Fallen

Beginning with the murder of Abel by his brother, “Fallen” rewinds through fury and jealousy, lust and despair, right back to the bite from the apple and mankind’s first taste of shame. What drove Cain to do the unthinkable? Was God justified in banishing Adam and Eve from Paradise? And did the harshness of the outer world teach them not only to survive but how to kill? From the bones of this age-old tale, David Maine weaves a compulsively readable and startlingly modern human drama of love, betrayal and rage. We know the end of the story – but how did it really begin?

Reviews of Fallen

"'Maine turns a moralistic lesson into a psychological mystery…again and again throughout this novel, Maine's talent is revealed in the earthy simplicity of such descriptions.' Guardian 'With a modern novelist's art, acuity and insistence on psychological realism, Maine manages what no religious teacher ever could and had me believing in the truth of these most archetypal of characters…Having appropriated such an old story it's a marvel that Maine can make it feel so fresh.' Independent on Sunday 'Although Fallen is a familiar tale, the rewinding structure and the compelling tension and depth of the characters make it gripping…with charm and wry wit, he merely tickles the idea that God is perhaps, well, a bit of a bastard.' Time Out"