted at rather than expounded upon. Most Christian authors lack that kind of subtlety. Wallace was also incredibly knowledgeable about his subject matter, and this book is as well-researched as a James Clavell novel. After Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, it is probably the most vivid and realistic rendering of Jesus I know of, and the scene of His crucifixion carries with it a great deal of emotional heft. The only real problems I have with the novel are that the romance element is not particularly believable, and the story contains a lot of all-too-convenient coincidences, though those can probably be written off as being part of God's ultimate plan. Sure, the movie is a classic, but read the book first if at all possible.