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When It Was Dark: The Great Conspiracy
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This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface.
We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1903
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 2, 2013
When Hitch recommended everyone read “this piece of trash novel”, of course I had to read it. Or try, anyhow. (Thank you, Andrei Gavrila, for giving us this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X--lX3...)
Other than works like the Bible or from Greek Philosophers and such, I haven't read too many materials published older than the last fifty or sixty years. When It Was Dark was published in 1903, prior to the first World War. So much geopolitically and scientifically has changed since 1914, it interested me to dive into a work that knew nothing of this knowledge and see what the pages had to offer.
After reaching about one-hundred-eighty pages (of a free edition offered via Google's scanned edition), I had to call it quits. Maybe not quite “trash”, but I couldn't get past the writing style. Long moments of characters reflecting on events, characters spending too much time within their own heads. Too much telling, not enough showing. And a dreaded over use of adverbs – fixedly, comes to mind. But maybe all that was acceptable turn of the twentieth century. I'll have to read more older works to find out.
The greatest eye-roll of this book is the author's agenda. Clearly, it was to show that without Christianity, there'd be no civil order, no morality. It's as if Mr. Thorne was arguing that prior to Christ, men and women ran rampaging acceptably through the streets (never mind how streets got built in the first place, why with all the rabble-rousing going on). The conclusion is that prior to God ordering, “Thou Shall Not Kill”, it was perfectly acceptable to do so. Ludicrous. Now I'm all for alternative-history. Or even unlikely outcomes. After all, this is fiction. But this is no Turtledove. This takes place in this universe, not an alternate one. There is no explanation why Christianity is so important to the entire world that, once the bodily Resurrection were shown to be false, all morals are lost. Quiet frankly, I'm convinced that even if an authentic statement from Joseph of Arimathea were discovered indicating he did indeed remove the body (as in the novel), it wouldn't change a believer anyhow. They'd simply keep practicing and claim Jesus rose in Spirit. Case closed. Continue a'churchin. (To give credit, the novel does deal with this but only by academics, not the common person).
The only saving grace of this work was a couple of quotes that I highlighted. The first is, “It's difficult to show a small brain a big thing.” Also, and perhaps my favorite, “Ever since the Lard died – ah! Twas a bitter nailing, a bitter nailing, my dear!” Perhaps there are more gems sprinkled about but I give up. On to the next read.
Other than works like the Bible or from Greek Philosophers and such, I haven't read too many materials published older than the last fifty or sixty years. When It Was Dark was published in 1903, prior to the first World War. So much geopolitically and scientifically has changed since 1914, it interested me to dive into a work that knew nothing of this knowledge and see what the pages had to offer.
After reaching about one-hundred-eighty pages (of a free edition offered via Google's scanned edition), I had to call it quits. Maybe not quite “trash”, but I couldn't get past the writing style. Long moments of characters reflecting on events, characters spending too much time within their own heads. Too much telling, not enough showing. And a dreaded over use of adverbs – fixedly, comes to mind. But maybe all that was acceptable turn of the twentieth century. I'll have to read more older works to find out.
The greatest eye-roll of this book is the author's agenda. Clearly, it was to show that without Christianity, there'd be no civil order, no morality. It's as if Mr. Thorne was arguing that prior to Christ, men and women ran rampaging acceptably through the streets (never mind how streets got built in the first place, why with all the rabble-rousing going on). The conclusion is that prior to God ordering, “Thou Shall Not Kill”, it was perfectly acceptable to do so. Ludicrous. Now I'm all for alternative-history. Or even unlikely outcomes. After all, this is fiction. But this is no Turtledove. This takes place in this universe, not an alternate one. There is no explanation why Christianity is so important to the entire world that, once the bodily Resurrection were shown to be false, all morals are lost. Quiet frankly, I'm convinced that even if an authentic statement from Joseph of Arimathea were discovered indicating he did indeed remove the body (as in the novel), it wouldn't change a believer anyhow. They'd simply keep practicing and claim Jesus rose in Spirit. Case closed. Continue a'churchin. (To give credit, the novel does deal with this but only by academics, not the common person).
The only saving grace of this work was a couple of quotes that I highlighted. The first is, “It's difficult to show a small brain a big thing.” Also, and perhaps my favorite, “Ever since the Lard died – ah! Twas a bitter nailing, a bitter nailing, my dear!” Perhaps there are more gems sprinkled about but I give up. On to the next read.
May 4, 2026
A riveting thriller in spite of its antisemitic digressions and asides.
Key Characters and Interrelations (AI)
Basil Gortre: A young, honest, and impressive curate at St. Thomas's Church in Walktown, Lancashire. He is engaged to Helena Byars.
Ambrose Byars: The Vicar of Walktown and Basil's future father-in-law. He is a scholarly man with deep Christian convictions.
