Ben-Hur (1925): Film vs Book

About the film

A silent epic of a nobleman sold into slavery, his revenge, and a chariot race that became one of the most famous scenes in film.

How close is it to the book?

The film condenses the huge novel into a spectacle and relies on action and images rather than the book's long religious and political threads.

Read or watch first?

The novel has a much larger cast and spends far more time on the story's spiritual side.

What the book gives you

Ben-Hur by Lew Wallace

A sweeping story of friendship, rivalry and redemption, with a famous chariot race.

Who will like it: Readers who like grand historical epics about justice and faith.