This is a must read for historical fiction readers who appreciate great character and world building.. Among many other vivid supporting players, Cleopatra, Marc Antony and Augustus Caesar are well-drawn characters, and Hurston’s account illustrates what a great diplomat Herod must have been to be friends with all three, yet escape with his life. In a nutshell, I loved this book!

I have been a fan of Zora Neale Hurston since I was in school and I love how all of her books are thought provoking. Herod the great was depicted as an evil character in the Bible. However, in this retelling Hurston brought a different perspective of the character, which made him out to be a complex yet strategic man. Overall, this book was an interesting read with tons of historical aspects.

Hi, I'm Lauren and l'm a Zora Neale Hurston super fan!! She has always been one of my favorite authors and when I learned that they were publishing a never before published novel of hers, and on her birthday no less...I was ECSTATIC!!!
And this novel, like so many of her other works is so gorgeous.
This historical novel is about Herod the Great, the wicked biblical figure everyone knows so well. But Hursron's retelling paints Herod in a different light and tells a story that gets one thinking! Hurston has the power to make history bingeable and transports readers time and worlds away.

In The Life of Herod the Great, Zora Neale Hurston’s vivid storytelling is complemented by Deborah G. Plant’s expert curation, bringing to life the complex, larger-than-life figure of Herod. This historical novel reimagines the life of the Judean king, delving into themes of power, ambition, and legacy with Hurston’s signature poetic prose. Plant’s editorial insights further enhance the narrative, grounding it in historical context while highlighting Hurston’s literary genius. A compelling and richly layered exploration of one of history’s most infamous rulers.

This is my least favorite Zora Neale Hurston book. I appreciate the effort and the historical significance of this text being rescued from destruction. However, it reads like a history book and King James biblical account. I went into reading this thinking it would be similar to Moses, Man of the Mountain which was more of a sweeping epic than The Life of Herod the Great.

Oh Zora, how i wish you'd been able to finish this! There are notes from the editor about what is missing and it just makes you yearn for more. That said, I still found this to be a fascinating take on the story of Herod, one of the great Biblical villains!

This book by the amazing Zora Neale Hurston was published this week on her birthday and deserves all the praise her stories are known for.
Zora takes the villain narrative of biblical figure King Herod and spins it on its head. Through her anthropological work and innovative storytelling she paints a portrait of Herod as a complex and multifaceted human. In this story we see him as a devoted son and family man, honorable statesman, and powerful and compelling ruler. Zora's style of writing in this novel is akin to a play or a sermon where the scenes are introduced and explained before the dialogue begins and brings the story to focus. It took me a while to vibe with it but once I got in the groove, the story took off. Her writing is definitely an acquired taste just as many exquisite things often are. This is a story of family, power, betrayal, and honor that transcends time.
To know that these words have sat unknown, unread and nearly destroyed for so long and have finally come to life is incredible. I'm honored to have had the chance to read and share my thoughts so others can be a part of keeping Ms. Hurston's remarkable legacy alive.
Thank you @netgalley for a chance to read and review

This retelling challenges us to reimagine our traditional view of a complex and conflicting character. Written as a historical fiction novel, Zora Neale Hurston demonstrates the complex character of a forward thinking king who brought greatness to the Judean Kingdom.

Intermingling historical context of the times and characters she paints a world that immediately draws the reader in and reveals the complexity of the culture that drives the decisions of the characters. With this text Plant reintroduces us to the genius and versatility of Hurston's writing and ability to bring great characters to life. This is a must read for historical fiction readers who appreciate great character and world building.

This book was provided as an eARC was by the publisher Amistad via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Life of Herod the Great, written decades ago, is a posthumous release by the late Zora Neale Hurston. It chronicles the life of Herod and attempts to shift the narrative of the story that is connected with him.

This book definitely reads like a history book, but I really enjoyed that feel. With Hurston also being an anthropologist. I can see the angle and approach that Hurston was taking when writing the book. This was thought-provoking for me in that since it is Christian mythology, she is challenging the reader to reconsider a life in which one believes that they know already that Herod was a villain.

I would also be remiss in mentioning the editor of this novel. Deborah Plant takes the manuscripts that were left over and pieces them together while also making notes to demonstrate the points that may have been lost through the incompleteness of the book as well as the documents being damaged due to fire. Plant’s work brought us here.

I would recommend this to any fan of Hurston, history/anthropology lovers, or anyone interested in the life of Herod.

I now need to read the audiobook because it’s narrated by actor Blair Underwood!

I was very excited to dive into this read. It gives the readers a chance to become acquainted with Zora the theological scholar & anthropologist. While it is not written in the usual Zora linguistic style we’re used to, it still has Zora’s flair. I’m so glad that the publisher has released this work, it was wonderful to see something new from a great who left us too soon.

I wasn't sure if I would find The Life of Herod the Great's literary style particularly enjoyable because it was written in the 1950s. It also didn't help that the author never finished it before she passed away. Contrary to what I had anticipated, I like this book!

