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Captivity
Captivity | Gyorgy Spiro
12 posts | 5 read | 6 to read
Captivity is a complex and fast-paced tale of Jewish life in the early first century, a sort of sword-and-sandals saga as reimagined by Henry Roth. The narrative follows Uri from Rome to Jerusalem and back, from prospectless dreamer to political operative to pogrom survivor who along the way also happens to dine with Herod Antipas and Pontius Pilate and get thrown into a cell with a certain Galilean rabble-rouser. Hungarian Gyorgy Spiro s deft combination of philosophical inquiry and page-turning brio should overcome that oft-mentioned American timidity toward books in translation. The Wall Street Journal, Best Books of 2015 A literary sensation, Gyorgy Spiro s Captivity is both a highly sophisticated historical novel and a gripping page-turner. Set in the tumultuous first century A.D., between the year of Christ s death and the outbreak of the Jewish War, Captivity recounts the adventures of the feeble-bodied, bookish Uri, a young Roman Jew. Frustrated with his hapless son, Uri s father sends the young man to the Holy Land to regain the family s prestige. In Jerusalem, Uri is imprisoned by Herod and meets two thieves and (perhaps) Jesus before their crucifixion. Later, in cosmopolitan Alexandria, he undergoes a scholarly and sexual awakening but must also escape a pogrom. Returning to Rome at last, he finds an entirely unexpected inheritance. Equal parts Homeric epic, brilliantly researched Jewish history, and picaresque adventure, Captivity is a dramatic tale of family, fate, and fortitude. In its weak-yet-valiant hero, fans will be reminded of Robert Graves classics of Ancient Rome, I, Claudius and Claudius the God."
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rwmg
Captivity | Gyorgy Spiro
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Pickpick

Short-sighted and weedy, Uri is chosen to accompany a delegation bringing an offering from Jews in Rome to the Temple in Jerusalem in the reign of Tiberius and we follow his life down to the reign of Vespasian.

Parts of Uri's story are interesting but it is mostly just an excuse for the author to tell us everything he knows about the life of Jews in 1st century Rome, Judea, and Alexandria. Borderline Pick/So-So

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rwmg
Captivity | Gyorgy Spiro
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rwmg “You're setting off for Jerusalem the day after tomorrow.“

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl
2y
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rwmg
Captivity | Gyorgy Spiro
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rwmg
Captivity | Gyorgy Spiro
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review
DannyOlda
Captivity | Gyorgy Spiro
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Pickpick

With big pages, small type and still nearly 900 pages this was a big one that took a while. Somehow it managed to still be a page-turner of a historical bildungsroman. If you're a history nerd, you'll find a special satisfaction in this one as it weaves around the Mediterranean during the first century c.e.

StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego Welcome to Litsy 6y
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DannyOlda
Captivity | Gyorgy Spiro
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This has been one epic book. Great quote attributed to Seneca near the end of this novel.

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DannyOlda
Captivity | Gyorgy Spiro
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Just came in the mail. So excited to settle into this one.

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AMVP
Captivity | Gyorgy Spiro
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#Riotgrams day 20 - favorite book covers

While the cover is pretty good in it's own right, this is more notable as my favorite 'feeling' book. There's a surprising heft to it (800+ pages in a 500 page binding) and the jacket has this real nice, waxy texture to it. Can anybody tell me what makes it feel that way?

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AMVP
Captivity | Gyorgy Spiro
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Got 3 books left to finish before the end of the year. Ashamed somewhat that I left Captivity neglected for so long, given that it was the 3rd book I started this year. With 400+ pages remaining, completion prospects aren't looking great, though the book itself certainly has been.

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QuintusMarcus
Captivity | Gyorgy Spiro
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I actually read this at this time last year, but some reference made me think of it again. Captivity has been very accurately described as a cross between I, Claudius and Ben Hur. The story concerns the adventures of a member of the 1st century AD Jewish community in Rome, although most of the story takes place in Alexandria. More than you will ever need to know about Roman politics in the Mediterranean world of the first century! Loved it!

Hobbinol Sounds fantastic!👍🏻 8y
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Autolycus
Captivity | Gyorgy Spiro
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