The robe (The World's best reading)

This book is so good! You see through the eyes of a Roman centurion, Marcellus, who takes part in killing Jesus. He is the one who wins Jesus' robe by gambling for it. It makes him feel weird so he gives it to his most trusted slave and tells him to get rid of it. The slave keeps it though and throughout the book it gives comfort to Marcellus and his slave as they both become Christians. Diana, the girl Marcellus loves, is not a Christian and this proves to create a huge rift in the relationship. Get the book to see the end! I promise you won't be disappointed. The book is tragic, thrilling, romantic, and it makes you think so much more about being a Christian and giving your entire life to Jesus.

Read in junior high for an English assignment and loved it! I owned an old hardback copy for years and loaned it out… but never got it back. So glad to have it back in my book collection! The condition of the book was better than described. Has that old, vintage smell and feel, but no real damage to it.

This book challenges thought and makes you ponder what you're reading. If you're an intellectual person or like a challenge I highly recommend. I received my copy in pristine condition and I absolutely love it. good luck.

I loved the story, the character arcs of the major players, the adventure, romance and self-sacrifice of the true believers. My only complaint is that I wish Lloyd Douglas would have written his narrative to conform to scripture, instead of revising scripture to suit his story, which was absolutely unnecessary. Two examples: In Acts 7:56, there is important doctrine in what Stephen says that Douglas leaves out: "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God." He could have included it easily: (p. 363) "I see him!" he shouted triumphantly. "I see him (standing on the right hand of God)! My Lord Jesus-- take me!" Another example is when Peter heals the lame man, which in the Bible happens before Stephen's martyrdom, not after as in The Robe, where it isn't John who is with Peter, but Marcellus! Why couldn't John have been included for accuracy? All in all, it's a great story, I simply think that dovetailing more closely with scripture would have made it perfect.

As a classic many recognize in the movie version, I'd have to say to anyone that has seen the movie and not read the book, you're missing a lot. The movie is a cheap imitation of a novel that sucks you in from page one and doesn't let go until the end. Rarely do I read a book more than once ... I have read this book several times. Some authors have the inherent ability to draw you into the world they've created. Some authors possess the uncanny talent to make you really know the characters - love them or hate them. Some authors can make you feel as though you're walking side by side with the characters, living with them and enduring their emotions, seeing the things that they see. Some authors just have IT, and Lloyd C. Douglas is one of them. The sweeping pageantry of one man's quest to find truth in a world corrupted is a quest that will stay with you long after the final page has been turned. Without giving too much away, the quick synopsis would be this: The story begins with Marcellus Gallio, the son of the rich Roman Senator Marcus Lucan Gallio, being commissioned to take command of the Roman fort at Minoa (Gaza). His trusted slave and friend, Demetrius, makes the journey with him, and they find at the fort a desolate scrap of land and a group of ruthless ruffians who don't take kindly to leadership. Marcellus takes firm control at Minoa, and it is from here that he and Demetrius end up in Jerusalem during Passover. It is at this particular Passover that Jesus is tried under Pontius Pilate and crucified. The detachment from Minoa, lead by Marcellus, is ordered to execute Jesus. During the Crucifixion, the officers get drunk to avoid the harsh reality of the task they've been assigned. They start to gamble and at one point, they gamble for Christ's robe. Marcellus wins, and his acquiring the Robe sets off a chain of events that leads to his eventual search for the truth behind the man who wore it. At first, as a man who does not believe in religion or in supernatural occurrences, Marcellus is skeptical of the miracles Jesus performed. He is especially skeptical when told of the Resurrection. At every point, he is searching for logical ways to explain the miracles. His transformation from a skeptic to a believer is logical in its progression and one that is miraculous to behold. Nothing comes across as choppy or unbelievable, and the change in Marcellus's character is a slow evolution over time. In addition, I like that Jesus is not actually portrayed as a corporeal character in the book. Everything that deals with Him is after the Crucifixion, and Marcellus must learn about Him through the Disciples and the people who knew Him. Through their conviction, Marcellus discovers the truth and the belief he has sought. This novel is the complete experience of everything a novel is supposed to be: Excellent characterization, believable, intriguing plot and conflict, solid sense of time and place, and a climactic endi

