The uprising of the slaves against the Romans in 73 BC, led by the gladiator Spartacus, has been an inspiration to generations of people who have stood up against oppression. By the time he was captured by Marcus Licinius Crassus in 71 BC and executed by crucifixion, his army of around 90 000 slaves and dispossessed had defeated several Roman armies and devastated much of the southern part of the Italian peninsula. For Karl Marx, Spartacus was 'the most splendid fellow that all ancient history has to show; great general, noble character, real representative of the ancient proletariat'. For Grassic Gibbon, a lifelong Marxist International and successful historian of early civilisations, Spartacus allowed him to focus on his fiercely held beliefs in the nature of society, the freedom of the individual, and the inevitable collapse of 'civilisation'.
Spartacus: A Novel
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Review
A vivid story, packed with the wild hopes, the doomed dreams, the cruelty and licentiousness of the time. --Evening Standard
It would be impossible to overestimate Lewis Grassic Gibbon's importance . . . A Scot's Quair is a landmark work; it permeates the Scottish literary consciousness and colours all subsequent writing of its kind. --David Kerr Cameron
It would be impossible to overestimate Lewis Grassic Gibbon's importance . . . A Scot's Quair is a landmark work; it permeates the Scottish literary consciousness and colours all subsequent writing of its kind. --David Kerr Cameron
From the Publisher
Gibbon's knowledge is impressive, and the book is wonderful to read as fiction, as adventure, and as a history of people in the grip of exploitation and oppression.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I have just finished this book. I found myself crushed by it, elated, horrified and overjoyed. The style of prose is elegiac and truly phenomenal. A true story of sacrifice, valour, loss and betrayal, of hope, 100 years even before the birth of Christ. A wonderful read.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By M. J. Mooney
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
When I bought this I was under the mistaken impression that it was the novel upon which the Stanley Kubrick film of the same name was based; it isn't - that was Howard Fast's 1950s version of the story, which I have not (yet) read. But I would be very surprised if it is anywhere as good as this.
This is simply a superb piece of writing that takes the reader right back to the Italy of 73 BC. Other reviewers have remarked on the unusual prose style, and I agree. It very much reads as though it was translated from Latin - it wasn't, but Gibbon/Mitchell will certainly have read the classics and it shows.
Interestingly, there is no gladiatoral combat here - the story takes up where Spartacus and his followers are already in the field in southern Italy, with the breakout from the camp at Capua alluded to only in flashback. And the tale from there on is INCREDIBLY violent; I can't believe it wasn't controversial in 1933 - not the sort of thing you'd have allowed children to read.
But read it, it's a fabulous book.
This is simply a superb piece of writing that takes the reader right back to the Italy of 73 BC. Other reviewers have remarked on the unusual prose style, and I agree. It very much reads as though it was translated from Latin - it wasn't, but Gibbon/Mitchell will certainly have read the classics and it shows.
Interestingly, there is no gladiatoral combat here - the story takes up where Spartacus and his followers are already in the field in southern Italy, with the breakout from the camp at Capua alluded to only in flashback. And the tale from there on is INCREDIBLY violent; I can't believe it wasn't controversial in 1933 - not the sort of thing you'd have allowed children to read.
But read it, it's a fabulous book.
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book really got to me ...It is about reconciling war and violence and brutality with its causes. A terrifying examination of human nature - albeit with the historical events somewhat manipulated to make the authors point. I don't generally subscribe to the Marxist viewpoint but that didn't take away from the power of the writing or the implications of the story. The time of its writing was pre-WWII with the figure of Nazi germany loomong over Europe. A great, thought provoking read, that stays with you for weeks afterwards.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Looks like this one has been re-issued under the author's better known nom de plume. I read it 15 years ago and it was my favourite novel for many many years. It is beautifully written, and the author was of course a scholar of the classics and it shows in this little masterpiece! Only Mann's Death in Venice and Waugh's Brideshead Revisited impressed me as greatly as Mitchell's 'Spartacus'! A fantastic version of the famous slaves' revolt against the might of the Roman Empire! Mitchell is arguably Aberdeen's greatest son! Viri et Animo! JP :)
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
It is really interesting to read a variation on the tale which eventually was filmed as Spartacus [Blu-ray] by Stanley Kubrick, based on the later novel Spartacus by Howard Fast. This book was written by James Leslie Mitchell who was better known for his works published under the pen-name Lewis Grassic Gibbon. It is firmly based on historical documents of the time, although Gibbon/Mitchell takes some artistic licence as the foreword makes clear.
