| | |  | Shoes | | Home » » » | | | | | | | Product Details: | | | Author:
| Tosca Lee | | Paperback:
| 336 pages | | Publisher:
| NavPress | | Publication Date:
| June 08, 2007 | | Language:
| English | | ISBN:
| 1600061230 | | Package Length:
| 8.0 inches | | Package Width:
| 5.5 inches | | Package Height:
| 1.0 inches | | Package Weight:
| 0.7 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 121 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 121 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
35 of 37 found the following review helpful:
 A new perspectiveJun 23, 2007
By Barbara Warren
this book surprised me. I don't know what I expected, but definitely not something this well written and thought provoking.
Clayton's wife left him for another man and he hasn't recovered from the feelings of rejection. He's a fiction editor for a publishing company, looking for that one special book that will boost his career. He likes his job, but his personal life is a mess.
One night he walks into his favorite restaurant and finds a dark haired stranger waiting for him. The man introduces himself as Lucian, a demon, one of the fallen angels who fell from heaven with Lucifer. Lucien wants Clay to write his story, and a strange story it is, of creation, crucifixion, and resurrection, told from a demon's point of view. This book fascinated me. It gave me a new perspective on stories I thought I knew by heart. It's a provocatiave book, powerful, even disturbing at times. One the reader will remember long after he finish reading it.
27 of 30 found the following review helpful:
Fresh, Yet Older Than TimeAug 26, 2007
By Eric Wilson
"novelist"
Okay, let's just deal with the obvious comparisons. Yes, "Demon" has some similarities to "The Screwtape Letters" and "Interview With a Vampire." The most glaring one is this: great storytelling! The others--the interaction, the insights into the motives of an evil creature, the glimpses of history--are given their own spin by Tosca Lee.
The story follows Clay, an editor in Boston, who finds himself face to face with a fallen angel who disguises itself as different human characters. Lucian, wants to give to Clay an exclusive story, a memoir. He warns Clay: "the story is really about you." As the editor deals with this aberration and begins to accept it as reality, he gets caught up in the narrative, drained yet drawn by the unraveling of history as seen through the creature's eyes.
Tosca Lee uses wonderful sensory details and similes to add texture to this story, drawing us into a world that is beyond our own eyes, yet right before us. Even readers who don't believe in the biblical elements of this tale will have a difficult time not being coaxed into this struggle of intellects. This is not an action novel, yet it moves along nicely. While strong in its theological angles, "Demon" never pounds the reader over the head with doctrine. It does, however, give some razor-sharp commentary on religion, church, and the American pursuit of happiness. Lee pulls it all together in the end with subtle yet powerful ideas, which a few reviewers seem to have missed inexplicably--"Were you paying attention at all?" Lucian might ask.
There will be comparisons. They are inevitable. But Tosca Lee avoids many of the pitfalls that present themselves with such a book, instead offering a tale that feels fresh, yet older than time. Years from now, we may find other books being compared to this one.
12 of 12 found the following review helpful:
Truly HauntingOct 31, 2007
By Kelly Klepfer
A couple of months ago I read the first chapter of Demon. It intrigued me and I put the book on my must read list. Then I had the opportunity to join a blog tour. The book arrived in the mail and I had to squeeze it into an already stretched reading schedule.
Upon opening it, I was pulled in and not let go until the last page, and now, I still mull over the details of this story.
There are so many wows that I can't even begin to go into them, but I'll try.
First, this story is fascinating. We all have spiritual awareness and curiosity. Look at what we read and watch. Even if we don't or won't admit that there is more to this life than birth, taxes and death, we know, deep within while wrestling with haunted thoughts at two a.m. that life is bigger than us. The premise of Demon is an angel who slipped up during worship, took his eyes off God and is forever damned. Only to witness the creation of pathetic creatures of clay who are given mercy and forgiveness and dare they accept God fully, a seed of God Himself, and his struggle with these mud creature and the God who created them.
Secondly, Tosca Lee is a talented writer. I'm amazed that Demon is a debut novel. Her descriptions, dialogue, characterization and level of tension are top notch. I will reread Demon when I have time to read at a pace where I can slow down and savor the rich sensory details.
