Felicia / They Call It Sin

by Mark Dane, Alberta Stedman Eagan | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 1727156943 Global Overview for this book
Registered by wingGoryDetailswing of Nashua, New Hampshire USA on 12/16/2018
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1 journaler for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by wingGoryDetailswing from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Sunday, December 16, 2018
I got this two-book omnibus softcover from Barnes and Noble, after seeing the 1932 film of "They Call It Sin" on TCM.

It seems to be an odd combination for a single book: Felicia by Mark Dane first came out in 1964, while They Call It Sin by Alberta Stedman Eagan came out in 1932. And while both works feature female protagonists with troubled pasts and problematic behavior, the details and themes are quite different.

Felicia opens with the title character being rescued from an accident she caused by driving recklessly while drunk - apparently a frequent occurrence. We learn that she's the widow of a fabulously wealthy man who was beloved worldwide, and that she's thought by many to have caused his death; the story deals with her (not very effective) ways of coping with all this, and eventually with the revelations as to what actually happened. The ending is a wham scene, quite wrenching, though given Felicia's driving habits perhaps it's not surprising {wry grin}.

They Call It Sin opens with a wealthy man having an illicit affair with the wife of a titled neighbor. The man's manservant does his best to warn his master about the risks, but the affair continues and the woman becomes pregnant - cue a frantic flight, each traveling separately, so as to have the child in secret and return to their lives... All this could have made a fine story on its own, but almost at once the parents are taken out of the tale by an auto accident (hmmm, perhaps that is the thematic element here - kids, drive defensively!), the manservant covers up the affair and leaves the child at a convent, and the rest of the story deals with the fate of the child as she becomes a woman. Apparently the illicit nature of her birth and the rebellious streaks in her parents have caused her to be a wild child, seeking male attention, having affairs, etc. - but it doesn't play out in a very believable way. It also departs dramatically from the film version, which chose to play some sympathy cards regarding the married man beloved by the heroine and the devoted doctor who loves her. (He's played by George Brent in the movie, which stacks the deck in his favor!) The book ends in tragedy - another thing that matches Felicia - but didn't seem as believable or dramatic as the first story. Ah, well, glad I tried it anyway!

Journal Entry 2 by wingGoryDetailswing at LFL - City Hall in Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Released 5 yrs ago (12/19/2018 UTC) at LFL - City Hall in Nashua, New Hampshire USA

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

I left this book in the Little Free Library; hope someone enjoys it!

[See other recent releases in NH here.]

*** Released for the 2018 D for December release challenge. ***

*** Released for the 2018 What's In A Name release challenge. ***

*** Released for the 2018 Movie release challenge. ***

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