I, Lucifer (Glen Duncan)
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- See I, Lucifer for the book published in 1967 by Peter O'Donnell from his Modesty Blaise series.
| I, Lucifer | |
| Author | Glen Duncan |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Supernatural fiction |
| Publisher | Scribner (UK); Grove Press (US) |
| Publication date | 6 January 2003 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 272 pp |
| ISBN | 0-8021-4014-9 |
I, Lucifer is a 2003 novel by Glen Duncan.
Contents |
[edit] Plot Summary
In I, Lucifer, God presents the devil with a chance of redemption by living a somewhat sinless life in a human body. Lucifer, not wanting redemption, takes God’s offer for a trial but instead takes it as a month vacation. This story takes place in London and Lucifer lives in the body of Declan Gunn, formerly a struggling writer who is suicidal. While in Declan’s body, Lucifer takes his body for granted and abuses drugs, alcohol, and sex. Not only does Lucifer still live a devilish life, but also he starts to realize what being a human is really like. He realizes there is so much going on in their lives and so much temptation, and people can’t simply do whatever they please. As Lucifer’s trial is coming to an end, he receives a visit from the angel, Raphael, in an attempt to help Lucifer head in the right direction. Raphael tells him the world is going to end so there’s no choice but to gain redemption from rebelling against God and be accepted back into heaven. Lucifer claims he’d rather live his own life of sin than live a life under God’s will. The book concludes with Lucifer returning to his life in hell and Declan returning to his body to live another life.
[edit] Synopsis
In the novel, Satan is offered a human body for one month, provided that he does nothing which will permanently harm the host. If he can live out the month blamelessly, he can keep the body until its eventual demise. If he lives virtuously and repents, he can return to Heaven, though not regaining his angelic status.
His host, Declan Gunn (an anagram of Glen Duncan), is a depressed writer who is preparing to commit suicide. Through the aid of his minions, Lucifer procures a vast amount of money and proceeds to live a rock-and-roll life style, immediately selling the film rights to the Fall of the Angels and his war with Heaven.
The premise of the novel is that Lucifer is writing it on Gunn's computer at the same time as the screenplay. He frequently flashes back to events in both his and Gunn's lives, ranging from the temptation of Eve to the release of Gunn's last novel. As the novel progresses, Gunn's life interferes more and more with Lucifer's, while Lucifer seemingly becomes more human.
The novel itself digresses repeatedly, examining such topics as hypocrisy in the Spanish Inquisition, the humanity in figures that we have come to label as inhuman (using Heinrich Himmler as an example), the circumstances leading to Satan's fall from grace, and how Elton John is a possible descendant of the Nephilim.
[edit] Motifs
[edit] Freedom/Rebellion
During the time God was creating Man, a notion was growing in Satan’s mind of how wonderful it would be to live independently from the Lord. This desire for freedom led to the greatest rebellion of all time when Lucifer and his followers revolted against Heaven. As Satan himself states, the key to evil is freedom. The Devil also leads humans to rebel through temptations and a “voice” that convinces them that God doesn’t care when things go wrong. The opportunity to inhabit a human body for a month is the ultimate freedom for Satan as it allows him to escape the pain he constantly endures in his “corporeal” state. He is infatuated with the liberties that humanity takes for granted, simple things like the senses and sunsets for example.
[edit] Time
Time is running out in this novel. The apocalypse is just around the corner, with the world in blissful ignorance of its nearing presence. And Lucifer’s month trial in Gunn’s body is slowly coming to an end. Time is also a new concept to Satan as Heaven and Hell do not experience it as earth does. There is also the question of eternity and Satan’s fate once the apocalypse arrives. Time is often capitalized throughout the book and can be considered another character as it affects the outcome of the plot and the decisions of the characters. Time symbolizes a basis for judgment in this novel; mainly on the inhabitants of Earth. Since the end is near, humans are being judged based on the way they are spending their remaining time on Earth, both by Lucifer and God.
[edit] Temptation/Sin
In order to make the best of his short time on Earth, Satan decides to indulge himself in his sinful inventions. From “sartorial shopping sprees” to living it up at the Ritz with the XXX-Quisite girls to binges of rich food, drugs, and alcohol Lucifer certainly isn’t holding back in Gunn’s body. Through many of his digressions, Lucifer explains a key component of his job which is of course tempting humans to make choices that will lead them away from God. However, in the end Raphael the archangel reveals that the sinful way of man has nothing to do with Satan’s persuasions and is in fact a natural tendency of humanity.
[edit] Music
A soundtrack album for the novel was released by The Real Tuesday Weld. The album is also called I, Lucifer. Glen Duncan was staying in Clerkenwell with Stephen Coates of The Real Tuesday Weld while writing the novel, and so "the book and record grew up together".[1] In their cover of Abba's The Day Before You Came the band changed the lyric of the third verse which references writer Marilyn French, to reference Declan Gunn, the fictional writer in the book.
The 2003 Biffy Clyro album, The Vertigo of Bliss, takes its name from one of Lucifer's musings in I, Lucifer. The first track on the album is named "Bodies in Flight", which is similar to the title of a novel by Declan Gunn.
The 2008 Destroy the Runner album is also named I, Lucifer.
[edit] Film release
A film version of the book, adapted by David Logan, has been announced, starring Daniel Craig in the title role and Ewan McGregor as Declan Gunn. Dan Harris is set to direct the film.[2] It is unknown whether music from the soundtrack by The Real Tuesday Weld will be used.
[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
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