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What Would Satan Do?
Disgusted with God's plan for Judgment Day, Satan has quit his job and left Hell in favor of a quiet retirement in Washington, D.C. But life on Earth is tricky for an ex-angel with a short fuse and no impulse control. When a parking attendant mysteriously bursts into flames and a fat lady ends up in low-Earth orbit, Satan finds that he suddenly has a lot of friends at the FBI. Worse, there are signs that the governor of Texas has somehow gone ahead and started up the end of the world without him. The Prince of Darkness heads for the Lone Star State, where he tangles with a megalomaniacal televangelist, joins the Militant Arm of the American Geriatrics Association, and wields the Flaming Stick of Divine Justice at a Jesus impersonator called Festus. Through it all, one thing is Someone has to put a stop to Judgment Day. Now, having spent millennia trying to wreck the place, the Devil may be the world's only IF YOU ARE STRONGLY RELIGIOUS, OR IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WITH BAD WORDS, THIS BOOK MIGHT NOT BE RIGHT FOR YOU.
394 pages, Paperback
First published September 11, 2011
88 people are currently reading
737 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
September 26, 2011
Well, I wrote it, so I think it's awesome.
October 25, 2011
I was so hoping this book would live up to it's synopsis and it totally does, delivering on the comedic factor from start to finish. Maybe I have a bit of a twisted personality...okay I know I do...but I loved the character of Satan, even though he is a bit evil as only Satan should be, eh?! The only sad thing is that Satan, as a human being, would fit right in with today's society. Now is that a sad commentary on life or what!?
did-not-finish
January 2, 2022DNF - page 59 (15%)
I literally forgot I was reading this book. Starting 2022 out with a bang and a DNF!
I literally forgot I was reading this book. Starting 2022 out with a bang and a DNF!
October 12, 2011
You can see this review and more at my site http://www.UFReviews.com
The title of this book most definitely is striking, and my first thought upon seeing it was “oh boy this title is going to get a reaction”. However after reading the synopsis I decided it was worth a read. I haven’t read a lot of comedic books, so my only hope going in was that it maintained the same level of funny that the synopsis has. Thankfully, Miller delivered, and the book was hilarious.
Satan as a character is really amusing to me. The book starts off with Satan already abandoning hell to live on earth, and it turns out Satan is passing his time, or rather amusing himself, by being a professor teaching Introduction to Religion. To say Satan’s take on religion is interesting would be understating it.
The Satan we all know about is the one who wants to bring about the end of the world, but not Miller’s Satan. Satan has got it all figured out, if he starts the apocalypse, he loses, so Satan says screw it and goes to earth. Turns out someone else had other ideas, and starts everything without him.
Throughout the book Satan is trying to figure out what is going on and essentially how to stop the end of the world from happening. Although you shouldn’t go thinking of Satan some great guy looking out for humanity, Satan often leaves bodies and more than one fire in his wake. Satan does everything with his own flare.
The book includes a lot of interesting and amusing characters, a ex-CIA guy, a “dirty” hippie, a hot FBI agent, a power hungry governor, and of course a televangelist. Miller’s take on how the world works is a hilarious commentary on our society. As a native Texan myself I also love how so much of the story takes place here in Texas; there were so many instances of me thinking to myself, “I know exactly what he means”.
Overall, this book is great fun read. And while there is of course the humorous element, there is a lot of great commentary on our society. The writing is smart too, which is a huge plus. I think this is a great read for anyone who is wanting to escape the world for a little while and have a little fun, it will definitely make you laugh.
The title of this book most definitely is striking, and my first thought upon seeing it was “oh boy this title is going to get a reaction”. However after reading the synopsis I decided it was worth a read. I haven’t read a lot of comedic books, so my only hope going in was that it maintained the same level of funny that the synopsis has. Thankfully, Miller delivered, and the book was hilarious.
Satan as a character is really amusing to me. The book starts off with Satan already abandoning hell to live on earth, and it turns out Satan is passing his time, or rather amusing himself, by being a professor teaching Introduction to Religion. To say Satan’s take on religion is interesting would be understating it.
