Glen Duncan has been hailed by the Times Literary Supplement (London) as one of Britain's twenty best young novelists, alongside such writers as Hari Kunzru and Zadie Smith. His new novel, I, Lucifer -- shortlisted for the Geoffrey Faber Award -- is a satirical tour de force fueled by a scorching, hyper-intelligent wit that burns up the pages. The End is nigh, and the Prince of Darkness has been given one last shot at redemption, if he can manage to live out a reasonably blameless life on earth. As a trial run, he negotiates a month of "trying without buying" in the body of struggling writer Declan Gunn. ("Incarnation, the angelic drug of choice. Unlike cocaine, not to be sniffed at.") Luce seizes the opportunity to binge on earthly delights, to straighten the biblical record (Adam, it's hinted, was a misguided variation on the Eve design), to celebrate his favorite achievements (Elton John, for one), and to try to get his screenplay sold, 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 human.
Industry Reviews
"Clever, stylish...A fiendishly funny, wickedly eloquent account... Ducan conveys Lucifer's musings on the nature of evil and his sensory adventures, in hilarious pyrotechnic prose." "A film version of the novel might be exciting but it would not be a patch on Glen Duncan's wonderful act of ventriloquism." "A wicked, impish conceit, all ably orchestrated with Duncan's playful intelligence and sizzling wit." --Arena "Duncan packs more wit and energy into one page of I, Lucifer than most writers fit into an entire novel. The book is a leap forward in prose." --Neal Pollack "A fiendishly sharp, intelligent examination of modern human life that is as funny as hell." -The Times (London) "Stylish...Fiendishly funny, wickedly eloquent...hilarious pyrotechnic prose." -Big Issue "Clever and challenging...sizzling with mephitic energy." -The Independent A wicked, impish conceit, all ably orchestrated with Duncan s playful intelligence and sizzling wit. "Arena" Duncan packs more wit and energy into one page of "I, Lucifer" than most writers fit into an entire novel. The book is a leap forward in prose. Neal Pollack A fiendishly sharp, intelligent examination of modern human life that is as funny as hell. "The Times" (London) StylishFiendishly funny, wickedly eloquenthilarious pyrotechnic prose. "Big Issue" Clever and challengingsizzling with mephitic energy. "The Independent"" "A wicked, impish conceit, all ably orchestrated with Duncan's playful intelligence and sizzling wit." --"Arena" "Duncan packs more wit and energy into one page of "I, Lucifer" than most writers fit into an entire novel. The book is a leap forward in prose." --Neal Pollack "A fiendishly sharp, intelligent examination of modern human life that is as funny as hell." -"The Times" (London) "Stylish...Fiendishly funny, wickedly eloquent...hilarious pyrotechnic prose." -"Big Issue" "Clever and challenging...sizzling with mephitic energy." -"The Independent"
