A Cardinal Sin

Eugne Sue was a nineteenth-century French novelist regarded, nowadays, as of the second tier -- and sometimes lower than that. But we think that there's a brilliance here, and that there's a reason he was most famous for his imaginative and dramatic commentaries on French life. His famous "Arthur" of 1838 represented the fashionable high life, while his 1843 "Les Mystres de Paris" ("The Mysteries of Paris") showed the life of the poor in France so well that it was partly inspiration for Victor Hugo's "Les Misrables," This same theme is exhibited in a lesser known novel, "A Cardinal Sin," an enchanting and lively tale of the powers of charity and love. This dynamic story follows the lives of two persevering young lovers growing up in the poverty of nineteenth-century France, and how the lives of those around them are affected by their intense devotion. When a tragedy occurs, and the couple finds themselves with a sudden windfall of money, the importance of loyalty as well as charity comes into play. With elegant diction and careful prose, Sue outlines a wise lesson of suspense, insight, and fast-paced plot that will delight readers and leave a general sense of well-being. In "A Cardinal Sin," Sue's mastery of words is once again shown.