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. In the 1950s, after the publication of Moses, Man of the Mountain, Zora Neale Hurston penned a historical novel reconsidering the life of one of the most well-known Biblical figures, Herod the Great, reimagining him in a very different light than his villainous portrayal in the New Testament. In Hurston’s retelling, Herod is a forerunner of Christ, a religious and philosophical man who enriched Jewish culture and lived a life of adventure. From the peaks of triumph to the depths of human misery, the historical Herod 'seemed to have been singled out by some deity and especially endowed to attract the zigzag lightning of fate,' Hurston writes. 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. Setting him within this vivid, colorful world little known to modern readers, Hurston’s unfinished manuscript brings this complex, compelling, and misunderstood leader fully into focus. Scholar and literary critic Deborah Plant contributes 'Commentary: A Story Finally Told' as an end note underscoring Hurston’s point about how reimagining figures from the past can address the troubles we experience today. 'Zora Neale was a knockout in her life' MAYA ANGELOU
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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.
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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 '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 'This novel is a packet of surprises as we have no idea what's going to happen next. Many romantic novels basically have the same plot, but this novel is something no one would have ever imagined' GUARDIAN '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
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The never before published final novel by the author of Their Eyes Were Watching God
The never before published final novel by the author of Their Eyes Were Watching God • A MAJOR PUBLISHING EVENT: A NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED HURSTON MANUSCRIPT: Like Go Set a Watchman or F. Scott Fitzgerald's Thank You for the Light, this unfinished manuscript was only seen by a handful of scholars who visited the Hurston archives at the University of Kansas's Kenneth Spencer Research Library. With this publication, it is at last available to everyone. • A GRIPPING STORY IN A LITTLE-KNOWN HISTORICAL SETTING: First Century BC Judea is a difficult world for us to imagine. Here beloved author Zora Neale Hurston breathes life into this time with vivid detail and light. The story of the massacre of children is only found in the Gospel of Matthew. Considered a myth, many scholars dispute its veracity. • CONTINUING THE HURSTON SUCCESS: Barracoon continues to attract interest, and this is a natural extension of the collaboration begun between the archives of Zora Neale Hurston and scholar and literary critic Deborah Plant, author of Of Greed and Glory, who compiled the text and contributed a Commentary that follows the novel. Their Eyes Were Watching God was listed as one of the BBC’s 100 Most Influential Novels. Competition: Go Set a Watchman;Thank You For the Light;. Toni Morrison;Zadie Smith;Maya Angelou;Alice Walker;F Scott Fitzgerald;Harper Lee
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Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9780008732783
Publisert
2025-01-07
Utgiver
Vendor
HQ
Vekt
270 gr
Høyde
240 mm
Bredde
159 mm
Dybde
26 mm
Aldersnivå
00, G, 01
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Innbundet
Antall sider
368

Forfatter

Om bidragsyterne

Zora Neale Hurston was a novelist, folklorist, and anthropologist. She finished four novels (Jonah’s Gourd Vine, 1934; Their Eyes Were Watching God, 1937; Moses, Man of the Mountains, 1939; and Seraph on the Suwanee, 1948) as well as The Life of Herod the Great, which she was still writing when she died; two books of folklore (Mules and Men, 1935, and Every Tongue Got to Confess, 2001); a work of anthropological research, (Tell My Horse, 1938); an autobiography (Dust Tracks on a Road, 1942); an international bestselling nonfiction work (Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo,” 2018); and over fifty short stories, essays, and plays. She attended Howard University, Barnard College, and Columbia University and was a graduate of Barnard College in 1928. She was born on January 7, 1891, in Notasulga, Alabama, and grew up in Eatonville, Florida.