Scan barcode
jammasterjamie's review against another edition
2.0
Long-winded, smug in its self-satisfaction, and the third act was listless and boring. After the high recommendations I'd heard about 'I, Lucifer', I was highly disappointed. Duncan got the narrative voice right, but the story was a drag.
feelsnotbrains's review against another edition
4.0
This book will take you to the edge of your faith and push your head over the chasm, and over the needling wind that strikes and coats your face, you will hear him laughing. You know it’s fiction, and yet Glen Duncan writes with such convincing prose that you just fucking wonder. NB: do not read on a bad day, and his words and sentences will snake around your throat and choke the tears and rage out of you. This book will fuck you over.
rosekk's review against another edition
5.0
This book was amazing! Best depiction of Lucifer I can think of, and you can really sympathize with him (scarily).
trudilibrarian's review against another edition
3.0
First-person Lucifer, and all I could hear was Al Pacino's voice...
witty, outrageous, fabulous turns of phrase...
witty, outrageous, fabulous turns of phrase...
reachersaid_'s review against another edition
DNF 60%
An interesting premise; Lucifer giving his side of the biblical story while working out a forgiveness deal with God that involves inhabiting a mortal body for a month.
The writing drew me in initially, it was the kind of casual with a tone that was arresting and at the same time the language was also rich and refined. The humor was a high point as well, I found myself snorting and laughing a lot, at least in the early stages. I felt like I had discovered a gem.
So what led to my decision to quit? The story just seemed to lack a solid base. It was for the most part... boring and rambling. When Lucifer gave his own account of some events in the bible, like the garden of Eden and the temptation of Jesus for example, I was glued. Away from those, however, his present day storyline as the suicidal writer Declan Gunn, is just utterly unreadable. The narrator was like a faulty traffic light randomly switching colors, so much digression, good grief! As if that's not bad enough, it is all told in overly literary language that gives one the impression of trying to understand a foreign language.
I bet K. J Parker would have made a great novella out of this.
An interesting premise; Lucifer giving his side of the biblical story while working out a forgiveness deal with God that involves inhabiting a mortal body for a month.
The writing drew me in initially, it was the kind of casual with a tone that was arresting and at the same time the language was also rich and refined. The humor was a high point as well, I found myself snorting and laughing a lot, at least in the early stages. I felt like I had discovered a gem.
So what led to my decision to quit? The story just seemed to lack a solid base. It was for the most part... boring and rambling. When Lucifer gave his own account of some events in the bible, like the garden of Eden and the temptation of Jesus for example, I was glued. Away from those, however, his present day storyline as the suicidal writer Declan Gunn, is just utterly unreadable. The narrator was like a faulty traffic light randomly switching colors, so much digression, good grief! As if that's not bad enough, it is all told in overly literary language that gives one the impression of trying to understand a foreign language.
I bet K. J Parker would have made a great novella out of this.
proffy's review against another edition
5.0
This psychological portrayal of one of history's most hated figures made me think about free will and what I would suffer in order to maintain it. When God offers Lucifer the opportunity to "redeem" himself by living as a human for one month, Lucifer smirks, says yes, and proceeds to enjoy his one month vacation. Through his actions and his thoughts while being Declan Gun, Lucifer reveals a story not of good versus evil but of an indomitable will versus an indomitable will.
Two things are going on in this story: one, Lucifer is living (a version of) Declan Gun's life, finally experiencing a world with sensory perception; two, Lucifer is writing a story about what really happened in heaven. The second was more interesting to me, being theological and all; and yet the first reminded me of the beauty of being alive. Luce gets drunk on sight and sound, smell, taste, and touch through walks in the rain, cocaine, sex, food, alcohol: everything is up for grabs. The beauty of his thoughts as he relishes even the smells of the dirtiest places made me almost feel guilty for ignoring, or rather taking for granted, my ability to sense the world around me.
The real pull for me, however, was the theology expressed in the book. I haven't even begun to wrap my mind around all of the variant, tantalizing ideas running rampant. Apparently, Lucifer had a good reason for getting upset with God; he was sick of the "undiluted adulation" God expected from the angels. Lucifer just wanted to control his own life; he wanted choice. Good for him. A life of perpetual kiss-assery sounds pretty damn bleak to me.
When it comes down to it though, the story is just dirty fun.
Two things are going on in this story: one, Lucifer is living (a version of) Declan Gun's life, finally experiencing a world with sensory perception; two, Lucifer is writing a story about what really happened in heaven. The second was more interesting to me, being theological and all; and yet the first reminded me of the beauty of being alive. Luce gets drunk on sight and sound, smell, taste, and touch through walks in the rain, cocaine, sex, food, alcohol: everything is up for grabs. The beauty of his thoughts as he relishes even the smells of the dirtiest places made me almost feel guilty for ignoring, or rather taking for granted, my ability to sense the world around me.
The real pull for me, however, was the theology expressed in the book. I haven't even begun to wrap my mind around all of the variant, tantalizing ideas running rampant. Apparently, Lucifer had a good reason for getting upset with God; he was sick of the "undiluted adulation" God expected from the angels. Lucifer just wanted to control his own life; he wanted choice. Good for him. A life of perpetual kiss-assery sounds pretty damn bleak to me.
When it comes down to it though, the story is just dirty fun.
ladyvictoria's review against another edition
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sprainedbrain's review against another edition
dark
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
mialicia's review against another edition
5.0
Heeeeeee this was wonderful! Amazing writing, so very snarky with a wonderful way with words. And the plot was great - a little slow in the middle, but it picked up. If you're a fan of Good Omens, I suggest this!