Original Sins [Paperback]

Lisa Alther (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1982

They call themselves "The Five" -- Sally and Emily Prince and Jed, Raymond, and Donny Tatro. Convinced they are special, they spend their Tennessee childhoods trading dreams in the branches of the Castle Tree. As children of the fifties, they are filled with wild ambitions and determined to live gaudy, glamorous lives. Lisa Alther's brilliant, broad-canvas story follows them from childhood to adulthood. The ties that bind them begin to dissolve when they become teenagers, yet the vibrant story continues -- and each member of The Five travels in a direction that he or she could have never anticipated. In this intelligent and heartbreaking novel, Alther brings to life not only the passions of her characters, but the fantasies and follies of an entire generation as well

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Alther constructs a broad social portrait of nearly two decades of American life. She covers civil rights, Viet Nam, women's lib, the sexual revolution, radical politics and back-to-earth movements...Original Sins is an old-fashioned novel in the best sense of the term. It propels singular, interesting characters through a panoramic plot....She gives generously, both to her readers and to the children of her imagination. -- Paul Gray, Time Apr. 27, 1981

Alther triumphantly surpasses her splendid first novel, Kinflicks, with this rueful, devastatingly clear-eyed look at Southern life, bedeviled by strikes and segregation, pregnancy and prayer breakfasts, not to mention the Great Yankee Fluoride Conspiracy -- all jostling for our attention in a vista that is hilarious and heartbreaking by turns. -- Cosmopolitan, May, 1981

Lisa Alther has hooked us with sheer good writing....a sharp eye for detail...an acute ear...and a delightful talent for confronting human idiocy....A compellling novel! -- Susan Isaacs, Newsday, May 4, 1981 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

From Chapter 9: The initiation was held at Mo's, a small ranch house in the mill village. Her parents had moved out for the night. The Ingenues, clad in shortie pajamas, their spit curls pinned with crossed silver hair clips, sat in a big circle on the living room rug conducting a Lemon Squeeze. Each member was featured in turn, with the other members going around the circle saying one nice thing and one criticism of her. The initiates sat on the sofa and chairs taking notes on correct Ingenue conduct. Emily was trying to French inhale her Marlboro, as she had observed several old members doing. You let the smoke drift out of your mouth and inhaled it in a steady stream through your nostrils. Emily's head was obscured by clouds of swirling smoke.

"That's really true, Dawn. You smile so much that nobody can tell when you mean it."

"Insincere, that's what it seems like, Dawn."

"But it's not," Dawn insisted, picking her laquered big toenail. "I just smile when I'm happy. I can't help it if I'm usually happy. I mean, I'm not smiling now, am I?" She burst into tears and buried her face in her hands.

The group sat in disapproving silence. Finally the vice president said, "Dawn honey, we're just trying to help you be the best Ingenue possible. And besides, you know the person being discussed isn't supposed to say nothing." Dawn wailed and buried her face more deeply.

They moved on to Sandy, who was accused of flirting with other members' boyfriends. "But you have very nice teeth, Sandy," her accuser added.

Emily watched through her clouds of smoke.

"You don't smile enough, Connie. Everyone thinks you're a sourpuss. we don't want Ingenues known as a bunch of sourpusses, do we?"

By the end, most Ingenues were in tears, mopping at eyes and cheeks with the hems of pajama tops. Sandy was passing around a piece of paper. She had a way of sauntering up to boys at school, and bumping them with her hip, and asking them in her lazy smiling drawl if they'd had their mileage that day. As members read the paper, they either gasped or blushed or tittered. Emily read: "Math problem: A cock is six inches long. At sixty strokes per minute for five minutes per day, how many days does it take to cover a mile?" The answer was upside down: "Depends on whether or not you have a blow-out. Smile if you've had your mileage today."

Emily quickly exhaled another smoke screen and passed on the paper to the girl beside her. The old members began discussing boyfriends like a harem its sheiks. The new members were led into a bedroom. Earlier that week each had turned in a set of underwear. These were returned, dyed royal purple, the club colors. Holes were cut in the bras for the nipples, and in the panties for the crotches. Everyone was shrieking with embarrassed delight. Emily lit another cigarette and inspected her mutilated underthings. She could put them on and become an Ingenue. Or she could walk out and resume being a fink. She took a big drag. The others had put on spiked heels and were inspecting each other, screaming with laughter.

Emily squashed out her cigarette, stood up and undressed. She wanted to be an Ingenue. Why, she didn't know. It had a lot to do with all those years of not being one.... --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Signet (April 1, 1982)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451139666
• ISBN-13: 978-0451139665
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,136,341 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lisa Alther is the bestselling author of five novels, among them the critically acclaimed Kinflicks, and a family memoir, Kinfolks: Falling Off the Family Tree. She was born in Kingsport, Tennessee, in 1944, one of five children in a close-knit family influenced by both its Southern and "Yankee" roots. After attending Wellesley College and working in book publishing, she moved to Vermont, where she began to write and raise her daughter. Alther currently divides her time among Tennessee, Vermont, and New York City.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Really brings back the memories, January 4, 2000

By 

Janice Kyriakou (Dalton, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Original Sins (Mass Market Paperback)

Being a Southerner myself and born about the same time as the characters, I could really relate to this very interesting, sometimes quirky, alternately funny and grim story. This book is full of irony, mischief, and a whole lot of truth. I was involved in so many of the "movements" of the 60's. Alther's book often made me squirm. Were we really that self-righteous, hypocritical and plain dumb? I guess at times we were. Highly readable and very informative as well as good fun, that's Original Sins. I am eager to lend it to friends, especially a friend who was in her 40's when she first came to the USA.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book about life in a small southern town., March 9, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Original Sins (Mass Market Paperback)

I flew through this story about young people growing up in a small town in Tennessee. The characters are interesting -- each one at first glance seems like a quick stereotype of the usual high school suspects -- but there is so much more to learn about them. If you like small town Southern novels, with the extras of civil rights, labor union struggles, and feminism thrown on top -- this is a good read