Customer Reviews

The Sorrows of Satan; or, The Strange Experience of one Geoffrey Tempest, Millionaire (Valancourt Classics)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A beautifully eloquent book which sadly demonstrates the decline in the expressiveness of modern language. I was gripped from the first chapter onwards and felt empathy and emotion as to the plight of the main characters.

The devil is wonderfully described and I feel as if I know him all too well. He passes such sublime insights into theological debate that it sets the mind spinning. It is a cleverly described work of fiction which tends to polarise one's opinion towards religion and the general inhumanity of mankind. What struck me was that the description of "jaded youth", of selfish and "sensual egotism" in the late 1800's was equally applicable in the new Millennium. After reading it I found myself less likely to bemoan daily trivial problems and more likely to appreciate the simpler beauty of nature around me.

This novel is a MUST READ for every one that really appreciates what a novel in all its ramifications is. It happens to be the first novel I have read from cover to cover in twenty-four hours. It is so gripping that you can not do any other thing than turning over the pages to know what happens next. Readers should be warned that if they have any other thing to do in a day, they should not borther opening even the first page.

Following her commercial success of "Barabbas," a revision fantasy on the crucifixion, Corelli wrote "The Sorrows of Satan," a sequel to "Barabbas" and thoroughly horrified the Christian world. There is an underlying mystical strength to her glorification of Satan as a misunderstood adventurer in the modern world. This book broke all previous records in Britain's publishing history and hence made Corelli England's best selling author up to that time. "The Master-Christian" is the capper in the trilogy.

Marie Corelli's imaginative conception of the relationship between God, man and the devil is awe-inspiring. Probably, a novel equivalent of John Milton's legendary poem "Paradise Lost", the Sorrows of Satan forces the mind to wander into the world of the supernatural and to reappraise how powerful human choices are and how much they could be affected by our immediate circumstances. I read this book for the first time 10 years ago and here am I reading it again for the 5th time. It always leaves me inspired and infused with a great sense of creativity. I know that I will always come back to this book and so this will definitely not be the last time for me. Highly recommended to any lover of art.

That the Devil himself could have sorrows of his own is a concept that many poets and writers have expressed,but none of them can surpass Marie Corelli's attempt.The book describes the life of one Geoffery Tempest,a struggling writer who half unknowingly lets the Devil take charge of his affairs.He becomes a millionaire overnight,then publishes his book,gets married to a beautiful lady and still does not find any solace.The book describes the devil's plight in moving detail ,and you really feel sorry for the Fallen Angel ,who loves the Lord much more than petty humans.A must-read for discerning lovers of good writing.

In my first read of this great book at the age of 13, i came out with a great impression but little understanding.
However, 20 years after and after reading it three more times i can say it is an indepth examination of the human mind and the genesis of evil and corruption in our society. Modern man will do well to read and learn that the pains and failures of our today world has its roots in our selfishness, greed and vanity. In addition our inability to decipher it to be mere vanity makes it more complicated.
Every man should own one!.

For one thing it makes the efforts of other writers who have tried to capture the super natural look like fairy tales.It allows mankind into another side of the Devil. He is not an ugly being as dogmatic religions will make us believe.Instead he is a fine being with the power to lure human with his promise of greatness.Mankind will fall if we do not substitute greed,and avarice for the greater purpose of God's creation,Love.Marvis Clair moving the Devil to tears was enough to make me cry.It shows the yearning for God's love even to his arch rival.
I recommended this book to my father,and he never regretted the time he spent in reading it.

It's one of those books that change the path of you life ... you've got to read it to know what I mean ;)

A master piece of a novel. This is the type of book that deserves its right to be a classic.
Marie Coreeli plays with life and nature in a scary way.
Basic Plot, is about a man seeking vanity and realizing it isn't all that it was ranked up to be. Sounds like a recycled plot, until you add the Devil in the mix and an excellently crafted story.
Truly an excellent read

This book is woth reading by any one who wants to understand life. The battle of life, the battle between good and bad. I read this book many years back, but lost my copy. I have now replaced a lost treasure.