The Satan we all know about is the one who wants to bring about the end of the world, but not Miller’s Satan. Satan has got it all figured out, if he starts the apocalypse, he loses, so Satan says screw it and goes to earth. Turns out someone else had other ideas, and starts everything without him.
Throughout the book Satan is trying to figure out what is going on and essentially how to stop the end of the world from happening. Although you shouldn’t go thinking of Satan some great guy looking out for humanity, Satan often leaves bodies and more than one fire in his wake. Satan does everything with his own flare.
The book includes a lot of interesting and amusing characters, a ex-CIA guy, a “dirty” hippie, a hot FBI agent, a power hungry governor, and of course a televangelist. Miller’s take on how the world works is a hilarious commentary on our society. As a native Texan myself I also love how so much of the story takes place here in Texas; there were so many instances of me thinking to myself, “I know exactly what he means”.
Overall, this book is great fun read. And while there is of course the humorous element, there is a lot of great commentary on our society. The writing is smart too, which is a huge plus. I think this is a great read for anyone who is wanting to escape the world for a little while and have a little fun, it will definitely make you laugh.
November 3, 2011
I must admit, part of the reason I really wanted to read this book was the title alone. From the very beginning, What Would Satan Do?, did not fail to disappoint with its immediate and intense humor. I was so engrossed in this book that I simply could not put it down. Each character was odd, yet very real and each with his or her own distinct personality and purpose. The overall story itself is ridiculous, but in the best possible way. I loved it!
October 31, 2011
OMG!!! This was hilarious!!!! I laughed out loud so many times my husband and son think I've gone off the deep end. I'm not going to give a re-cap of the story. I will say that you shouldn't read this if you're offended by 'f' bombs, jokes about religion and/or rednecks, naked guys, gratuitous violence, making fun of televangelists and politicians, or if you were born without a funny bone. Everyone else will laugh their butts off!
I can't wait to read more from Anthony Miller :D
I can't wait to read more from Anthony Miller :D
January 15, 2012
Right from the beginning, I was absolutely wowed by a snappy opening. A good sign, I thought, and it was. That said, there were a few things I didn’t like about the book, so I’ll touch on them first.
There are only about five grammatical errors in the novel, most of them dealing with the treatment of tense – as in, staying in the proper tense. The narrator had a tendency to occasionally drift from present to past and back, sometimes within the same sentence – a glitch that I find almost face-slappingly annoying. However, since most people aren’t quite as strict on their grammar-nazi-ishness, I’d like to focus on what I thought was the novel’s greatest failure – its ending. Miller has really set up a well-told novel, and by the time I got to the last ten percent, I would have stabbed a man to read what happened next and figure out how this all got wrapped up. The ending, while it did tie off the ends, also relied on a bit of blanket-over-the-eye-pulling twist. I was pretty disappointed – a little foreshadowing would have gone a loooooong way here.
So, moving on, let’s talk about the good. First off, Anthony Miller has a way with description. Take the following passage,
An earnest-looking student wearing an earnest-looking sweater raised his hand. Satan turned to stare at the young man. ”Yes,” he said. ”What is your problem?”
The student spoke with a slowness that was the result of some neurological deficiency or having been raised in the South.
Or how about this?
He shook his head with the special kind of condescension that comes from knowing more about current events than someone else.
I mean, this stuff is brilliant. Although at times over the top, most of the novel is crazy funny, chock-full of razor sharp metaphors that are astoundingly fresh, many of them rendered by a well-voiced semi-omniscient narrator. The characters, while caricatures, are well-rounded and convincing, and the setting – Texas?? – is wildly appropriate. (Or, you know, inappropriate, but in a good way). The overall premise is thought-provoking and the execution is engaging and entertaining.
Overall Rating: 4 stars – Highly polished, sarcastic, and laugh out loud funny; the ending could use a bit of work.
