Quo Vadis

Philip's friend Roey gave him a copy of Quo Vadis by Sienkewicz and urged him to read it.

I decided to read it myself.

What a powerful and moving book.  Quo Vadis is a masterpiece.  It was published in 1896 and Sienkiewicz was awarded a Nobel prize for literature in 1905.


The novel parallels the experiences of Petronius and Peter, whose names are similar but otherwise are very different in their origins and station.  Peter was a Jewish fisherman and follower of  Jesus,  Petronius was a noble Roman who arbitrated the artistic sensibilities of the Roman people.  


These two found themselves in Rome at the same time, when Nero was at the height of his madness and looking for a scapegoat to blame for the burning of Rome.  The link between them is Marcus Vinicius, nephew of Petronius and spiritual student of Peter.  Petronius and Vinicius work for Nero, who is totally insane.  Rome is dying as an empire, but about to be born as a spiritual center for Christianity.  In a sense, Rome itself is a magnificent and complex character in this novel.


I loved this book.  I wish everyone would read it.  

The character of Petronius is amazingly articulate.  I found myself re-reading certain passages that were extremely well-written, full of wit and subtly sarcastic commentary.  


Petronius and Peter accept their deaths around the same time.  They both choose the circumstances of their deaths, and it is one of the few things they have control over in these days of madness.  But you have to read the book to learn the important details!


The 2 best passages in the book take place right before their deaths.  Petronius is surrounded by his loved ones, and reads aloud a letter to Nero in which he expresses what he really thinks of him.  Peter meanwhile is escaping from the persecutions in Rome, and along the road encounters  the spirit of Jesus, whom he loves so much and has missed so terribly.  He says in amazement "Quo vadis, Domine?" (where are you going, Lord?) and Jesus replies he is going to Rome...and if Peter does not go with him, Jesus will have to die again.


This is a beautiful and compelling work.  I believe a lot of the feeling comes from Sienkiewicz having experienced the agony of the partitions of Poland.  He was familiar with selfish and insane rulers whose god was their own self, and who lived only for their own ego, and to exploit the people who are so devoted to their land and their nation.   Sienkiewicz understood about the spiritual despair that comes from the threat to a beloved nation which may survive as s spiritual power when it can no longer survive as a temporal power.