Memnoch The Devil: Review

Recently, I've been reading Anne Rice books. I started with "Servant of the Bones" and am currently reading "Violin". Currently, I struggle to read this one because it was not as interesting to my bibliophile heart as Servant of the Bones or the book I will discuss in this post: "Memnoch the Devil".

Love him or hate him (I seem to do both), Lestat de Lioncourt makes an appearance as the narrator and protagonist of the story. It begins with him stalking (and eventually killing) one of his victims, a cocaine dealer and collector of religious artwork and relics named Roger. During this sub-conflict however, Lestat becomes aware of a presence in his midst, ever watchful of him.

This presence turns out to be the Devil, who approaches Lestat with a job offer: to take his place in Hell. The Devil, whom introduces himself as Memnoch, assures Lestat that he has a choice, and invites him to witness Heaven, the Creation, and Hell.

From this point, and throughout Lestat and Memnoch's discussions, it becomes clear that God and Memnoch have been embroiled in a dispute since the Creation, all of which is told through Memnoch's perspective. It is in this dispute that troubling notions concerning God, arise:

-Is God imperfect?
-Where did God come from?
-Did the Creation come about because God wanted to see how He had come into existence?
-Did God really suffer on the Cross as a man, or was He aware all along of what will happen in the end?

The book is a fascinating and interesting read, really forcing one to reconsider what is written in the Bible. Of course, because of certain concepts, the book was heavily criticized by fundamentalist Christians. As always, I never do know what to make of Lestat's character and personality. But if anyone is interested and are fans of Anne Rice's work, then please read Memnoch the Devil. It will not disappoint you.