Helena Byars: The Vicar's daughter and Basil Gortre’s fiancée.
Constantine Schuabe: A brilliant millionaire, politician, and notorious agnostic. He is the primary antagonist, described by Gortre as "Antichrist"
Sir Robert Llwellyn: A world-renowned expert on Biblical antiquities at the British Museum. He is coerced by Schuabe into a conspiracy due to massive gambling debts and a scandalous private life.
Gertrude Hunt: A musical comedy dancer and Llwellyn's mistress. She later repents and seeks spiritual guidance from Gortre and Father Ripon
Harold Spence: A successful journalist at the Daily Wire and a close friend of Basil Gortre from their Oxford days.
Cyril Hands: A distinguished archaeologist in charge of excavations in Jerusalem. He unknowingly becomes the instrument of the conspiracy by "discovering" a forged tomb.
Father Ripon: The energetic and unconventional Vicar of St. Mary’s in London and Basil Gortre’s new superior.
Sir Michael Manichoe: A wealthy Jewish convert to Christianity, a Member of Parliament, and a patron of St. Mary's
Chapter Summaries
Book I: When It Was Dark
Chapter I: An Incident by Way of Prologue: Sets the scene in the gloomy industrial town of Walktown. [cite_start]Basil Gortre is introduced as he performs Evensong in the stark, ugly parish church [cite: 15-45].
Chapter II: In the Vicar's Study: Vicar Ambrose Byars and Basil discuss Basil’s impending move to a London curacy. [cite_start]They share their mutual unease regarding the powerful agnostic millionaire Constantine Schuabe [cite: 52-117].
Chapter III: "I Think He is a Good Man": Schuabe visits the Vicar to offer scholarships, appearing philanthropic. [cite_start]Helena believes he is sincere, but Basil remains intuitively convinced Schuabe is an "active enemy of Christ" [cite: 127-133, 1648-1662].
Chapter IV: The Smoke Cloud at Dawn: Schuabe invites Basil to his home, Mount Prospect. [cite_start]After a tense debate on faith, Schuabe drops his mask of tolerance, revealing his hatred for Christianity and prophesying its imminent destruction [cite: 140-155, 1793-1824].
Chapter V: A Lost Soul: Focuses on Robert Llwellyn, a famous scholar living a double life of debauchery. [cite_start]He receives a letter from Schuabe threatening him with financial ruin and exposure unless he agrees to a mysterious service [cite: 1842-1896].
Chapter VI: The Whisper: Llwellyn visits his mistress, Gertrude Hunt, then meets Schuabe at the Hotel Cecil. [cite_start]Schuabe offers Llwellyn £50,000 to "change the history of the world" by forging archaeological evidence in Jerusalem [cite: 1959-2093].
Chapter VII: Last Words at Walktown: The Walktown parishioners hold a farewell party for Basil. [cite_start]Recovering from illness, Basil gives a prophetic warning to the crowd to keep their faith during the coming darkness [cite: 2101-2165].
Chapter VIII: A Dinner at the Pannier d'Or: Basil, Helena, the Vicar, and Harold Spence vacation in Dieppe. [cite_start]They encounter Llwellyn, who hints at "stupendous discoveries" coming in Palestine [cite: 2171-2335].
Chapter IX: Inauguration: Basil begins his work in London at St. Mary's and moves in with Harold Spence and archaeologist Cyril Hands. [cite_start]He meets Father Ripon, who describes the difficulties of their parish [cite: 2354-2468].
Chapter X: The Resurrection Sermon: Basil preaches a powerful sermon on the Resurrection. [cite_start]He notices Schuabe and Gertrude Hunt in the congregation, feeling a spiritual duel between himself and Schuabe [cite: 2469-2556].
Chapter XI: "Neither Do I Condemn Thee": Basil discovers that Gertrude Hunt is a dancer and the mistress of a wealthy man. [cite_start]She begins attending church regularly, clearly troubled [cite: 2562-2677].
Chapter XII: Powers of Good and Evil: Father Ripon informs Basil that Gertrude Hunt wishes to repent. Basil visits her and discovers that her "proprietor" is Llwellyn. [cite_start]A confrontation occurs when Llwellyn returns to the flat [cite: 2678-2769].
Book II
Chapter I: While London Was Sleeping: Harold Spence, alone in London while Basil is away, receives a bulky packet from Cyril Hands in Jerusalem. [cite_start]He is unaware that the world is about to change [cite: 2822-2863].
[cite_start]Chapter II: Avoiding the Flower Pattern on the Carpet: A "Report" is issued confirming the discovery of a tomb in Jerusalem with an inscription stating that Joseph of Arimathea took the body of Jesus from the grave and hid it elsewhere [cite: 651-662].
