Welcome to Page 28 of I Read That Book! On each Page, I’ll tell you a little about a book I read, often in a fun and informal manner, with the hope that you also may become interested enough to read it – or perhaps read it again if you’ve already enjoyed it once. The books I’ll be featuring come from a variety of genres at differing stages of my life, so whether you prefer history, literature, science fiction, or horror, there’s a good chance you’ll get some interesting ideas for your personal “To Be Read” list. Thank you for joining me on this journey as we flip through the pages of some of my favorite books. But before you start reading below, I invite you to grab a cup of your favorite beverage (coffee for me!) and find a comfortable place to sit, then turn to Page 28.
THE ROBE by Lloyd C. Douglas
Publication Date: 1942; Fifty-Seventh Impression, April 1950
January 2022 brought some changes to my life, and for a while, I Read That Book! took a back seat. You see, my 90-year-old mother passed away that January 13. And while 90 is a long life, losing a parent is never easy. So as a tribute to my mother’s influence on my love of reading, I’ve chosen to tell you about THE ROBE, her favorite book.
When I was younger, this old hardcover sat on a bookshelf in my bedroom. As a matter of fact, the entire bookshelf was overflowing with volumes that didn’t belong to me and were far above my reading level. I can remember my mother telling me, when I was quite young, that THE ROBE was her favorite novel.
If you’re not familiar with this book that was a best-seller in the Forties, the action centers around Roman Tribune Marcellus Gallio and what happens to him after he oversees the crucifixion of Jesus and ends up winning the robe of Christ in a game of dice. He believes Jesus to be innocent, and later, after putting on the robe, Gallio has a nervous breakdown and goes back to Rome.
Demetrius picked up the garment and gave it to him. Paulus examined it with idle interest.
“Not a bad robe,” he remarked, holding it up at arm’s length. “Woven in the country; dyed with walnut juice. He’ll not be needing it any more. I think I’ll say it’s mine. How about it, Tribune?”
“Why should it be yours?” asked Marcellus, indifferently. “If it’s worth anything, let us toss for it.” He handed Paulus the dice-cup. “High number wins. It’s your turn.”
Later, Demetrius, a slave of the tribune, successfully gets Gallio to touch the robe once more, and his mind is healed. Marcellus then travels back to Judea and meets others who were affected by Jesus, including Peter, The Big Fisherman himself (incidentally, the next novel by Douglas, who began his career as a minister, was THE BIG FISHERMAN).
Though THE ROBE was published over 80 years ago, I always try to avoid spoilers, so I won’t say more, in case you decide to read this wonderful novel for yourself.
My late father, who’d never read the book, was a fan of the movie, and a few times over the years of my childhood, my mother would state that she didn’t want to watch it with him, fearful that the movie wouldn’t live up to her expectations.
Eventually, I saw the movie, and own it on DVD, along with my father’s copy of the original soundtrack. If you are a fan of musical scores, you may want to check this one out. It contains several wonderful pieces of music. If you want a sample, you can find it on YouTube, and it’s also available to purchase as a CD.
Additionally, I’ve included a picture of the back of the soundtrack, which proves interesting for all the detail given.
If you’re a fan of historical fiction in general and biblical fiction in particular, I strongly recommend THE ROBE—the book and the movie, which would bring a smile to the face of both my mother and father.
And don’t forget to join us here again when I flip to the next Page!
Note: The first 32 pages of I Read This Book! originally appeared on Substack.
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