I love this book ~ this is the most wonderful story ever written. I used to read a chapter of this book sitting on the bus going to work downtown with my dad. And then on the way home from work I would read another chapter. This book was so alive. When Jesus spoke of the lillies of the fields & the hills of Galilee.. this book.. the pages came alive. I think the Holy Spirit helped Lloyd Douglas write this book. We don't know what happened to Jesus's robe, we know the Roman soldiers gambled for it at the foot of the cross, but Lloyd Douglas has written such a wonderful story ~ every page is filled with color & smells of ancient Middle Eastern spices ~ small town villages that Jesus might have visited. The grandeur & glory of Rome.. Emperor Tiberius ~ Caligula ~ the Roman Senate, the melon farms off Puteoli; old Benjamin the tailor's shop filled with ancient scrolls about the coming Messiah; there are not enough words to describe this wonderful book. Read it. It may change your life. It made Jesus & the people that followed him & believed in Him come alive

Lloyd Douglas was one of the most amazing writers of his day, and has probably yet to be surpassed as one of the greatest novelists of all time. His book The Robe was the #1 best seller for 10 years in a row in the 1940's right behind the Bible. His life is just as inspiring as his novels. After finishing this novel he soon became ill, but knew that God wanted him to write another novel. Despite being on his death bed and also battling arthritis he typed his next novel "The Big Fisherman" with only his pointer finger. After writing out 22 chapters he realized that he wanted to change the storyline a bit so he started over! Despite the efforts of his family to stop him, he did indeed start over. I believe that if you take the time to read the Robe, you will definitely want to follow up by reading the Big Fisherman! I hope that you not only enjoy this book as entertainment, but that it will challenge you to re-evaluate who Jesus Christ is, and that it will ultimately change your life!

Lloyd C. Douglas' The Robe has become my favorite book. I came upon the book quite by accident a few years ago, and I have since read it 3 times. This book is not just a great religious novel, it is a great novel. Even if the reader is not a Christian, he/she will find it hard to put down. The reader is drawn in from the very first paragraph. Douglas certainly has a knowledge of ancient Rome and Judea, and he uses historical references to great effect. The characters are some of the most richly crafted I have ever read. The tale works on many levels: a love story; a tale of suspense; a tale of political intrigue; and, ultimately, a triumph of the human spirit and the power of personal redemption. For those without a clear view of Chritianity (which is easy to understand these days), this book is for you. While a novel, this book is probably a fairly accurate portrayal of the early Jesus movement in Judea and in Rome. This book should be on every bookshelf.

'And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots' Matthew 27:35One day in March, I was completely bored to death. My Grandma, tired of seeing me mope about, told me to get interested in a good book. Having no good books to read I told my Grandma to pick one out for me. She casually told me that The Robe was a good book and told me to find it off of the shelf that held all of her books that she got from The Peoples' Book Club. It had beautiful illustrations. I sat down to read it and from the first page I was immediately hooked.That was in the year 1997. It is the year 2000 now and ever since then I have read The Robe 3 times and am in the middle of reading it again.It is the most enduring story of Marcellus Gallio, a wealthy Tribune and son of a senator in ancient Rome. When he is ordered to put a man he knows is not guilty to death by crucifixion, he goes insane. Marcellus is accompanied in this story by the tragic Demetrius, his slave, and Diana, the woman he loves and a niece to the Emperor. Marcellus, after being healed, goes on a quest to learn of the mysterious man he put to death. And discoves he is not dead at all.This book takes 508 pages to unfold. But it is told with such mesmerising characters and such keen historical detail that you wish it would never end.