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If you like this post, please share it. Thank you!I haven’t read any “new to me” books lately. I’ve still been plowing through many of my old favorites because that’s apparently what my brain wants to consume right now. I’m not fighting it, I’m actually enjoying them. You can see that list here.
But I didn’t want to leave you empty handed in case you need a new to you book to read, so I’ve decided that I’m going to tell you about books that I have read before and loved. I can’t re-read every single book I’ve ever read (oh how I wish I had that many hours in my day!), so it’s unlikely that I will get to tell you about all of them unless I just tell you about them. Did any of that make sense? When I haven’t read a new, never read before book, I’ll just tell you about a book that I’ve read in the past that I think you might want to read too. Okay? Okay.
This week I wanted to tell you about The Far Arena by Richard Ben Sapir.
This book was first published in 1978 and I think is generally classified as science fiction. Don’t let that deter you if science fiction isn’t your forte. This book is so much more than that. Once you get past the first 50 or so pages the story is what will draw you in and keep you reading long into the night.
You know that I’ll never give you a spoiler, but just to pique your interest, this book is about a Roman gladiator who is discovered by a drilling oil company in the North Sea. He was flash frozen more than 1900 years ago and he is brought back to life. Trust me.
One of the brilliant things about how this book was written are the observations that Eugeni (the roman gladiator) makes about modern life. Example: While he is in the hospital he comments about the slaves who are serving him. He’s talking about the nurses and doctors who are taking care of him. When it’s explained that they are paid wages and can leave their jobs whenever they want, he thinks this is a fantastic thing. He says: “You mean they do everything you tell them to do, but when they get old you don’t have to take care of them? What a great idea! Slaves, but no responsibility to them.” Wow. What an interpretation of life today.
If you can get your hands on a copy of this, I think you should definitely read it. And let me know what you think of it!
What is one of your favorite books? Have you read The Far Arena? What did you think about it?
