Chronicling Ben-Hur’s Climb, 1880-1924

Employing methodologies from the fields of literature, fan studies, reception history, and media studies, Barbara Ryan traces the reception of Lew Wallace’s Ben-Hur’s from 1880 to 1924. She makes connections between Ben-Hur, slavery discourse, and U.S. politics to shed light on middlebrow culture and the make-up of the novel’s audience.