Chapter III: "I, Joseph": The world is thrown into chaos by the news. [cite_start]The discovery seemingly disproves the Resurrection [cite: 667, 1136-1139].
Chapter IV: The Domestic Chaplain's Testimony: Focuses on the immediate fallout. [cite_start]Many lose their faith; social order begins to crumble as the moral foundation of society is removed [cite: 667-683, 849-854].
Chapter V: Deus, Deus Meus, Quare Dereliquisti!: The religious world is in agony. [cite_start]The grimmer industrial North sees an immediate rise in lawlessness and despair [cite: 667-673].
[cite_start]Chapter VI: (This chapter follows the escalating global turmoil and the rise of secularism) [cite: 1046-1055].
Chapter VII: The Hour of Chaos: Walktown is gripped by spiritual darkness. [cite_start]Attendance at church plummets, and the Vicar struggles with the apparent dethronement of Christ [cite: 667-683, 702].
Chapter VIII: The First Links: Recovering from another illness, Basil pieces together the connection between Schuabe and Llwellyn. [cite_start]He realizes the discovery is likely a massive forgery [cite: 684-729].
Chapter IX: Particular Instances...: Contrasts the steadfast faith of a poor old lady with the collapse of morality among the elite. [cite_start]Basil travels to find Gertrude Hunt [cite: 735, 747-754].
Chapter X: The Triumph of Sir Robert Llwellyn: Llwellyn enjoys his wealth and status but is haunted by Gertrude's disappearance. [cite_start]Schuabe warns him that Basil is dangerous [cite: 755-789].
Chapter XI: Progress: Sir Michael, Father Ripon, and Spence meet with Basil. [cite_start]Basil reports that Gertrude Hunt has confirmed Llwellyn's secret trip to Palestine [cite: 792-809].
[cite_start]Chapter XII: A Soul Alone on the Sea-Shore: Gertrude Hunt, living in seclusion, decides to return to Llwellyn to trick him into confessing the truth, believing she is sacrificing her soul for the world's sake [cite: 819-908].
Book III
[cite_start]Chapter I: What it Meant to the World's Women: Chronicles the rise in crimes against women and the loss of social progress as Christianity’s influence vanishes [cite: 909-942].
Chapter II: Cyril Hands Redux: Hands returns to England as a hero but is overwhelmed by the global misery he has caused. [cite_start]He remains convinced of his findings but loathes his celebrity [cite: 943-967].
Chapter III: All Ye Inhabitants...: Cyril Hands dies of heart disease in Cornwall. [cite_start]Schuabe is relieved that the only man who could have questioned the discovery's origins is dead [cite: 1001-1015].
Chapter IV: A Luncheon Party: Schuabe observes the global maelstrom with a mix of terror and god-like pride. [cite_start]He realizes his power is fading as the world collapses into anarchy [cite: 1016-1072].
[cite_start]Chapter V: (Covers the further descent into lawlessness and the desperate efforts of the remaining faithful) [cite: 1238-1243].
Chapter VI: Under the Eastern Stars...: Spence travels to the Holy Land. [cite_start]He tracks down Ionides, a Greek assistant who participated in the forgery, and obtains a full confession [cite: 1135-1141].
Chapter VII: The Last Meeting: Schuabe and Llwellyn meet in London, realizing the net is closing. [cite_start]They attempt to hire assassins to kill Basil and Spence, but the criminals refuse because the targets are under Government protection [cite: 1142-1209].
Chapter VIII: Death Coming with One Grace: Llwellyn, paralyzed and abandoned by Schuabe, confesses everything to his wife. [cite_start]He dies as a mob storms his house, while his wife holds a crucifix to his eyes [cite: 1211-1276].
Chapter IX: At Walktown Again: The news of the conspiracy’s exposure reaches Walktown. [cite_start]Light returns to the world, and Basil Gortre is hailed as a hero [cite: 1277-1331].
Epilogue: In Three Pictures
I. [cite_start]The Grave: Father Ripon and Spence visit the grave of Gertrude Hunt, who died shortly after providing the evidence that broke the conspiracy [cite: 1334-1339].
II. [cite_start]The Second Picture: Schuabe is revealed to be a patient in a county asylum, his brilliant mind utterly broken [cite: 1339-1348].
III. [cite_start]The Third Picture: Years later, Basil Gortre, now a Dean, preaches a triumphant Easter sermon, celebrating the enduring truth of the Resurrection [cite: 1349-1358].
Key Characters and Interrelations (AI)
Basil Gortre: A young, honest, and impressive curate at St. Thomas's Church in Walktown, Lancashire. He is engaged to Helena Byars.
Ambrose Byars: The Vicar of Walktown and Basil's future father-in-law. He is a scholarly man with deep Christian convictions.
Helena Byars: The Vicar's daughter and Basil Gortre’s fiancée.
