∎ PDF Gratis The Far Arena Richard Sapir 9780440126713 Books

The Far Arena Richard Sapir 9780440126713 Books

Download As PDF : The Far Arena Richard Sapir 9780440126713 Books

The Far Arena Richard Sapir 9780440126713 Books

Something about the Cold War revival of a frozen Roman gladiator by an American oilman, a Soviet physician, and a Norwegian nun has drawn me back, time and again, over the course of 30 years. I first encountered this novel in a friend's collection in 1985 or '86. Rarely had I been so tempted to a five-finger discount! I borrowed it again every few months for a while until I had memorized several passages—when he moved away, I knew I had to find my own copy. I almost walked past it in a second-hand bookstore, because the paperback cover was so different. A new publisher, plus an artist (or marketing department) who had not read past the opening chapters, lead to cover art that focused on the frozen specimen, "John Carter", buried deep in the ice.

What caught my eye, in fact, was a cover-quote from Howard Fast, author of "Spartacus" Spartacus. "Breathtaking," it said, "you must read it." I had just re-read Spartacus, and the name grabbed my attention. Voila! I had my fix: "Even if Publius had my speed and strength and my perfect weapons and I but a club, still I would emerge alive. I had walked on arena sand, and Publius had not." ("Eugeni", Lucius Aurelius Eugenianus)

Over several moves, I lost and replaced the novel several times, most recently to add it to my Kindle. Each time, I dove into the story, rapt in a tale that addressed much more than the real life and culture of Rome, as seen through the eyes of a half-Greek slave rising to arena stardom in Rome. Each of the other three, modern protagonists has a journey similar to Eugeni's to make, from their first innocent encounter with the gladiator, to their struggle to understand what they really want from him, to a final arena, with a battle that will cost each of them something very precious.

Of the three, I most identify with Lew McCardle, the Texas petroleum geologist, promoted to Vice-President on the strength of his discovery in the ice. Again and again, his musings reveal a kindred spirit trapped by the Peter Principle in a conflict even his decades-past experience on the gridiron has not prepared him to face.

First, the naïve, focused engineer: "[H]e knew that good engineering did not have right angles in pipes." Then the isolated husband wondering why he had chosen his wife, instead of a hookup girlfriend from his distant past: "She had everything to recommend her but a heart. And yet that is the last thing a young man looks at." And the chip he carries on his shoulder, which may bring him down under its weight: "Oil men did not particularly like people who read books, nor did they trust them. Somehow Lew’s size, and his origins in a backwater Texas town, compensated for his reading."

The Cold War had yet to begin its thaw, with Soviets in Afghanistan, Reagan and Thatcher—and Gorbachev—still on or below the horizon, when Sapir was writing this novel. Many of Eugeni's reactions to modern life, his observations about the East/West conflict, rang solidly true to the readers who would soon sweep those politicians into office: "Why is it people think the authorities are some form of gods with either great justice or great, cunning evil, rather than the same plodding fools they see in their daily lives, and most of all in their mirrors?" And: "The purpose of an authority is to remain an authority, not dispense justice."

Re-reading it today, I find equally-cogent statements about the resurgence of Socialism and Communism, as well as identity politics: "You call people ‘masses’ when you treat them as a lump, as a hundred slaves more or less, as an army if you will. Nobody ever knew a mass or loved a mass or even paid the respect of hating a mass."

Because, Eugeni muses near the end of his story: "...a man was a man because he thought, and all the cheers and all the illustrious parentage could not add one whit to any of his meaning." Yes, it is not what one is, but what one thinks, that matters in the meaning of life.

*If* one thinks.


Tags : The Far Arena [Richard Sapir] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. While conducting exploration in the frozen Arctic, Texan Lew McCardle, a geologist working for the Houghton Oil company,Richard Sapir,The Far Arena,Dell Publishing,0440126711

The Far Arena Richard Sapir 9780440126713 Books Reviews

A wonderful premises for a book. The unfolding and revealing of the Gladiator's story is fascinating and keeps you reading. The discovery of the Gladiator and the commotion it causes, the behavior and character of the Geologist and his ongoing part in the unfolding story is just strange. He is always odd with only hints of why that is, and it is never really explained. His conversations with the doctor never seem to be real. His final action left me completely confused. Instead of being a complicated person struggling with his identity, he is just inexplicable. The author peppers the Russian doctor with some strange sexual interests that add nothing to his character or the narrative, apparently using the failing marriages of both men as his excuse. I guess the author felt he had to put it into keep somebody's interest. Still an interesting read though.
"She understood now what made a language dead and what made it live. It was not great thoughts, but the little things that made languages live, asking for directions or to pass the salt or how one felt that morning. That was what made a language live, and all the Vergil and Church edicts and precision of its structure could not add one breath of life as meaningful as when a person said 'Not that door, use another.… No, I don’t want salt.… Where did you put the shirt?… What did you say?… How many of these do you want?… I don’t understand.' Words lasted with great ideas, but languages did not.."

I picked this up using Book Bub for $2, thinking, "Well, might be interesting." The first 50 or so pages - the "science and discovery" introduction of a Roman Gladiator flash frozen in the Atlantic for 2,000 years and thawed/revived in 70's Europe - was slow, and I wasn't sure I'd finish it. But once the Gladiator really started "talking, " I was hooked.Joanne - I was sooo wrong to tell you a week ago it wasn't worth full price. It is.)

