The Original Sin [Import] [Paperback]

Marius Gabriel (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 842 pages
• Publisher: Arrow; New Ed edition (1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0099957507
• ISBN-13: 978-0099957508
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.4 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,789,794 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Smashing Read!!!, May 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Original Sin (Paperback)

Was up all night reading..... just could not put down his book. It was like nothing I've ever read b4. The characters are sooo frighteningly real, the emotions so human and the setting so tangible. I loved Mercedes and Joel... the pain they go thru made me wanna cry... the begining and the body of the story was smashing... the kidnapping, the flashbacks, the war, the secrets, the addiction, the pain, the love... all just bowled me over. Nothing in the story was superficial or far-fetched. BUT, (here it comes)... the begining of the end was a bit disappointing. I felt that the author could have ended it on a whole different note, perhaps what I was looking for, was a longer and more satisfying happy-ending for Joel and Eden. Gabriel kinda ended it abruptly, like he was in ahurry to get it over with! I was hoping for a better reconciliation between Joel and his mother, with a lot more warmth... she treats him in the end like it *was* all his fault that she had an incestous affair with her own father. Since I am an incurable romantic, I was also looking for another couple of pages of "hugging and cuddling" for Eden and Joel after they come to know that they are not brother and sister!!.... Well! It was a very good read anyway.... KUDOS!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars This Suspenseful Novel Is Aptly Named "Original Sin!", August 30, 2003

By 

Jana L. Perskie "ceruleana" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Original Sin (Hardcover)

This is a huge, multi-generational, "pick it up and you can't put it down until the last page is read" kind of novel - perfect for a vacation or a snowbound weekend.

Marius Gabriel writes a dramatic tale that spans three generations, and takes the reader from 1920s Spain, through the Spanish Civil War, WWII, Vietnam, and the early 1970s (US) culture of sex, drugs and rock 'n roll. All the action and subplots revolve around wealthy, sophisticated Mercedes Eduard, who was born in prewar Catalonia, the child of a rape victim. What follows is a riveting story of deception, love, and revenge most terrible. The historical backdrop, especially about Catalonian politics, anarchy, and the Civil War in Spain, certainly enhances the novel.

There are too many twists and turns in the plot to number, which make for a roller coaster ride of a read. And more than seven sins, (deadly or otherwise), are committed here. However, many of the book's characters are flatter than cardboard, and all too predictable. Joel Lennox, who kidnaps Mercedes' daughter Eden, and asks for millions of dollars in ransom, is the only character who is really fleshed out. He comes alive with his background of surviving the emotional pain of an abusive childhood, soldiering in the Vietnam War, and working his craft as an artist.

There are many books like this one on the shelves. I was quickly absorbed in the addictive storyline. It is a good, light read, but if you miss it, you are not missing a literary masterpiece.
JANA

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Original Sin, May 21, 2004

By 

Emilia Redel (Montreal, Quebec) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Original Sin (Paperback)

Marius Gabriel's debut book is my favorite so far. It is such a captivating story, I could not put it down. The plot is so elaborate with so many unexpected turns. It is passionate, sexy, suspenseful and twisted; all the ingredients necessary for an amazing and compelling read.
Gabriel is a talented author with a very vivid imagination. I definitely recommend this book.