P.S. Without trying to spoil anything, I would definitely recommend this as a gift for all of your car aficionados out there.
There are only about five grammatical errors in the novel, most of them dealing with the treatment of tense – as in, staying in the proper tense. The narrator had a tendency to occasionally drift from present to past and back, sometimes within the same sentence – a glitch that I find almost face-slappingly annoying. However, since most people aren’t quite as strict on their grammar-nazi-ishness, I’d like to focus on what I thought was the novel’s greatest failure – its ending. Miller has really set up a well-told novel, and by the time I got to the last ten percent, I would have stabbed a man to read what happened next and figure out how this all got wrapped up. The ending, while it did tie off the ends, also relied on a bit of blanket-over-the-eye-pulling twist. I was pretty disappointed – a little foreshadowing would have gone a loooooong way here.
So, moving on, let’s talk about the good. First off, Anthony Miller has a way with description. Take the following passage,
An earnest-looking student wearing an earnest-looking sweater raised his hand. Satan turned to stare at the young man. ”Yes,” he said. ”What is your problem?”
The student spoke with a slowness that was the result of some neurological deficiency or having been raised in the South.
Or how about this?
He shook his head with the special kind of condescension that comes from knowing more about current events than someone else.
I mean, this stuff is brilliant. Although at times over the top, most of the novel is crazy funny, chock-full of razor sharp metaphors that are astoundingly fresh, many of them rendered by a well-voiced semi-omniscient narrator. The characters, while caricatures, are well-rounded and convincing, and the setting – Texas?? – is wildly appropriate. (Or, you know, inappropriate, but in a good way). The overall premise is thought-provoking and the execution is engaging and entertaining.
Overall Rating: 4 stars – Highly polished, sarcastic, and laugh out loud funny; the ending could use a bit of work.
P.S. Without trying to spoil anything, I would definitely recommend this as a gift for all of your car aficionados out there.
January 29, 2012
Disclosure: I received a free e-copy of this book through LibraryThing from the author, in exchange for an honest review.
Satan decided that he didn’t particularly want to lose to the powers of Heaven at Judgment day, so he walked off the job, refused to start the Apocalypse, and took a job as a university professor. The problem is, apparently someone wants Armageddon to go off as scheduled, because natural and unnatural disasters have been occurring right and left and the irritation this causes distracts Satan from his anger management techniques, leading to way too much blowing stuff up. Can Satan figure out what is going on in time to stop the end of the world?
From what I’d heard about this book, I was expecting another laugh riot like with “Satan Loves You.” However, this book is not nearly as funny. It’s very well-written, and the characters are great, it just seems to be of a more serious bent than I expected. Satan is not nearly as likeable in this book, mostly because he really acts like a jerk – appropriate, if you think about it. Not to say there weren’t more than a few laugh-out-loud moments, as there certainly were several times when I had to stop reading and catch my breath because I’d been laughing so hard, but that was mostly due to the antics of such people as Festus Bongwater and Raju, as well as the reaction of every man in the book to Lola. I was a bit confused as to the point of all the naked people – it is never really explained why huge numbers of the townspeople of Austin suddenly decide to take to the street in the nude – but their actions were certainly amusing. Overall this is a book I can recommend as a good piece of satire with good character development and an interesting take on the end-of-the-world scenario.
Satan decided that he didn’t particularly want to lose to the powers of Heaven at Judgment day, so he walked off the job, refused to start the Apocalypse, and took a job as a university professor. The problem is, apparently someone wants Armageddon to go off as scheduled, because natural and unnatural disasters have been occurring right and left and the irritation this causes distracts Satan from his anger management techniques, leading to way too much blowing stuff up. Can Satan figure out what is going on in time to stop the end of the world?