Constantine Schuabe: A brilliant millionaire, politician, and notorious agnostic. He is the primary antagonist, described by Gortre as "Antichrist"
Sir Robert Llwellyn: A world-renowned expert on Biblical antiquities at the British Museum. He is coerced by Schuabe into a conspiracy due to massive gambling debts and a scandalous private life.
Gertrude Hunt: A musical comedy dancer and Llwellyn's mistress. She later repents and seeks spiritual guidance from Gortre and Father Ripon
Harold Spence: A successful journalist at the Daily Wire and a close friend of Basil Gortre from their Oxford days.
Cyril Hands: A distinguished archaeologist in charge of excavations in Jerusalem. He unknowingly becomes the instrument of the conspiracy by "discovering" a forged tomb.
Father Ripon: The energetic and unconventional Vicar of St. Mary’s in London and Basil Gortre’s new superior.
Sir Michael Manichoe: A wealthy Jewish convert to Christianity, a Member of Parliament, and a patron of St. Mary's
Chapter Summaries
Book I: When It Was Dark
Chapter I: An Incident by Way of Prologue: Sets the scene in the gloomy industrial town of Walktown. [cite_start]Basil Gortre is introduced as he performs Evensong in the stark, ugly parish church [cite: 15-45].
Chapter II: In the Vicar's Study: Vicar Ambrose Byars and Basil discuss Basil’s impending move to a London curacy. [cite_start]They share their mutual unease regarding the powerful agnostic millionaire Constantine Schuabe [cite: 52-117].
Chapter III: "I Think He is a Good Man": Schuabe visits the Vicar to offer scholarships, appearing philanthropic. [cite_start]Helena believes he is sincere, but Basil remains intuitively convinced Schuabe is an "active enemy of Christ" [cite: 127-133, 1648-1662].
Chapter IV: The Smoke Cloud at Dawn: Schuabe invites Basil to his home, Mount Prospect. [cite_start]After a tense debate on faith, Schuabe drops his mask of tolerance, revealing his hatred for Christianity and prophesying its imminent destruction [cite: 140-155, 1793-1824].
Chapter V: A Lost Soul: Focuses on Robert Llwellyn, a famous scholar living a double life of debauchery. [cite_start]He receives a letter from Schuabe threatening him with financial ruin and exposure unless he agrees to a mysterious service [cite: 1842-1896].
Chapter VI: The Whisper: Llwellyn visits his mistress, Gertrude Hunt, then meets Schuabe at the Hotel Cecil. [cite_start]Schuabe offers Llwellyn £50,000 to "change the history of the world" by forging archaeological evidence in Jerusalem [cite: 1959-2093].
Chapter VII: Last Words at Walktown: The Walktown parishioners hold a farewell party for Basil. [cite_start]Recovering from illness, Basil gives a prophetic warning to the crowd to keep their faith during the coming darkness [cite: 2101-2165].
Chapter VIII: A Dinner at the Pannier d'Or: Basil, Helena, the Vicar, and Harold Spence vacation in Dieppe. [cite_start]They encounter Llwellyn, who hints at "stupendous discoveries" coming in Palestine [cite: 2171-2335].
Chapter IX: Inauguration: Basil begins his work in London at St. Mary's and moves in with Harold Spence and archaeologist Cyril Hands. [cite_start]He meets Father Ripon, who describes the difficulties of their parish [cite: 2354-2468].
Chapter X: The Resurrection Sermon: Basil preaches a powerful sermon on the Resurrection. [cite_start]He notices Schuabe and Gertrude Hunt in the congregation, feeling a spiritual duel between himself and Schuabe [cite: 2469-2556].
Chapter XI: "Neither Do I Condemn Thee": Basil discovers that Gertrude Hunt is a dancer and the mistress of a wealthy man. [cite_start]She begins attending church regularly, clearly troubled [cite: 2562-2677].
Chapter XII: Powers of Good and Evil: Father Ripon informs Basil that Gertrude Hunt wishes to repent. Basil visits her and discovers that her "proprietor" is Llwellyn. [cite_start]A confrontation occurs when Llwellyn returns to the flat [cite: 2678-2769].
Book II
Chapter I: While London Was Sleeping: Harold Spence, alone in London while Basil is away, receives a bulky packet from Cyril Hands in Jerusalem. [cite_start]He is unaware that the world is about to change [cite: 2822-2863].
[cite_start]Chapter II: Avoiding the Flower Pattern on the Carpet: A "Report" is issued confirming the discovery of a tomb in Jerusalem with an inscription stating that Joseph of Arimathea took the body of Jesus from the grave and hid it elsewhere [cite: 651-662].
Chapter III: "I, Joseph": The world is thrown into chaos by the news. [cite_start]The discovery seemingly disproves the Resurrection [cite: 667, 1136-1139].
