Quo Vadis (Barnes & Noble Library of Essential Reading)

by Henry K. Sienkiewicz, Andrzej Karcz (Introduction), Jeremiah Curtin (Translator)

Overview

Quo Vadis is a powerful historical novel about the rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire. Through a romance between a high-born Roman pagan and a Christian woman, Henryk Sienkiewicz masterfully brings to life the decadence of imperial Rome during the reign of Nero Claudius Caesar (AD 54-68), the bloodthirsty persecutor of the early Christians.

Quo Vadis has been translated into more than forty languages, as well as adapted into several movies. Jeremiah Curtins accurate and lively English translation of the novel successfully conveys Sienkiewiczs muted portrayal of the beginnings of Christianity and his spectacular, apocalyptic vision of the Roman Empire in decline.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781411429406
Publisher:	Union Square & Co.
Publication date:	09/01/2009
Series:	Barnes & Noble Library of Essential Read
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	560
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	3 Months to 18 Years

About the Author

Born in Poland in 1846 and educated in Warsaw, Henryk Sienkiewicz published his first literary works in 1872. Sienkiewicz was also a successful journalist, a social and political activist, and a Polish patriot. After his wife died from tuberculosis, Sienkiewicz established a foundation and an artists fund that was devoted to helping artists and writers suffering from the disease. But Sienkiewicz also wrote novels, short stories, and essays while abroad, and many of his works were inspired by his travels. He was furthermore very active politically, writing protests against the policies of Prussia and Russia toward Poland. Sienkiewicz was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1905. He spent his final years in Switzerland, where he continued to work on behalf of the Polish people, co-organizing the Swiss central committee of an organization devoted to helping Polish victims of World War I. He died in Switzerland in 1916.

Introduction

Quo Vadis is Henryk Sienkiewicz's powerful historical novel about the rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire. Rather than a pious work devoted to religious and spiritual themes, Quo Vadis is a suspenseful adventure story that centers on the passionate love between a high-born Roman pagan and a Christian woman. Sienkiewicz masterfully brings to life the decadence of imperial Rome during the reign of Nero Claudius Caesar (A.D. 54-68), the infamous and bloodthirsty persecutor of the first Christians.

First published in Polish in 1896, Quo Vadis has been translated into more than forty languages, as well as made into a movie several times. Jeremiah Curtin's accurate and lively English translation of the novel successfully conveys Sienkiewicz's muted portrayal of the beginnings of Christianity and his spectacular, apocalyptic vision of the Roman Empire in decline. With this new edition of Curtin's translation, a fresh generation of English-speaking readers can enjoy Sienkiewicz's captivating tale of history, adventure, and love.