Vergilius: A Tale of the Coming of Christ

Bacheller, Irving, 1859-1950Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 3.2
Word count
227K words
Chapters
23

Tags

English Originals Foreign LiteratureReligion Human NaturePatriotismSpiritual QuestSymbolic ImageryPopular NarrativeAncient RomeReligious Theme

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971, and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today. Vergilius: A Tale of the Coming of Christ by Irving Bacheller. Author: Bacheller, Irving, 1859-1950. Language: English. Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature. Release Date: Aug 8, 2005

Editor's review

Framed around the coming of Christ, this novel is set in the ancient world under Roman rule, using the figure of Vergilius as a narrative thread to explore faith, power, and a world in transition. Irving Bacheller, born in 1859, writes in the spirit of late nineteenth-century American popular historical fiction: scenes are carefully staged, relationships turn on choices of belief, and the narrative focuses less on theological argument than on creating the atmosphere and emotional tension of a world about to change. For readers, its value lies chiefly in seeing how an American writer of that era imagined late antiquity and the rise of Christianity, and how popular fiction handled religious subject matter. Those expecting rigorous historical scholarship or deep theological discussion should adjust their expectations. It suits supplementary reading in literary history, or casual browsing by readers drawn to fiction set in the ancient world who wish to note its narrative pacing and the marks of its time.

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Reading tips

  1. Before reading, learn the basic historical framework of the late Roman Empire and early Christianity to ease into the setting.
  2. Read the novel as a product of its era's imagination, noting how the author stages moments of belief and conversion.
  3. If reading the English original, read one chapter first to adjust to the style, then decide whether to read closely or casually.
  4. After finishing, compare it with works on the same theme to see how writers of different eras handle ancient religious subjects.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

Contents

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12
  13. 13
  14. 14
  15. 15
  16. 16
  17. 17
  18. 18
  19. 19
  20. 20
  21. 21
  22. 22
  23. 23

FAQ

Is this novel the story of Jesus himself? No. The novel is framed around the coming of Christ and set in the ancient world under Roman rule; it unfolds through the experiences of fictional characters such as Vergilius rather than directly narrating the life of Jesus.
Do I need Christian theological knowledge to read it? Systematic theological knowledge is not required. The novel emphasizes atmosphere and personal choices; a basic grasp of the historical background of Christianity's rise is enough. If an allusion is unfamiliar, look it up as you go; it will not hinder the overall reading.
Is this book suitable as an introduction to historical fiction? It can serve as a sample of late nineteenth-century American fiction set in antiquity, but it is not known for strict historical accuracy. For an introduction to historical fiction, consider reading alongside modern editions or companion materials with clearer background and fuller notes.

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About the author

Bacheller, Irving, 1859-1950 Author

Irving Bacheller (1859–1950) was an American writer. Public information about his life and education is limited, but the library holds eighteen of his works, which shows the breadth of his subjects. He is known for his North Country novels, above all Eben Holden, a tale of rural life told in a plain and warmly human style; The Light in the Clearing continues this regional setting against the times of Silas. Bacheller also wrote historical fiction: Vergilius: A Tale of the Coming of Christ and In the Days of Poor Richard draw on the classical world and the colonial period, while A Man for the Ages portrays figures from American history. Books such as The Master of Silence and 'Charge It': Keeping Up with Harry show a gentle, popular narrative manner, often with moral concern and a local flavor. His works reached a broad readership and hold a place in early twentieth-century American popular literature, and some were adapted for stage and screen.