I, Lucifer

By Glen Duncan

Book Overview

The end is nigh and the Prince of Darkness has just been offered one hell of a deal: reentry into Heaven for eternity--if he can live out a well-behaved life in a human body on earth. It's the ultimate case of trying without buying and, despite the limitations of the human body in question (previous owner one suicidally unsuccessful writer, Deelan Gunn), Luce seizes the opportunity to run riot through the realm of the senses. This is his chance to straighten the biblical record (Adam, it's hinted, was a misguided variation on the Eve design), to celebrate his favorite achievements (everything from the Inquisition to Elton John), and, most important, to get Julia Roberts attached to his screenplay. But the experience of walking among us isn't what His Majesty expected: instead of teaching us what it's like to be him, Lucifer finds himself understanding what it's like to be us. By an author hailed by the Times Literary Supplement as one of Britain's top twenty young novelists, I, Lucifer is "a masterpiece...startlingly witty, original and beautifully written" (Good Book Guide).

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802140149
• ISBN13: 9780802140142
• Release Date: April 2003
• Publisher: Grove Press
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.5" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Brilliantly Written

Lucifer, aka Satan, is the first person narrator of this deliciously witty tale. Old Scratch gets an offer from God to test-drive a mortal body for a month - the recently vacated corpse of writer Declan Gunn (an anagram of Glen Duncan-in case you didn't notice). After one month, if Satan decides to stay mortal, he may be eligible for re-admittance to heaven under the normal rules. Glen Duncan's brilliant writing shows Satan...

a great read

This is one of my favorite books of all time. It's extremely funny, to the point where you will laugh aloud, and Mr. Duncan has a way with words and ideas that allows him to deal with multiple concepts at once without confusing the reader. Besides being entertaining, this novel is guerrilla-style philosophical; Lucifer's commentary on divine topics forces the reader to reflect on their beliefs, regardless of creed, and learn...

Tickles Both Sides

Being a fan both of popular fiction and the meatier, more literary kind, I was delightfully surprised to find, at the end of this novel, that Mr. Duncan has written a masterful piece that ably straddles both sides of the fiction genre. It is an immensely entertaining read, with a tempo that varies like a classic symphony in four movements and a lead character that you will find, almost aghast and perhaps in spite of yourself,...

Not For The Faint Of Heart

Telling the basic plot of this story won't give anything away: God offers the Devil a deal: come to earth and take over the body of a poor soul who has just committed suicide, stay out of trouble for one month in this body, and gain re-entry into Heaven. The story is told as a confession by Lucifer himself.From this promising premise, Glen Duncan takes the reader on a verbal rocket ride which ends...well, that doesn't matter,...

5 stars

Awesome. If the idea of the devil as a guy with horns, wings, red scaly skin, a forked tail, and pitchfork makes you laugh and you appreciate some well constructed vulgarity you should give this a read. It felt to me like the author wished he could be the devil himself, and really enjoyed writing this book. The character he creates is every bit as mischievous and cunning as you would expect, and half the time you don't...