The style is almost that of a detached observer, and characterisation is kept to a minimum. This is perhaps appropriate for a legendary figure such as Spartacus, allowing us to create a picture in our own heads. It did not take long for the association of Kirk Douglas' face to disappear as I read further into the book. It is hard to imagine him speaking the dialogue given to Spartacus here. Conversely, I was hearing Laurence Olivier in my head as Marcus Licinius Crassus when reading Robert Harris' fine novels Imperium and Lustrum - perhaps he had this characterisation in his head as he wrote. The events of the Harris novels follow directly on from the tale of the slave revolt as described here.
Gibbon/Mitchell also gives us a very clear idea of the brutality of the times and the author does not shrink from giving us detailed descriptions of killings, crucifixions and other violent incidents. It is not a book for the faint-hearted, or those put off by a somewhat archaic writing style, but is well worth the effort of tracking down and reading.
The style is almost that of a detached observer, and characterisation is kept to a minimum. This is perhaps appropriate for a legendary figure such as Spartacus, allowing us to create a picture in our own heads. It did not take long for the association of Kirk Douglas' face to disappear as I read further into the book. It is hard to imagine him speaking the dialogue given to Spartacus here. Conversely, I was hearing Laurence Olivier in my head as Marcus Licinius Crassus when reading Robert Harris' fine novels Imperium and Lustrum - perhaps he had this characterisation in his head as he wrote. The events of the Harris novels follow directly on from the tale of the slave revolt as described here.
Gibbon/Mitchell also gives us a very clear idea of the brutality of the times and the author does not shrink from giving us detailed descriptions of killings, crucifixions and other violent incidents. It is not a book for the faint-hearted, or those put off by a somewhat archaic writing style, but is well worth the effort of tracking down and reading.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
First a word on the author. A prolific period in his early thirties writing and then dead at 35. And from Spartacus you get a sense of what we have missed. Not written in a conventional way, there is a style to the writing that is quite hard to explain, but clearly imposes you into the settings, makes you understand the characters and is possibly a better tale than the one we all expect after seeing the 1962 film. Clinically researched. Breathtaking stuff
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By Kevin Connor
Format:Paperback
Their vision was a society without master or slave, just equals: surely a goal worth fighting for. They took on the mighty Roman Empire and paid a heavy price. Did they do so in vain? Spartacus and his fellow slaves have inspired many generations to rise up against oppression and for equality. Today's generation of "wage slaves" would do well to note just how lucky we are by comparison to the slaves of 73 BC. But with growing inequality in our societies, should we sit back and accept our lot, or should we take inspiration from the Spartacists and struggle for a more meaningful existence? Rumsfeld, Berlosconi, Wolfowitz, Murdoch etc. beware!
Lewis Grassic Gibbon presents a complex history within the most gripping narrative. He forces us to deliberate moral, religious, and political dilemmas (amongst others) of the period, and in so doing, reminds us that, two millennia later, we still falter on many of these issues. Much of this is done through highly intelligent and realistic character development that promotes empathy and sympathy, admiration and anger, but, like Kleon, a move away from hatred and towards understanding. Even the most villainous amongst the Roman elite are explained to some extent, and in so doing, the author makes it clear that the Empire itself must fall if the revolution should succeed. In this current era of US imperialism, we should consider some of the lessons of the Spartacists, and the US elite should recall that all empires crumble eventually.
Lewis Grassic Gibbon presents a complex history within the most gripping narrative. He forces us to deliberate moral, religious, and political dilemmas (amongst others) of the period, and in so doing, reminds us that, two millennia later, we still falter on many of these issues. Much of this is done through highly intelligent and realistic character development that promotes empathy and sympathy, admiration and anger, but, like Kleon, a move away from hatred and towards understanding. Even the most villainous amongst the Roman elite are explained to some extent, and in so doing, the author makes it clear that the Empire itself must fall if the revolution should succeed. In this current era of US imperialism, we should consider some of the lessons of the Spartacists, and the US elite should recall that all empires crumble eventually.
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