Lloyd C. DouglasThe Robe

Wonderful book. The story and the writing are superb.

I have the movie “The Robe” which was a 1950’s rendition of the book,The movie was also very good. But this book was much more detailed, then the movie.Eventho this is an old book, it is so rich with vocabulary. It is the story of a Roman Tribune who meets Christ at his crucifixion, a Tribune who is the one who helped in the crucifixion, and His loyal slave Demetrious. This book is full of loyalty, love, faith, and friendship. And intrigue. A classical read for all time!

Marcellus Gallio is a Tribune and the son of a very popular senator, but had the unfortunate luck to find the Prince’s drunk antics hilarious and was sent to the worst post Rome had to offer. While there, he was called by the Procurator in Jerusalem demanded Marcellus and his post bring a contingent of 400 men to help control the Passover crowds expected.Before we have come this far, we already like Tribune Marcellus for his strength of character. His has a slave named Demetrius that he treats as a trusted friend, and Demetrius also is well liked at their post.While in Jerusalem, Demetrius sees a man who appears to be important being cheered as he rides a donkey into the city. The man looks very sad and lonely, and doesn’t seem as though he really wants to be what the people cheering him want him to be. The man looks directly into Demetrius’ eyes and he is never the same after that.Marcellus finds that their post will be responsible for carrying out a political crucifixion, so his closest officer helps him to get drunk, because “it isn’t something to do sober”. They hear that even Pilate does not want to crucify him because he has done nothing wrong, but he is bound by the politics and washes his hands of the matter. The man being crucified had a fine robe, and Marcellus and Paulus threw dice for it, and Marcellus won.When it was over, Marcellus could not forget the courage of the man they put to death, or that those who translated his words said that he had forgiven them for his death. It tortured him until his mind almost broke, so Paulus has Demetrius take Marcellus home.As all Christians know, that is just the beginning of the story, and it was the same for Marcellus. He wasn’t a Christian yet, but as he suffered in his mind over the death of an innocent man, one day he picked up the robe and was suddenly at peace. Was the robe haunted? What was it about that strangely charismatic man who owned that robe that he could make the powerful Jews want him dead? Marcellus wanted to know, and Demetrius was just as anxious.This is the story of two mean walking the holy land among the intimates of Jesus, and hearing about the Christian faith as it grew. The characters are vibrantly drawn in the minds eye as you read, and the story of Stephen and Peter and his friends come alive. This is a five star classic and worth your time.

My grandmother first introduced me to this book and in my humble opinion, it is one of the best books ever written. It was first published in 1942 although it is truly a timeless piece of work. The story is simple and follows the journey of a Roman soldier, Marcellus, who was responsible for overseeing the crucification of Christ. After the crucification, Marcellus, along with his faithful servant Demitruis, embark on a journey to discover more about the man that was crucified. Marcellus is naturally skeptical of the "miracles" that Christ performed during his time although he appreciates the teachings of Christ. The book follows the journey of faith that Demitruis and Marcellus follow, and the effects of this journey upon Marcellus and those he loves. Along the way, Marcellus meets many of Jesus' followers that cause him to question everything he knows and believes in. Hollywood made a cheesy movie version of this story with Richard Burton that was truly awful. Do not let the movie version keep you from reading this book because it truly is a beautiful retelling of the story of Christ and Douglas is a master story teller. He writes at a level that is not seen in today's crush of books that tend to follow the latest trend in selling books. Instead, he has an expansive vocabulary and draws you into a world that is fascinating and real despite the age of the story. Watching a non-believer come to grips with who Jesus was and what He meant to the world is a fascinating journey, for believers and non-believers alike and "The Robe" is truly a work of art.

100% clean read, that is also very satisfying. Yes the writing can be overwrought and trite at times, and toward the middle, the story lags a bit. I feel like Douglas worked to hard to fit in elements of the NEw Testament story than were needed for his tale. But overall, I'm glad I read it and would recommend.

Loved, love this book! It gives you insight into how people, who lived during Christ’s time, could have viewed Christ and his cruxifixction, especially those who did not know the prophecies. Also, insights into how Christ’s life touched so many people even those who never knew Him. Highly recommend to believers and non-believers.

I originally read this book fifty or more years ago and thought it was one of the best books ever written. I just read it again. Even though I have read it several times, it still gets me. I highly recommend this book to everyone, no matter what religion they identify with. The story is intriguing enough that it holds up even if you feel it is pure fiction. The characters are well developed and mostly likable.

I was pleased with the condition of the book and with the delivery time.

Brought tears to my eyes.. Fantastic.. very well told.. Marcellus, Demetrius and Diana will live in our hearts for ever..

I have been putting off reading this book which my own mother used to speak about for many years. it all seemed too much of an epic read for a busy person with multiple commitments. This book has deeply enhanced my understanding of the early Christians as they struggled to live out the message of Jesus, in spite of persecution and the threat of death. I am so glad I finally got to read it.

This book is a masterful display of story telling, it's written with a powerful descriptive pen, taking you along on this amazing journey. This book is up there as one of my favourite books of all time. It takes you right back to a period of history that is authentic and really interesting. The characters are so well developed and you feel like you know them personally, your heart goes out to their struggles and victories. It's not a religious book; it's just a wonderful crafted novel that is a touching and wonderful story.

Great