I particularly enjoyed the connections to other, distinct historical personalities and events, Herod's self-assured and captivating personality, and the overall stunning and striking prose. The Life of Herod the Great was an engaging read, full of political intrigue, exciting battles, deep dialogue, and exquisite descriptions. However, even though I generally enjoy the writing, there are places where it can get stiff and technical. Since I have a similar problem with many other novels from its era, I attribute this to the book being a product of its time. This didn't negatively affect my reading experience, but it made it a little difficult for me to focus while reading. The fact that the point of view occasionally switched between characters made it hard to follow along, which occasionally required me to reread the text.

Overall, it was a great pleasure to read this book.

When my only knowledge of Herod the Great comes from scripture, it is welcome to read such a novel and get a glimpse into what possibly occurred. Hurston draws the reader into the story and gives a glimpse into Herod and ancient Rome.

Zora Neale Hurston, with Deborah G. Plant’s insightful contributions, brings *The Life of Herod the Great* to life in a way that is both scholarly and deeply humanizing. Hurston’s lyrical prose captures the complexities of Herod, portraying him not just as a powerful ruler, but as a deeply flawed man driven by insecurities and ambition. This biography delves into the turbulent political landscape of ancient Judea, offering readers a nuanced view of Herod’s legacy, often reduced to mere myth. The combination of Hurston’s distinctive narrative style and Plant’s careful contextualization creates a compelling, accessible exploration of one of history’s most controversial figures. It’s a thought-provoking and rich account that challenges our understanding of power, legacy, and humanity.

This does not give/sound like Zora's previous works.

I do not hear her in this story much if at all.

That being said, I enjoyed the premise of this story. I always enjoy anything with political intrigue--the bible, not so much.

I did not go into this book with high expectations due to it being posthumously released. I am familiar with the story of Herod so again did not expect fireworks. I must say however, I was pleasantly surprised by my enjoyment of this version or the story. The way that historical figures that lived during the time of Herod were woven into his story was very entertaining. You can not tell that parts were written in 1950, her co-author did an amazing job or wrapping this up.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing and writing staff for gifting me the ARC copy of this beautiful story. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review of my own free will without coercion.

Rest well Queen Zora. Well done

Having been written in the 1950s, I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy the writing style of The Life of Herod the Great very much. The fact that it was never fully finished by the author before her passing didn't help, either. Against my expectations going in, I ended up liking this book very much!

Some things that I especially appreciated were ties to other, separate historical figures and events, the charismatic and confident character of Herod himself, and the beautiful and attention-grabbing writing as a whole. Filled with political intrigue, thrilling battles, rich dialogue, and beautiful descriptions, The Life of Herod the Great was an entertaining read.

But although I do like the writing for the most part, in some sections it can become stiff and technical. I attribute this to the book being a product of its time, as I have this same issue with many other books from its era. Although this wasn't detrimental to the reading experience for me, it definitely made it a bit hard for my attention to be kept as I was reading. It didn't help that the point of view would sometimes hop from character to character, which did make it difficult to keep up with what was going on from time to time which led to some re-reading on my part.

All in all, reading this book was a very enjoyable experience and I'm thankful that I was able to read it!

The Life of Herod the Great gives us the story of the rise to power of initially a governor of a province to a great and mighty vassal king of Palestine appointed by Caesar in Rome.

The book gives light to Herod - his live, his beliefs, his actions and why he took them. The book also demonstrates how he rose to power and what looks like gaining the love of his people. It also goes on to illustrate that not everything evolves from barbaric events, but when presented with obstacles, they need to be health with appropriately to rise in power and to even protect a kingdom.

I highly recommend this book to those who like biblical hist fiction, historical fiction and those who like to see humanity put to people for who we have no information to preserve the true humanity and thus get people thinking what could been.

Zora Neale Hurston wrote a strong biblical fiction going on and enjoyed the storyline going through this. The characters felt like they were supposed to be there and worked with the overall story going on.

As someone who’s knowledge of Herod doesn’t amount to much beyond than the description of the “Slaughter of the Innocents” from the Gospel of Matthew, it was a fascinating opportunity to not just see this figure through a different lens, but to just learn more about his life and exploits in far, far greater detail in general.

Granted, since this was originally written in the 1950s, it’s hard to tell what can still be taken mostly as fact, and what parts may now be viewed as inaccurate in light of new research that has come since then. I will also admit that I personally found the book to read a little bit on the drier side, and it usually felt less like historical fiction and more like a historical annal than anything. But overall, I enjoyed this chance to learn more about a figure who until now has been little more than a mostly context-less name from the Sunday masses of my childhood, and am appreciate of Hurston for devoting a book to him and him alone. Even when my own passion for the topic wanted a bit through the chapters, her genuine interest and passion for her subject definitely shown through brightly from start to end.