Author: Emile Zola
Year: 1875
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Genres/categories:
Classic, Fiction
Purchase/reserch links:
ISBNs:
9780803299016
9780686557791
080329901X
0686557794 |
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The Sin of Abbe Mouret tells the compelling story of the young priest Serge Mouret. Striving after spiritual purity and sanctity, he lives a life of constant prayer, but his neglect of all physical needs leads to serious illness, followed by amnesia. No longer knowing he is a priest, he falls in love with his nurse Albine. Together, like a latter-day Adam and Eve, they roam through an Eden-like garden called the 'Paradou', seeking a forbidden tree in whose shade they will make love. Zola memorably shows their gradual awakening to sexuality, and his poetic descriptions of the luxuriant and beautiful Paradou create a lyrical celebration of Nature. When Serge regains his memory and recalls his priestly vows, anguish inevitably follows.
The whole story, with its numerous biblical parallels, becomes a poetic reworking of the Fall of Man and a questioning of the very meaning of innocence and sin. Zola explores the conflict between Church and Nature, the sterility of the Church and the fertility of Nature. This new translation includes a wide-ranging and helpful introduction and explanatory notes.
This book is part of the "Les Rougon-Macquart" series. Here are some other books from this series:
 | "The Debacle"
First published in 1892
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 | "The Dream"
First published in 1888
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 | "Germinal"
First published in 1885
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| "The Joy of Life"
First published in 1883
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 | "The Ladies' Paradise"
First published in 1883
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 | "Pot Luck"
First published in 1882
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 | "Nana"
First published in 1880
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