Chapter IV: The Domestic Chaplain's Testimony: Focuses on the immediate fallout. [cite_start]Many lose their faith; social order begins to crumble as the moral foundation of society is removed [cite: 667-683, 849-854].
Chapter V: Deus, Deus Meus, Quare Dereliquisti!: The religious world is in agony. [cite_start]The grimmer industrial North sees an immediate rise in lawlessness and despair [cite: 667-673].
[cite_start]Chapter VI: (This chapter follows the escalating global turmoil and the rise of secularism) [cite: 1046-1055].
Chapter VII: The Hour of Chaos: Walktown is gripped by spiritual darkness. [cite_start]Attendance at church plummets, and the Vicar struggles with the apparent dethronement of Christ [cite: 667-683, 702].
Chapter VIII: The First Links: Recovering from another illness, Basil pieces together the connection between Schuabe and Llwellyn. [cite_start]He realizes the discovery is likely a massive forgery [cite: 684-729].
Chapter IX: Particular Instances...: Contrasts the steadfast faith of a poor old lady with the collapse of morality among the elite. [cite_start]Basil travels to find Gertrude Hunt [cite: 735, 747-754].
Chapter X: The Triumph of Sir Robert Llwellyn: Llwellyn enjoys his wealth and status but is haunted by Gertrude's disappearance. [cite_start]Schuabe warns him that Basil is dangerous [cite: 755-789].
Chapter XI: Progress: Sir Michael, Father Ripon, and Spence meet with Basil. [cite_start]Basil reports that Gertrude Hunt has confirmed Llwellyn's secret trip to Palestine [cite: 792-809].
[cite_start]Chapter XII: A Soul Alone on the Sea-Shore: Gertrude Hunt, living in seclusion, decides to return to Llwellyn to trick him into confessing the truth, believing she is sacrificing her soul for the world's sake [cite: 819-908].
Book III
[cite_start]Chapter I: What it Meant to the World's Women: Chronicles the rise in crimes against women and the loss of social progress as Christianity’s influence vanishes [cite: 909-942].
Chapter II: Cyril Hands Redux: Hands returns to England as a hero but is overwhelmed by the global misery he has caused. [cite_start]He remains convinced of his findings but loathes his celebrity [cite: 943-967].
Chapter III: All Ye Inhabitants...: Cyril Hands dies of heart disease in Cornwall. [cite_start]Schuabe is relieved that the only man who could have questioned the discovery's origins is dead [cite: 1001-1015].
Chapter IV: A Luncheon Party: Schuabe observes the global maelstrom with a mix of terror and god-like pride. [cite_start]He realizes his power is fading as the world collapses into anarchy [cite: 1016-1072].
[cite_start]Chapter V: (Covers the further descent into lawlessness and the desperate efforts of the remaining faithful) [cite: 1238-1243].
Chapter VI: Under the Eastern Stars...: Spence travels to the Holy Land. [cite_start]He tracks down Ionides, a Greek assistant who participated in the forgery, and obtains a full confession [cite: 1135-1141].
Chapter VII: The Last Meeting: Schuabe and Llwellyn meet in London, realizing the net is closing. [cite_start]They attempt to hire assassins to kill Basil and Spence, but the criminals refuse because the targets are under Government protection [cite: 1142-1209].
Chapter VIII: Death Coming with One Grace: Llwellyn, paralyzed and abandoned by Schuabe, confesses everything to his wife. [cite_start]He dies as a mob storms his house, while his wife holds a crucifix to his eyes [cite: 1211-1276].
Chapter IX: At Walktown Again: The news of the conspiracy’s exposure reaches Walktown. [cite_start]Light returns to the world, and Basil Gortre is hailed as a hero [cite: 1277-1331].
Epilogue: In Three Pictures
I. [cite_start]The Grave: Father Ripon and Spence visit the grave of Gertrude Hunt, who died shortly after providing the evidence that broke the conspiracy [cite: 1334-1339].
II. [cite_start]The Second Picture: Schuabe is revealed to be a patient in a county asylum, his brilliant mind utterly broken [cite: 1339-1348].
III. [cite_start]The Third Picture: Years later, Basil Gortre, now a Dean, preaches a triumphant Easter sermon, celebrating the enduring truth of the Resurrection [cite: 1349-1358].
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 27, 2019
Interesting plot (religious adventure story), interesting characters, but unlike most other Sunday school books I've read (e.g. Warner/Wetherell, some Alcott, Mrs Craik) most interesting because the internal theology doesn't work, especially
- only middle class can be true Christians, poor people are too unrefined and unintelligent
- "good" characters happy to use torture or prostitute themselves for good causes (end not means important)
- Catholics (as always in these books) Seriously Dodgy, except, bizarrely, in France, where it's the state religion and therefore the Church that British Anglicans should attend, rather than the Anglican Church
These issues did make me wonder if this kind of book is what's led to e.g. Prosperity Gospel/USA's difficulties in separating church from state
Other difficulties for a modern reader are that this book is of its time, and therefore anti-Semitic
Need to read some more Guy Thorne to see if the above internal issues are unique to this book or more general
PS Unlike apparently all other readers I came across this in the excellent "Bestseller" by Claud Cockburn, thoroughly recommend.
