The Life of Herod the Great
Format:Hardback
Publisher:HarperCollins Publishers
Publishing:7th Jan '25
£20.00
This title is due to be published on 7th January, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
The never before published final novel by the author of Their Eyes Were Watching God
A never-before-published novel from beloved author Zora Neale Hurston, revealing the historical Herod the Great – not the demon the Bible makes him out to be but a religious and philosophical man who lived a life of adventure.
A never-before-published novel from beloved author Zora Neale Hurston, revealing the historical Herod the Great – not the demon the Bible makes him out to be but a religious and philosophical man who lived a life of adventure.
'The Life of Herod The Great – like Hurston herself – is a masterpiece, a miracle, and a marvel. In other words, treasure for the whole world' TAYARI JONES, AUTHOR OF AN AMERICAN MARRIAGE
In the 1950s Zora Neale Hurston penned a historical novel reconsidering the life of one of the most well-known biblical figures, Herod the Great. That novel was never published in Hurston's lifetime. Now for the first time, it is brought to glorious life with commentary from scholar Deborah G. Plant.
Far from his villainous portrayal in the New Testament, Hurston casts Herod as a forerunner of Christ, a beloved king who enriched Jewish culture and brought prosperity and peace to Judea. An intimate of both Marc Antony and Julius Caesar, the Judean king lived in a time of war and imperial expansion that was rife with political assassinations and bribery, as the old world gave way to the new.
By bringing this complex, compelling and oft misunderstood leader into shining focus,
'Zora Neale was a knockout in her life' MAYA ANGELOU
Praise for The Life of Herod the Great
'The Life of Herod The Great – like Hurston herself – is a masterpiece, a miracle, and a marvel. In other words, treasure for the whole world' TAYARI JONES, AUTHOR OF AN AMERICAN MARRIAGE
'Upon her grave "a genius of the south" is chiseled and it still undersells what her work has meant to twentieth century American literature' JARRED MCGINNIS, AUTHOR OF THE COWARD
'Full of adventure, glamour, and historical figures, including Herod's close friends Julius Caesar and Marc Antony, this is a fascinating addition to the Hurston canon' STARRED BOOKLIST REVIEW
'[Hurston] delivers an intriguing counterpoint to the biblical 'massacre of the innocents' story, framing Herod as a strong and complex protagonist, one who balances his political ambitions with his loyalty to his people. Hurston completists ought to snatch this up' PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
'Hurston’s novel is a fresh historical perspective of King Herod the Great. It is full of adventure, vivid characters and humour. I pored over each page and I was struck by Hurston’s presentation of Herod’s diplomacy and profound philosophical reflections about power' DR LESLEY NELSON-ADDY, RUNNYMEDE TRUST
Praise for Zora Neale Hurston:
'Their Eyes Were Watching God is one of the very greatest American novels of the 20th century. It is so lyrical it should be sentimental; it is so passionate it should be overwrought, but it is instead a rigorous, convincing and dazzling piece of prose, as emotionally satisfying as it is impressive. There is no novel I love more' ZADIE SMITH
'To the last page that fills the soul with tears, Hurston's novel delivers. To me, it is also a welcome reminder that books are democratic, subversive and life-changing' THE TIMES
'Zora Neale Hurston was a knockout in her life, a wonderful writer and a fabulous person. Devilishly funny and academically solid: delicious mixture' MAYA ANGELOU
ISBN: 9780008732783
Dimensions: 240mm x 159mm x 26mm
Weight: 270g
368 pages