Threshold of Fire: A Novel of Fifth Century Rome: Translated by Anita Miller and Nini Blinstrub

Chicago: Academy Chicago Publishers, 1996. Paperback. Very Good +. Originally published as Een Nieuwer Testament in 1964. A novel set in 414 AD, when the Roman Empire is in its death throes. The uncertainty of life at the Emperor's court is reflected in the drama which enfolds the powerful Prefect Hadrian; a Christian convert; Marcus Anicius, the pagan aristocrat; and the Jew, Eliezar ben Elijah."The cusps of the past are further explored in another of the prolific Haasse's historical sagas -- a 1964 novel newly translated from the Dutch in which the clash of religions and codes of honor comes vividly to the fore in Christianized fifth-century Rome. Hadrian, haughty Prefect of Rome and a Christian zealot but acutely aware of the taint of his Egyptian heritage in higher circles of ethnically pure Romans, finds himself on the horns of a dilemma when forced to decide the fate of a man brought before him for conducting forbidden pagan practices. The man is familiar, although his name is not, but when he challenges Hadrian's authority during his hearing, the Prefect remembers him: he's the boy who defied Hadrian in Egypt years before, and yet whose brilliance subsequently elevated him to the status of court poet in Rome, until he transgressed and was exiled forever from the city--a sentence tantamount to death. But Claudius Claudianus survived, living unrecognized among the rabble in his beloved city for a decade and teaching them to read and write, until a bizarre sequence of events involving a dwarf, a prostitute, and an actor in search of former glory brought him back to Hadrian's attention. Torn between his sense of duty and an obligation to Claudius's grandfather, a wealthy Jewish landowner who gave the boy an education and opportunity while keeping his parentage a secret, Hadrian tells the prisoner of his origins and violates the Prefect's oath of office to spare his life, but the proud poet has other plans. Rich in psychological and historical detail, with both the characters and ancient Rome vibrantly alive: a subtle, quiet tale eloquently told." -- From Kirkus Review "The first time I read this book I hated it; someone had given it to me to write a review and I couldn't say anything good, so I didn't write one. The second time I read it was after reviewing all of Gibbon's Decline and Fall..still caught up in the mood of how horribly we Christians became just as jaded-persecutory as those who had persecuted us. So, thus caught up, I noticed that what REALLY got to everyone in Rome was kinda like what happened to the Laodiceans -- been there, done that, what's the new pleasure now. Haasse captures it perfectly. I couldn't put the book down, couldn't sleep. History books, even eloquent ones like Gibbon and Mommsen, can't give you the LIVING flavor of the time. But that's Haasse's specialty, I just learned. Enjoy! Oh -- and don't ask me to give you my free copy of her book (from years ago). I will take it to my grave!" -- from a reviewer in 2002 Book is in very good condition with minor edgewear and light bumping of the corners. There are small spots scattered on the title page as from the splattering of tea or something similar. Otherwise the pages are clean and bright and the binding is tight.