Reviews

The Sin of Abbé Mouret by Émile Zola

fragost's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

julaii's review against another edition

Go to review page

reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

saintelouve_'s review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional reflective relaxing sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

mk92's review

Go to review page

challenging dark hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

isisbookworm's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

marxgaux's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

19th century fleabag

helgamharb's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

Émile! Émile! Mon vieux! What was this? You did not write this triviality, did you? Or, perhaps you were ill and indisposed? Or, you wanted to write a nice little Novella but your almost non-existent romantic side took over? Or, this was just a joke played on the poor reader, describing literally every flower, tree and animal en détail for virtually 500 pages over and over again?
What was this boring drivel?

No ordinance of man shall override
The settled laws of Nature and of God;
Not written these in pages of a book,
Nor were they framed to-day, nor yesterday;
We know not whence they are; but this we know,
That they from all eternity have been,
And shall to all eternity endure.


I know this was meant to portray the battle between the Law of Divinity and the Law of Nature; a Catechism of Religion as opposed to Nature, but this, even for you was too much surrealism and not enough realism.
Oh, Émile! Mon ami! But for my enduring love for you, I would have given up on the book altogether!


firetight's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

Mé zhodnocení: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKGjvwhyEN4

blueyorkie's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

In the Conquest of Plassans, Serge Mouret, during an illness, was watched over by Father Faujas, who took the opportunity to brainwash him. Finally healed, he asked to enter the seminary.
This novel is divided into three parts.
In the first, Serge is a priest in a poor parish in southern France. This village is inhabited by disbelievers much more concerned with their plantations and harvests than their soul's salvation. But he does not suffer, tries to do his best, and takes care of his sister Désirée, a simple-minded who lives among the animals. But he neglects his health and stays for hours in prayer. Nevertheless, his faith is exalted, entirely turned towards the Virgin, the bride, until sickness due to excessive religious practices.
In the second, Doctor Pascal installed him for his recovery at Paradou in the company of Aline, a savage. The latter has lived there for several years under the very tolerant supervision of the young girl's uncle. When Serge emerges from the fever, he no longer remembers his previous life, and the intimacy between the two young people is immediate. The cut is total both in his mind and in space. Above all, Paradou is an immense and entirely enclosed garden except for a small gap through which Serge will recall the century because it is a kind of monastery but a sanctuary where Nature is deified. Even when it is carnal, love is pure, unlike the village.
It has plethoric descriptions of plants, as in La Curée's greenhouse. This greenhouse took part in the disturbances of the loves of Renée and her stepson Maxime. Here, they revive the terrestrial Paradise before the fault.
Finally, in the third part, Serge sees through a breach in the wall, the outside. He returns to his parish and engages in a fight against the flesh. Between this fight and his duties towards his parishioners, he has no compassion for Albine's sorrow.
Zola's characters are often indifferent to the consequences of their actions, frozen in what they believe to be correct.
The idea of ​​this wild garden, almost a jungle, excited me at the time. But I did not find the same pleasure there.
And some characters, such as the maid and even Désirée, seemed caricatured to me.

willtoreadyt's review

Go to review page

3.0

I have mixed feelings about this one. I really like the intense descriptions of love and spiritual anguish, but they sometimes went on for too long, and I found my eyes glazing a bit. It's probably my least favorite of the cycle so far, but it's still worth a read, especially if you're more inclined to romantic plots.