Reader Reaction to "Gabriel"

Marten Weber is a writer to watch—he really knows the true meaning of the word literature and that is what he writes. “Gabriel” is his newest book and I must say that he took the challenge I gave him with his book on Casanova’s gay brother in his prior book.

This is the story of loss of innocence and the onset of love. The book is set in China in the world of diplomacy and intrigue. Dealing with themes of culture shock, greed and racism we get a sprawling novel about two men who after losing all they ever believed in found each other.

Weber really knows how to tell a story and while this book is a far cry from Casanova’s brother, the same beautiful prose, wry humor and powerful story are present. We are totally aware of Weber’s commitment to his writing and the research he had done in order to give us a fascinating story. He is not afraid to give us a flawed character as he does in Gabriel and I think it is his flaw that endears him to us.

It is really difficult to guess what happens next in the novel even though clues are present. One of the great things about Marten Weber is how he uses twists and turns. He also uses his characters to give opinions that are in effect social critiques. However, what really stands out is his use of detail and how he imparts those details to us. He writes in layers and he does not hold back if he wants to make a point. I think that some may find him wordy and long-winded but that is exactly what I love about his work. There is a certain intellectualism to his novels and especially in “Gabriel”. The book may come across as dark to some readers but that is probably because of the social criticism. I say “hooray” for that. I suppose that some will see “Gabriel” as a fable about avarice and greed within a political thriller but it is also a novel about discovering self.

Source: http://reviewsbyamoslassen.com/?p=14938