From what I’d heard about this book, I was expecting another laugh riot like with “Satan Loves You.” However, this book is not nearly as funny. It’s very well-written, and the characters are great, it just seems to be of a more serious bent than I expected. Satan is not nearly as likeable in this book, mostly because he really acts like a jerk – appropriate, if you think about it. Not to say there weren’t more than a few laugh-out-loud moments, as there certainly were several times when I had to stop reading and catch my breath because I’d been laughing so hard, but that was mostly due to the antics of such people as Festus Bongwater and Raju, as well as the reaction of every man in the book to Lola. I was a bit confused as to the point of all the naked people – it is never really explained why huge numbers of the townspeople of Austin suddenly decide to take to the street in the nude – but their actions were certainly amusing. Overall this is a book I can recommend as a good piece of satire with good character development and an interesting take on the end-of-the-world scenario.
April 3, 2013
As the first book i've read by this author (in fact i think it's his only one so far) i began with no real expectations, except perhaps that i may be disappointed as i find humorous books can be very hit and miss. I needn't have worried though as it's the funniest book i've read in a long time. Anthony Miller has a sense of humour that i suppose could be termed 'zany' and the premise and story are quite ridiculous. However, i found that just added to the comedy and there are many laugh out loud moments throughout the book. The story gets off to a flying start as we see how Satan deals with the kind of day-to-day problems (work, traffic wardens and dealing with obstinate people in general) that can try the best of us, never mind the Prince of Darkness with his anger management issues. Yes, he does get angry and yes he does smite the odd person or 30 but the author manages to make him come across as very likeable and almost amiable at times.
Satan is without a doubt the most entertaining character in the book. There are other good characters involved, although i found some of their parts less enjoyable and always looked forward to Satans reappearance. In this the author is perhaps a victim of his own success. The finale seemed a little rushed and was not as satisfying as i had hoped. However, in this story the plot really takes a back seat to the comedy. If you're looking for sheer entertainment value from a book then i would definitely recommend 'What would Satan do?' and am looking forward to reading more from this author.
Satan is without a doubt the most entertaining character in the book. There are other good characters involved, although i found some of their parts less enjoyable and always looked forward to Satans reappearance. In this the author is perhaps a victim of his own success. The finale seemed a little rushed and was not as satisfying as i had hoped. However, in this story the plot really takes a back seat to the comedy. If you're looking for sheer entertainment value from a book then i would definitely recommend 'What would Satan do?' and am looking forward to reading more from this author.
January 23, 2012
What would Satan do? Good premise. If Satan were to retire and try life on earth, how would he behave, and how would he change our lives in the process?
First, the good. Anthony Miller can write funny. Really funny. In fact, the tone of the book is reminiscent of Tom Robbins' "Another Roadside Attraction," and I'd hoped that Miller could sustain that tone throughout the book, but he couldn't. Miller's Satan is a fun character, but once the focus is off him, the book drags. Festus, one of Austin, Texas,left-behind hippies is trapped in the '70s; Raju, an Asian Indian stereotype just takes up space; Lola, a security agent is little more than eye candy; and Liam, the owner of an Austin guitar store, becomes, only at the end, a plot mover. Miller packs in a corrupt, corpulent governor, a mega-church minister, private armies - including a militant group of old men...but much of this takes the focus off Satan. And that's too bad.
As a fan of Robbins' early writing, I thought this book started out with a lot of promise, and I had high hopes for it. More Satan and fewer peripheral characters. might have gotten it done.
First, the good. Anthony Miller can write funny. Really funny. In fact, the tone of the book is reminiscent of Tom Robbins' "Another Roadside Attraction," and I'd hoped that Miller could sustain that tone throughout the book, but he couldn't. Miller's Satan is a fun character, but once the focus is off him, the book drags. Festus, one of Austin, Texas,left-behind hippies is trapped in the '70s; Raju, an Asian Indian stereotype just takes up space; Lola, a security agent is little more than eye candy; and Liam, the owner of an Austin guitar store, becomes, only at the end, a plot mover. Miller packs in a corrupt, corpulent governor, a mega-church minister, private armies - including a militant group of old men...but much of this takes the focus off Satan. And that's too bad.
As a fan of Robbins' early writing, I thought this book started out with a lot of promise, and I had high hopes for it. More Satan and fewer peripheral characters. might have gotten it done.
