Eden van Buren lies chained to an iron bedstead in a homemade cell. Her captor is a handsome tormented young sculptor who lives alone in the Arizona desert. He is honest, compassionate, and uninterested in money. Why then has he kidnapped Eden and demanded ten million dollars in ransom? And why does he seem intnet on destroying Eden's mother? The answer lies in half-century of dseire, brutality, and betrayal--a dark skein of tangled lives and shameful secrets that spans three generations and three continents, from Franco's Spain to the cruel brulaity of Veitnam, from the haut monde of Bevery Hills to exotic Costa Brava to the basement of an isolated house where Eden's captor seeks his ransom revenge. For he is more than a kidnapper; he is an avenging angel, and he represents the final piece in a puzzle of lies and deception that began with. . .the original sin. A gripping novel of love, revenge, and redemption, The Original Sin is a work of stunning intensity and riveting suspense--a novel that establishes Marius Gabriel as one of the most exciting new voices in contemporary fiction.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
Described by the publisher as a "novel of love, revenge, and redemption spanning three generations and three continents," the book's tripartite theme, time, and locale confirm the old saw that bigger isn't necessarily better. The plot follows Mercedes Eduard, her parents, and her daughter Eden from 1909 to 1974, through such events as the Spanish Civil War, the Vietnam War (this seems to serve largely as a third location), and a kidnapping with a $10 million ransom in 1973, the novel's "present." Although there are certainly lots of plot twists and revelations, the characters are flat and rather unappealing, except for Joel, the kidnapper. Segments about his childhood are alternated with those about Eden, his wealthy victim, and his plight, despite some stereotyping, is poignant. Sex/love scenes appear periodically. Librarians are inundated with books of this type, while many high-quality "small" novels go unnoticed. Skippable. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 1/92.
- Rebecca S. Kelm, Northern Kentucky Univ., Highland Heights
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
- Rebecca S. Kelm, Northern Kentucky Univ., Highland Heights
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Kirkus Reviews
A first hardcover (and first US publication) for American writer Gabriel, who lives in Spain: a hefty but positively riveting tale of love and loss that spans three continents and as many generations. Wealthy, cultivated Mercedes Eduard seems to have everything money can buy, but her serene life in Costa Brava is abruptly shattered when she receives a photograph of her daughter--half- naked and chained to a bed. On the back of the photo is a terse note: GO TO THE POLICE AND SHE DIES. Jump-cut then to the daughter herself: 20-year-old Eden Van Buren, a spoiled rich girl with a nasty heroin habit. While she's locked in a windowless basement cell somewhere in the Arizona desert, her painful drug withdrawal evokes--surprisingly--sympathy and concern from her mysterious masked captor. His identity and his purpose in kidnapping Eden are revealed slowly, bit by tantalizing bit, in this bizarre, passionate story. For although he seems like a madman, Joel Lennox is indeed a man with a purpose. Unknown to Mercedes or Eden, he is the son that Mercedes gave away years and years ago. Placed into the hands of a God-obsessed preacher and his bitter wife, Joel was repeatedly tortured--both mentally and physically--by his adoptive parents. He believes that the kidnapping and the ten-million-dollar ransom he seeks are no more than his rightful revenge against a mother who abandoned him and a sister who was given all the love he craved. But Joel doesn't count on falling in love with his captive. And when he learns, finally, the real reason that Mercedes was forced to give him up, his vision of the world is destroyed in precisely the way he had hoped to destroy Mercedes. A sexy, hard-to-put-down read from a writer likely to draw an enthusiastic following. -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Smashing Read!!!,
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!",
By
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.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Original Sin,
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.
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