Demonology

This collection comes beautifully to life in every phrase, every sentence, every story. Take this book to heart.

Rick Moody pleases the most difficult to please. This may be his greatest achievement to date.

Once again Rick Moody demonstrates that he is one of our finest writers in this fine collection of short stories. He is now one of our most astute observers of suburban life in the northeastern United States, crafting richly textured vignettes on despair with his sparse, lyrical prose. Not every story in this collection succeeds, but most show Moody at the top of his form. Indeed, the title story of this collection is one of the most amazing, emotionally gripping tales I have read on how a dysfunctional family copes with unexpected tragedy. This sparkling gem is by itself worth the price of this book.

I defy anybody out there to claim that they have no demons. The trick is bringing them out in the light. Nobody does this better in modern fiction than Mr. Moody. Passages turn from horrifying to hilarious in three words - and back again in the next three. How many books have you ever read that could make you laugh uncontrolably and then cry in the same way? For twenty bucks you can buy a mirror for your soul - hold it up, find the demons that scare you, the ones you have fun with; choreograph a dance with them and then tuck them into bed. Tuck yourself in too, but don't count on sleeping - this book will make you keep reading. I loved it.