December 21, 2011
This book has perhaps a more dark and sinister title than it deserves - do not let the title deter you from reading this book! It explores what happens when Satan decided to leave his day job in hell to pursue the life of a college professor, and the calamity that ensues when someone else decides to start the apocalypse without him!
Rip-roaringly funny from start to finish, this book has some of the best quotes of the year and will keep you laughing every moment that you are reading! The characters are delightful, the setting is very American, and the writing style will keep you turning the pages until the very end.
This is easily one of the top ten books I have read this year, and I loved it so much that I had to pass it around to my coworkers and friends!
Rip-roaringly funny from start to finish, this book has some of the best quotes of the year and will keep you laughing every moment that you are reading! The characters are delightful, the setting is very American, and the writing style will keep you turning the pages until the very end.
This is easily one of the top ten books I have read this year, and I loved it so much that I had to pass it around to my coworkers and friends!
June 5, 2013
With the end of the world upon us, there isn't a much more appropriate book to pick up than What Would Satan Do? by Anthony Miller. The novel's approach to the End of Days is both comic and original. While some funny books aim to do nothing but keep you laughing, What Would Satan Do? also delivers an engaging plot.
Satan has realized that when the end of the world comes, he doesn't have a chance. It's already been written that he's going to get the short end of the stick, and God will be victorious. So, instead of fighting, Satan decides to hide on earth in a human body. He's hoping his minions won't find him and force him to carry out his original plans to overthrow the Creator of the Universe.
Read the rest of my review at Underground Book Reviews dot com.
Satan has realized that when the end of the world comes, he doesn't have a chance. It's already been written that he's going to get the short end of the stick, and God will be victorious. So, instead of fighting, Satan decides to hide on earth in a human body. He's hoping his minions won't find him and force him to carry out his original plans to overthrow the Creator of the Universe.
Read the rest of my review at Underground Book Reviews dot com.
August 2, 2013
A madcap, zany, sarcastic, Pratchett-esque romp through an impending apocalypse.
Anthony Miller has produced a witty, more than a little nuts, metaphorically packed tale. With characters ranging from a devil taking anger-management lessons, a would-be yogi with over-attachment issues, a slap happy female CIA agent and a hippy who is a hamper short of a picnic you know you're in for a bizarre read.
Apparently there are spelling mistakes, however, I was so engrossed that I didn't notice any (maybe they've since been fixed). The prose did tend to switch between the past and present tense, but I don't think it took much away from the story.
This book is lots of fun and definitely worth checking out.
Anthony Miller has produced a witty, more than a little nuts, metaphorically packed tale. With characters ranging from a devil taking anger-management lessons, a would-be yogi with over-attachment issues, a slap happy female CIA agent and a hippy who is a hamper short of a picnic you know you're in for a bizarre read.
Apparently there are spelling mistakes, however, I was so engrossed that I didn't notice any (maybe they've since been fixed). The prose did tend to switch between the past and present tense, but I don't think it took much away from the story.
This book is lots of fun and definitely worth checking out.
Read
October 1, 2014Hysterically funny
John Milton meets Tim Dorsey in this comical doomsday romp. I lost track of how many times this book made me laugh out loud or audibly chuckle while I was reading. Very entertaining read, but word to the wise, if you are easily offended by satire of a religious nature, you probably won't appreciate this.
John Milton meets Tim Dorsey in this comical doomsday romp. I lost track of how many times this book made me laugh out loud or audibly chuckle while I was reading. Very entertaining read, but word to the wise, if you are easily offended by satire of a religious nature, you probably won't appreciate this.
February 26, 2015
Satan has decided to leave the Underworld for the bright lights and automatic ice cream machines of the United States. While he's visiting, it seems the end of the world is at hand. Frogs, locusts, and raining blood. Enter a menagerie of crazy characters, and you have the perfect recipe for a beach read, that makes you laugh out loud in spots, and makes you think quickly! Good, fast read!!