Thirdly, Demon is haunting. I will ponder the spiritual implications of this story for a long time. If there is even a hint of truth within this story, a chance that some of what is shared about the clay beings importance to God, then maybe I need to live my life differently. Maybe I should be a person whose prayers and walk of faith make the demons uneasy.
Demon does not carry horrific or gory images, but it's unsettling. Easily ruffled feathers might want to use caution. Otherwise, I can't imagine someone who shouldn't read this fascinating account of God's story through the eyes of one of His enemies.
7 of 7 found the following review helpful:
Amazing work for a rookie!!Sep 18, 2007
By Donald J. Parker
"Donald James Parker - author of Reforming the Potter's Clay"
What can I say about the most unusual book I've ever read? The title, Demon: A Memoir, seemed intimidating. I'm a Pollyanna kind of guy. Why would I want to start a book about a demon? That was my mindset when I began to read this book, and I was a tough audience. I didn't get hooked until the third page.
Unbelievably the beauty of the prose began to move me. I'm a self confessed story addict. Don't give me descriptive, flowery poetry which delays a plot from unfolding. It's the storyline that grabs my interest. My goal is to gulp the words down, not hold them in my mouth and swish them between my teeth, hoping the taste will linger as long as possible. But just like the protagonist in this story, I was drawn to the story of the demon like a moth to an artificial fireplace. Despite my lack of time to fully savor this work, I found myself stopping to admire a beautiful phrase here and a stimulating simile there, even to the point of letting the prose melt in my mouth like chocolate.
I found myself wishing that I could write like Tosca. It was utterly unbelievable to me that a young lady could produce such a perfect novel on her first try. Like the Ghost of Christmas Past, taking Scrooge on a journey to see life from a different viewpoint, Ms Lee takes her readers and the protagonist through the story of the creation and population of the earth from the viewpoint of one of the fallen angels. Never had I considered how a demon might react to the nurturing relationship of God for his mud creatures. I got a glimpse of the birth of a newborn in a lowly manger through a different lens. A view of the crucifixion through demon eyes brought new insight into that gory event. Tosca wove beautiful prose into a captivating plot which delivered a message that transcends the word sermon. This work was very impressive for a veteran, much more a rookie! I really can't see how this author can be a one hit wonder, leaving me anxious to see her next book, a story of Eve.
Donald James Parker: Author of All the Voices of the Wind
6 of 6 found the following review helpful:
Excellent Blend of Imagination and TruthAug 31, 2007
By Melissa
Imagine an encounter with a demon and how it would affect your life. The demon Lucian walked into Clay's life, and it changed his forever. What would a demon possibly have to gain by telling his story and having it published and what does this story have to do with Clay? With us? Well, that's the great mystery.
I love books that are unique, and this one qualifies. When I first read the title, I was thinking something along the lines of the Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. That's not the case. It is the Bible told by a demon. Sounds odd, huh?
I love the view of demons presented by Lee. It's not the stereotypical little devilish looking men with below average intelligence performing silly little acts of annoyances on the average Joe and in the end getting outwitted. Instead she presents a very thoughtful look at these fallen angels which is quite fascinating and enjoyable to read. Through this fictional story, we're given a different way of viewing demons and their knowledge. I've read James 2:19 many times and I'm always struck by the knowledge that yes, the demons know the Bible well. They lived it! Lee did a fabulous job presenting this fact, by blending her imagination with Biblical truths. The outcome is an interesting, entertaining, thought provoking way of presenting the story of redemption.
I was impressed with this book. I love that it was intriguing, different, and honest. It hits on some excellent truths and really encourages the reader to reflect on their view of the world, their life, and themselves. For the most part it was very well written. I'm usually not a fan of historical Biblical fiction, preferring my own imagination to someone else's. However, this was extremely well presented. The fictional parts were obviously fiction, but realistic enough to be believable. I highly recommend Demon: A Memoir. It's a great twist on a story that can not be heard too many times and an excellent reminder to rejoice in the reason Lucian despises humans.
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