- only middle class can be true Christians, poor people are too unrefined and unintelligent
- "good" characters happy to use torture or prostitute themselves for good causes (end not means important)
- Catholics (as always in these books) Seriously Dodgy, except, bizarrely, in France, where it's the state religion and therefore the Church that British Anglicans should attend, rather than the Anglican Church
These issues did make me wonder if this kind of book is what's led to e.g. Prosperity Gospel/USA's difficulties in separating church from state
Other difficulties for a modern reader are that this book is of its time, and therefore anti-Semitic
Need to read some more Guy Thorne to see if the above internal issues are unique to this book or more general
PS Unlike apparently all other readers I came across this in the excellent "Bestseller" by Claud Cockburn, thoroughly recommend.
March 8, 2019
I also followed Hitchen’s recommendation and read it. I was not expecting much and I was not disappointed. The writing style is very plain, making it easy to read, except for the format of the book which comes in a very large format, and that’s perhaps why bookshops don’t stock it. It’s everything what you have read about it, i.e. a piece of propaganda, but it is important to read this type of books as well, to see how people actually think, what they actually believe or want to believe. It’s important because it could be real -that people think like this- and that’s worrying. The choice of villain is certainly not great one (a millionaire Jew) and only adds to the criticism.
The discovery is about an inscription that says the body of Jesus was removed, and therefore didn’t rise from the Dead. This then created a huge mayhem around the world as all people started questioning their own morale. This is so much nonsense.
There are 2 passages that are particularly distressing from a book that is trying to stir moral.
When the conspiracy is discovered and the ‘heroes’ are trying to obtain evidence by torture. The author first, blames this behaviour on the lack of moral experience and strength but a paragraph later it then says, that type of behaviour is in fact sometimes needed for a beautiful ‘directed and ordained’ result by comparing torture as the sound of cymbals in an otherwise beautiful orchestra, but nonetheless needed to produce a master piece. (it’s sick)
p. 114 of the Jefferson Publication
“Spence took his decision (to use torture if needed) very quickly. He was a man who had been on many battle-fields, knew the grimness of life in many lands. It torture was necessary, then it must be so. The man deserved it, the end was great if the means were evil. It must be remembered that Spence was a man to whom the very loftiest and highest Christian ideals had not yet been made manifest. There are degrees in the struggle for saintliness; the journalist was but a postulant…..And indeed there are many instruments in an orchestra, all tuneful perhaps to the conductor’s beat, which they obey and understand, yet not all of equal eminence or beauty in the great scheme of the concert.
The violin soars into great mysteries of emotion….Yet, though the plangent sounding of the kettle-drums, the single beat of the barbaric cymbals are in one note and unfrequent, yet these minor messages go to swell the great tone-symphony and make it perfect in the serene beauty of something directed and ordained”.
The second scene is at the end of the book, when two girls are visiting a hospice for mental patients, and they make fun of the patients, but particularly of Schuabe, the villain: “That Schuabe creature was the funniest of all”. (p. 128 of the Jefferson Publication)
But if you read so far, you might be interested a bit. Do read it!
The discovery is about an inscription that says the body of Jesus was removed, and therefore didn’t rise from the Dead. This then created a huge mayhem around the world as all people started questioning their own morale. This is so much nonsense.
There are 2 passages that are particularly distressing from a book that is trying to stir moral.
When the conspiracy is discovered and the ‘heroes’ are trying to obtain evidence by torture. The author first, blames this behaviour on the lack of moral experience and strength but a paragraph later it then says, that type of behaviour is in fact sometimes needed for a beautiful ‘directed and ordained’ result by comparing torture as the sound of cymbals in an otherwise beautiful orchestra, but nonetheless needed to produce a master piece. (it’s sick)
p. 114 of the Jefferson Publication
“Spence took his decision (to use torture if needed) very quickly. He was a man who had been on many battle-fields, knew the grimness of life in many lands. It torture was necessary, then it must be so. The man deserved it, the end was great if the means were evil. It must be remembered that Spence was a man to whom the very loftiest and highest Christian ideals had not yet been made manifest. There are degrees in the struggle for saintliness; the journalist was but a postulant…..And indeed there are many instruments in an orchestra, all tuneful perhaps to the conductor’s beat, which they obey and understand, yet not all of equal eminence or beauty in the great scheme of the concert.