Sometimes I get lost in a sea of meaningless characters. Not here. This book has four, and they're all centrally fascinating. The gladiator, of course, who reveals he was married to a first-century follower of some weird sect of Judaism; the Russian scientist who revived him; the (thinly veiled) A&M-trained geologist who both discovers him, then must hide the secret of his existence; the Latin-loving nun who eventually converses with him.

Not only is the plot engrossing, the characters are, too. And the back story history - oh boy. I learned so much about Roman history, the (horrifying) games, gladiator training, etc. As the plot to hide the existence of the Gladiator deepened and widened, I saw a lot of my own emotions in how the characters reached - Fright. Fury. Despair. Dishonesty. - but all ultimately arriving at acknowledgement of what's truly important - Faith. Family. Friends.

If you're a yellow-haired German barbarian slathered in grease, you'll love this book. If you're an American wondering how he let corporate America steal his soul - you'll love it. If you're a follower of Jesus living in today but wondering about yesterday - you'll love it. If you're a Russian who is both loyal to and terrified of his government and its people - you'll love it. If you're a Roman whose honor requires him to spill blood into the hot sand of a despicable arena - you'll love it. It's just a good, solid read.
A 1st century Roman is brought back to life in the 20th century. Intriguing concept. Even better, we learned more from him than he learned from us. So I liked the book (though the storyline is a bit sad as everyone he knew died so very long ago). So why just 3 stars? Because the first half of the book was about his life in 1st century Rome. I understand that knowing his background was instrumental to the story, but spending half the book on that subject was just too much background material.

Result. First half of the book 1.5 stars. Second half 4.5 stars.

Note ’s book description focuses on how the Roman had to adjust to the 20th century world. But, just as important, those who interacted with him had to adjust their views of ancient Rome and its Romans as well as to their own 20th century world – which I thought helped make the book so interesting.
Something about the Cold War revival of a frozen Roman gladiator by an American oilman, a Soviet physician, and a Norwegian nun has drawn me back, time and again, over the course of 30 years. I first encountered this novel in a friend's collection in 1985 or '86. Rarely had I been so tempted to a five-finger discount! I borrowed it again every few months for a while until I had memorized several passages—when he moved away, I knew I had to find my own copy. I almost walked past it in a second-hand bookstore, because the paperback cover was so different. A new publisher, plus an artist (or marketing department) who had not read past the opening chapters, lead to cover art that focused on the frozen specimen, "John Carter", buried deep in the ice.

What caught my eye, in fact, was a cover-quote from Howard Fast, author of "Spartacus" Spartacus. "Breathtaking," it said, "you must read it." I had just re-read Spartacus, and the name grabbed my attention. Voila! I had my fix "Even if Publius had my speed and strength and my perfect weapons and I but a club, still I would emerge alive. I had walked on arena sand, and Publius had not." ("Eugeni", Lucius Aurelius Eugenianus)

Over several moves, I lost and replaced the novel several times, most recently to add it to my . Each time, I dove into the story, rapt in a tale that addressed much more than the real life and culture of Rome, as seen through the eyes of a half-Greek slave rising to arena stardom in Rome. Each of the other three, modern protagonists has a journey similar to Eugeni's to make, from their first innocent encounter with the gladiator, to their struggle to understand what they really want from him, to a final arena, with a battle that will cost each of them something very precious.

Of the three, I most identify with Lew McCardle, the Texas petroleum geologist, promoted to Vice-President on the strength of his discovery in the ice. Again and again, his musings reveal a kindred spirit trapped by the Peter Principle in a conflict even his decades-past experience on the gridiron has not prepared him to face.

First, the naïve, focused engineer "[H]e knew that good engineering did not have right angles in pipes." Then the isolated husband wondering why he had chosen his wife, instead of a hookup girlfriend from his distant past "She had everything to recommend her but a heart. And yet that is the last thing a young man looks at." And the chip he carries on his shoulder, which may bring him down under its weight "Oil men did not particularly like people who read books, nor did they trust them. Somehow Lew’s size, and his origins in a backwater Texas town, compensated for his reading."

The Cold War had yet to begin its thaw, with Soviets in Afghanistan, Reagan and Thatcher—and Gorbachev—still on or below the horizon, when Sapir was writing this novel. Many of Eugeni's reactions to modern life, his observations about the East/West conflict, rang solidly true to the readers who would soon sweep those politicians into office "Why is it people think the authorities are some form of gods with either great justice or great, cunning evil, rather than the same plodding fools they see in their daily lives, and most of all in their mirrors?" And "The purpose of an authority is to remain an authority, not dispense justice."

Re-reading it today, I find equally-cogent statements about the resurgence of Socialism and Communism, as well as identity politics "You call people ‘masses’ when you treat them as a lump, as a hundred slaves more or less, as an army if you will. Nobody ever knew a mass or loved a mass or even paid the respect of hating a mass."

Because, Eugeni muses near the end of his story "...a man was a man because he thought, and all the cheers and all the illustrious parentage could not add one whit to any of his meaning." Yes, it is not what one is, but what one thinks, that matters in the meaning of life.

*If* one thinks.