A satirical novel about free will, humanity, and incidentally, carnal desire.
"There's a long story and a short one. If you don't believe in God or free will there's really only one long story, an anti-morality tale in which no-one's to blame for anything."
—Lucifer
A word of advice. Don't read this book in a cafe where there's a Bible Study group having a social meeting, and above all, don't laugh aloud. And you may well laugh. Duncan's (Lucifer's) observations on what humanity is made me chortle on several occasions. "One month's trial period before I sign up for a lifetime of earwax and flu" had me, and it was downhill from there. That and the blood-red cover (not to mention the title) attracted a few tuts from them at the outset (nosy Christians!) but my continued laughter clearly pushed them over the edge. One is clearly not meant to laugh when reading a book with this title. I'm probably still being prayed over several days later because I'm clearly past any human intervention (and boy, did they try!)
But this book is funny, and cleverly thoughtful at times. The author clearly has a jaundiced view of his fellow humans, and his character Lucifer clearly shares this view. Humans are dirty and funny and unfortunate and Duncan, through Lucifer, mocks us at every turn, ridiculing our bodies, our desires, our sexual activity, and all with an occasionally crass British humour. He often calls back to British music (The Rolling Stones' Sympathy For The Devil, obviously, but also references to punk and post-punk (XTC for example). He does not like Elton John though (no comment from me).
Lucifer is pretty frank about his own desires and judgements and is unafraid to talk shit about (and to) God's angels when they come to talk with him, and especially at the outset when he's offered the chance to go home. That said, he's equally rude about demons too, calling many out by name. But he is, after all Lucifer, so it's in character. The author has also clearly thought about desire and purpose, leaving little doubt which path both he and his character are on, but approaching it with a kind of crass honest humour that is occasionally hard to handle (hence my frequent oubursts of laughter).
Is it a good read? Yes, it is, but this is no Good Omens, and the author is no Neil Gaiman. The plot is less complicated, but the reader is required to collect and process a lot of backstory as they proceed. It's fun and intriguing, and does present as promised "the other side of the story" of the Battle between Good and Evil, God and The Devil. He's not above criticising God, as you'd expect, presenting Him in a not-Good light—"He looks like a foul-tempered Father Christmas", a narcissistic and insecure being who needs constant adulation from the choirs of angels and who is devious, untruthful and deceitful. One certainly starts to see Lucifer as the more whole being, and even feel some sympathy with him, and for him. The Temptation in the Desert scene is wonderful and I found myself rooting for him even though I knew the outcome (spoilers, having read the Bible many times!)
Lucifer in a human frame also makes me appreciate the Things We Take For Granted Every Day:
To start with: sleep. How did I ever do without it? Actually not sleep itself, but falling asleep. How did I ever survive without this business of falling asleep? There are…all sorts of things I'm wondering how I ever got along without. Israeli vine tomatoes. Campo Viejo Rioja. Heroin. Burping. Bollinger. Cigarettes. The sting of aftershave. Cocaine. Orgasm. Lucifer Risings. The aroma of coffee. (Coffee justifies the existence of the word 'aroma'.) There are, naturally, plenty of things I don't know how you put up with-disc jockeys, hangnails, trapped wind, All Bran - but then I knew it was going to be a mixed bag.
There are moments of sheer genius and it makes a good retelling of some well-known tales.
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