The violin soars into great mysteries of emotion….Yet, though the plangent sounding of the kettle-drums, the single beat of the barbaric cymbals are in one note and unfrequent, yet these minor messages go to swell the great tone-symphony and make it perfect in the serene beauty of something directed and ordained”.
The second scene is at the end of the book, when two girls are visiting a hospice for mental patients, and they make fun of the patients, but particularly of Schuabe, the villain: “That Schuabe creature was the funniest of all”. (p. 128 of the Jefferson Publication)
But if you read so far, you might be interested a bit. Do read it!
October 28, 2017
A silly little book that has it's brief moments of suspense. Overall, I spent more time trying to stay awake while reading this than balancing on the edge of my seat and chewing my nails wondering what was to come next. Predictable and disappointing in that the villain's arguments against religion made more sense than the clergy's arguments for...
May 3, 2024
While researching about bestsellers I came across this 1903 novel, apparently the runaway hit of that year in Britain. A cunning atheist millionaire sets up a scheme to "prove" that Jesus's resurrection never happened by making up a false inscription on a tomb in Jerusalem. Upon the discovery of the news, society falls apart, people abandon religion and commit all sorts of crimes, Palestine is in turmoil... until it is discovered that the inscription was not real. Then things go back to "normal".
Even if the religious and conspiratorial aspects of the plot may remind of The Da Vinci Code, the pace is soooo slow, the characters' depiction so biased (the reader is reminded over and over of the Jewishness of the evil character) and the action so far-fetched that it takes a good deal of an effort to finish the book. Made it, never again.
Even if the religious and conspiratorial aspects of the plot may remind of The Da Vinci Code, the pace is soooo slow, the characters' depiction so biased (the reader is reminded over and over of the Jewishness of the evil character) and the action so far-fetched that it takes a good deal of an effort to finish the book. Made it, never again.
February 4, 2021
I decided to read this book because of the recommendation of Christopher Hitchens, read it and learn the definition of drivel. To my amazement among the reviews on goodreads, there were more references to Christopher Hitchens than Guy Thorne or any of the current day Christian apologists. I disagree with Mr. Hitchens; this isn’t drivel, it’s poppycock.
The arrogance of the church, “the one true religion Roman Catholics” or the equally presumptive Church of England, is a highlight of this book. The belief in the resurrection has allowed Christians to keep all other religions from running amuck and give moral direction to the under-educated and less intelligent working class brits is a preposterous proposition.
Economic systems collapse, security for women disintegrates and crime rates soar when men are allowed to, without surveillance, return to a life of murder, disrespect and regular bar room brawls.
Read at your peril.
The arrogance of the church, “the one true religion Roman Catholics” or the equally presumptive Church of England, is a highlight of this book. The belief in the resurrection has allowed Christians to keep all other religions from running amuck and give moral direction to the under-educated and less intelligent working class brits is a preposterous proposition.
Economic systems collapse, security for women disintegrates and crime rates soar when men are allowed to, without surveillance, return to a life of murder, disrespect and regular bar room brawls.
Read at your peril.
September 30, 2013
It's a shameless Christian propaganda masqueraded as a novel. Almost every single paragraph bears a testimony to how narrow minded the author is who can't see the world with anything but a religious lens and an assumed moral authority. Any fictional work is bound to contain some stereotypes, but when the entire story revolves around stereotypes, vilification or glorification of certain inconsequential actions, I begin to question the author's sanity. However, keeping aside these moral issues, even if I consider the book as a pure thriller without any MESSAGE, I can't give it any praise. I know I shouldn't judge it as such because the author didn't have any imagination to go on at the first place. In fact, it was very good at pointing out what a good work of fiction shouldn't do.
1) When there are good guys and bad guys playing with conflicting interests, don't go on with a monotonous tirade of why the good guys are good and the bad guys are bad. Just describe the actions, let the reader decide who is good and who is evil.
2) Don't over dramatize every single act wandering inside someone's brain for pages.
3) You can make your heroes mindless, brainless fools but please, don't create worthless villains. It's the villains who keep the storyline moving and cause the story to exist at the first place. Ever heard of a murderer going on telling people who is going to be murdered? Ever heard the murderer narrating the whole act to a woman who is barely trustable? Serious? You couldn't imagine anything better than this while hoping to write a fiction?
I wish I could give it a rating lower than one, perhaps negative if Goodreads allowed it.
1) When there are good guys and bad guys playing with conflicting interests, don't go on with a monotonous tirade of why the good guys are good and the bad guys are bad. Just describe the actions, let the reader decide who is good and who is evil.
2) Don't over dramatize every single act wandering inside someone's brain for pages.
3) You can make your heroes mindless, brainless fools but please, don't create worthless villains. It's the villains who keep the storyline moving and cause the story to exist at the first place. Ever heard of a murderer going on telling people who is going to be murdered? Ever heard the murderer narrating the whole act to a woman who is barely trustable? Serious? You couldn't imagine anything better than this while hoping to write a fiction?
