Thursday 30 January 2014

The Hutt recommends: I, Lucifer

I, Lucifer by Glen Duncan.

Now here’s my kind of book! Just look at this opening paragraph:
"I, Lucifer, Fallen Angel, Prince of Darkness, Bringer of Light, Ruler of Hell, Lord of the Flies, Father of Lies, Apostate Supreme, Tempter of Mankind, Old Serpent, Prince of This World, Seducer, Accuser, Tormentor, Blasphemer, and without doubt Best Fuck in the Seen and Unseen Universe (ask Eve, that minx) have decided - ooh-la-la! - to tell all."
The fallen angel, presently Prince of Darkness and Ruler of Hell, Lucifer is offered a second chance at redemption. Gabriel descends from the Heavens to offer Luce the deal of living as a mortal human on Earth for a month without committing one of the greater sins and in exchange Lucifer would be granted to return to his station as an angel of the Lord in Heaven for eternity. Well. He’d be an angel but not be returned to his former high status. Lucifer smells bullshit but as he suspects that God is up to something Apocalyptic he can't see how his final decision can make an inkling of a difference.
Seizing at this opportunity for some vacation from his painful existence in Hell, Lucifer wakes up in the body of the suicidally unsuccessful writer Declan Gunn and despite the limitations of the human body decides to run riot through the realm of senses. Time will not be wasted! There's cocaine to be had, sexually transmitted deceases to spread and finally humans will know some real truths about Adam and the Lord above - the nasty truths.
But Lucifer is shocked to find that his human existence isn't at all what he thought it would be and slowly finds there's more to learn from humanity than he first expected.

The language of this book is beautiful. Not only is it clever, fiendishly witty and sometimes outright hilarious but certain sections are so heartbreakingly BEAUTIFUL it's crazy. How do you describe the beauty of the little things experienced for the very first time to someone who hasn't given them a thought since... ever? Duncan does it and he does it well. Mixed in with the tragedy and vulgarity that is modern human life you'll find a genuinely fantastic piece of work. A deeply moving tale about moral and redemption.
My constant thirst for sarcasm and good dialogue is quenched. I don't know what else I can tell you.
Just read it.

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