RESEÑA. Gabriel’s Inferno #2: El éxtasis de Gabriel, de Sylvain Reynard.
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Ésta es mi reseña de la continuación de Gabriel’s Inferno. La escribí en inglés porque lo leí en inglés y se me hizo más natural, supongo.
Honestly, I don’t even know how to begin. (English is not my first language, by the way. Sorry for the mistakes). I read ‘Gabriel’s Inferno’ a couple of months ago and I loved it. Madly. Yet, there were some things I didn’t like. Julia, to begin with. I know this sounds crazy, but by the end of the book one, I was tired of her weakness and her cries and her ‘I’m-not-worthy-of-you-but-you-need-to-redeem-yourself-to-be-with-me complex. So I was conflicted. I loved the book at the beggining, I really did, but I just couldn’t bring myself to give it 5 stars.
«You’re an argument for God’s existence.»
That’s why it took me so long to begin ‘Gabriel’s Rapture’. And I did it expecting Julia to finally overcome her insecurities, and Gabriel his past. They didn’t. At least not until the veeeeeery end and not the way I wanted them to. Thus, even though I love Gabriel, and the writing, and the descriptions, and the italian quotations, and the places, and the witty remarks and that there’s a dude out there writing this kind of story (gosh, I still find it hard to believe), I wasn’t able to give this one a 5 stars rating either sighs.
«We’re all sinners. If only nonsinners went to church, the curches would be empty.»
That said, I do think Reynard’s saga is getting better. ‘Gabriel’s rapture’ had so much more intrigue and angst (yeap, I know you disagree with my word choice, Gabriel wink) than the first book. I kept bitting my nails at that huge (yet not very unexpected) plot twist and I hated Christa more than I have any character in a long, long time. Even so, I didn’t quite understand her purposes. I mean, I know there had to be a villain, and she was perfect for that role. But what she did at the end? All those damn problems she created to get what she wanted and then she just walks away without him it? Nope, I don’t get it.
Julia, on the other hand, is a very well developed character. (That I don’t like how she is developed is different). She did change and she grew stronger, more independent. I think she realized there were things Gabriel had to figure out by himself.And this was the thing I loved the most about this book: Gabriel was as corny and pretentious as ever, but he finds the answers he was looking for for and by himself. Julia is his beloved, yes, but he accepts that the path he chooses, the man he wants to become must depend on him. Not on the man he thinks Julia deserves.
«Had any man ever loved, adored, worshipped a woman more? None but Dante, he thought.»
In ‘Gabriel’s Rapture’ their relationship was more passionate and deep than before (and hey, I didn’t think that was possible). The end was a bit too much for me, though. Too much, too quickly. But now I love Gabriel even more. That’s why I’m going to get ‘Gabriel’s Redemption’ as soon as I can and I’m going to devour it, and complain, and cry, and laugh and sigh with Dante and Beatriz, as Reynard wants me to (damn, he always succeeds). And that’s why you should, too.
«I told you I’d go to Hell to save you. And believe me, I did.»