I wish I could give it a rating lower than one, perhaps negative if Goodreads allowed it.
August 29, 2014
One thing about this book that is worth highlighting is the way it has, to my eyes at least, aged very badly. Written at the very beginning of the 20th century (1902) it belongs to a time when people really did believe things like the bible and faith being the source of morality.
The story is convoluted, but concerns a biblical scholar who, in order to rescue himself from debt agrees to fake the discovery of a tomb where Jesus was buried, and then add features which demonstrate that the resurrection didn't take place, but that, instead, Joseph of Arimathea took the body to another tomb, leading to the tomb being found to be empty, leading to the assumption of resurrection.
Once this is done a pall falls over the world as the breaking of a central tenet of christianity destroys peoples faith.
There are a number of issues with the story. The obvious one is the fact that the moral sense most of us have has nothing to do with our religion. The breaking down of society with the sudden loss of faith is quite sweetly laughable from a modern perspective. The rampant anti-semetic portrayal of the 'baddie' is partly comical, but also disturbing when considered from the other side of the holocaust. It is, of course one of the laughable lies of modern religious apologists that the Nazis were lead to their deeds by atheism, when the staunchest anti-semites in the time before World War II were bolstered in their disdain and hatred by religious bigotry, by religiously inspired blood-libel rumours and the accusation that the jews killed Jesus.
An interesting book in terms of historical context, and an amusing one in terms of religious history.
The story is convoluted, but concerns a biblical scholar who, in order to rescue himself from debt agrees to fake the discovery of a tomb where Jesus was buried, and then add features which demonstrate that the resurrection didn't take place, but that, instead, Joseph of Arimathea took the body to another tomb, leading to the tomb being found to be empty, leading to the assumption of resurrection.
Once this is done a pall falls over the world as the breaking of a central tenet of christianity destroys peoples faith.
There are a number of issues with the story. The obvious one is the fact that the moral sense most of us have has nothing to do with our religion. The breaking down of society with the sudden loss of faith is quite sweetly laughable from a modern perspective. The rampant anti-semetic portrayal of the 'baddie' is partly comical, but also disturbing when considered from the other side of the holocaust. It is, of course one of the laughable lies of modern religious apologists that the Nazis were lead to their deeds by atheism, when the staunchest anti-semites in the time before World War II were bolstered in their disdain and hatred by religious bigotry, by religiously inspired blood-libel rumours and the accusation that the jews killed Jesus.
An interesting book in terms of historical context, and an amusing one in terms of religious history.
June 3, 2019
This book was mentioned in a speech by Christopher Hitchens as an example of what people believe it would happen to the world without religion. In my opinion, it's quite an interesting reading. The book was written in 1902 and it shows. As expected, religious people are the good guys while atheists are the bad guys. The main assumption of the book is that people, without religion, are mostly incapable of moral behavior. As a work of fiction, the author doesn't have to prove this assumption, he simply uses it as a base to develop the plot. Other assumptions showing the age of the novel are the roles and descriptions of female characters. There is no point in accusing the author of sexism or bigotry (as some reviewers do), he was a man of his time. It is much more interesting to read the book and observe how much our culture changed in 100 years.
February 19, 2013
I read it after hearing Christopher Hitchens talk about the book in a debate vs. Dinesh D'Souza. The topic discussed was "Can there be any morals without God (any God) ?".
Here is the piece of the debate were Christopher talks about the book http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X--lX3...
I have to agree with Christopher that it is "a piece of trash novel".
I have to disagree with Christopher, I don't recommend reading it.
Here is the piece of the debate were Christopher talks about the book http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X--lX3...
I have to agree with Christopher that it is "a piece of trash novel".
I have to disagree with Christopher, I don't recommend reading it.
April 11, 2013
A pleasant surprise. While relatively unknown, this fiction of a British mastermind who manages to forge a worldwide downfall of Christianity is very well put together and written in an excellent style. It provides both a fascinating view of the philosophical issues at the turn of the 19th century, and a thriller-esque story of a man who single-handedly forces millions of people into a religious crisis.
August 28, 2016
Antisemetic, anti-atheist, anti-intellectual, anti-humanist, trite, naive, hateful, ignorant, fallacious, hypocritical, and, above all, arrogant without believing itself to be. It may be a century old but it could just as easily have been written last week (most likely by Sean Hannity.)
Garbage, garbage, garbage.
Good for the lolz....
Garbage, garbage, garbage.
Good for the lolz....
April 27, 2014
Too much anti semitism. Good book but not for a best seller.
January 27, 2016
Absolutely hysterical piece of propaganda. Immensely enjoyable in its utter stupidity.
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