October 22, 2014
Amusing
It definitely is a weirdly amusing book. I kept putting it down thinking I was done with it but kept picking it back up and reading more. Satan is amusing a star among a cast of other equally amusing characters.
It definitely is a weirdly amusing book. I kept putting it down thinking I was done with it but kept picking it back up and reading more. Satan is amusing a star among a cast of other equally amusing characters.
January 1, 2012
An end-of-the-year, end-of-the-world entertainment.
July 14, 2013
Dick Cheney vs. Q
I had a difficult time deciding how many stars to give “What Would Satan Do?” As a professional writer, editing errors jump out at me, and this book could have used one more go through with a good editor. On the other hand, the book was so creative and entertaining that I soon found myself not caring about small technical issues. So while I could have been picky and given WWSD three stars, ultimately the fact that I had so much fun reading it won out. Hence the five stars.
Although Anthony Miller gave his characters different names, essentially this was Dick Cheney (played by former vice president, now Texas governor, Dick Whitford) and Jerry Falwell (played by Megachurch Pastor William Cadmon) vs. Q from Star Trek (played by Satan). And with such a cast of characters, it’s not hard to pull for Satan!
Other reviews have warned that Evangelical Christians will be offended by this book. That might be true, but I’d like to think that all walks of life are capable of laughing at themselves.
For me, one of the funniest parts of the book was explaining why Dick Whitford/Dick Cheney had survived so many heart attacks. As it turned out, even Satan couldn’t stand the thought of Whitford/Cheney running around in Hell. So each time death looked imminent, he’d send one of his demons up to make sure he pulled through! If you think that’s funny, you’ll probably enjoy the book. If you think that’s offensive, why are you even reading a review of a book called “What Would Satan Do?”
The bottom line: This book has some editing and pacing flaws, but the good far outweighs the bad. Put aside any expectations of a literary masterpiece and just go with the flow. Soon you’ll find yourself laughing along with Satan’s great “top-side” adventure!
Marty Essen, author of Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents
I had a difficult time deciding how many stars to give “What Would Satan Do?” As a professional writer, editing errors jump out at me, and this book could have used one more go through with a good editor. On the other hand, the book was so creative and entertaining that I soon found myself not caring about small technical issues. So while I could have been picky and given WWSD three stars, ultimately the fact that I had so much fun reading it won out. Hence the five stars.
Although Anthony Miller gave his characters different names, essentially this was Dick Cheney (played by former vice president, now Texas governor, Dick Whitford) and Jerry Falwell (played by Megachurch Pastor William Cadmon) vs. Q from Star Trek (played by Satan). And with such a cast of characters, it’s not hard to pull for Satan!
Other reviews have warned that Evangelical Christians will be offended by this book. That might be true, but I’d like to think that all walks of life are capable of laughing at themselves.
For me, one of the funniest parts of the book was explaining why Dick Whitford/Dick Cheney had survived so many heart attacks. As it turned out, even Satan couldn’t stand the thought of Whitford/Cheney running around in Hell. So each time death looked imminent, he’d send one of his demons up to make sure he pulled through! If you think that’s funny, you’ll probably enjoy the book. If you think that’s offensive, why are you even reading a review of a book called “What Would Satan Do?”
The bottom line: This book has some editing and pacing flaws, but the good far outweighs the bad. Put aside any expectations of a literary masterpiece and just go with the flow. Soon you’ll find yourself laughing along with Satan’s great “top-side” adventure!
Marty Essen, author of Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents
February 25, 2014
We start with Satan teaching a class at a college about how the apostles were cannibals. He is plagued with frogs and other end of days plagues. But he is determined not to let the apocalypse happen. He knows that no matter what, he is going to loose, that is why he left Hell. Unfortunately, his hot temper and other worldly abilities make him stand out. His flaming orange Lamborghini is not helping either.
At the same time, Pastor William Cadmon has been guided by the angel Ezekial to find an anti-christ. Governor Dick Whitford has control of several states and is in the process of taking over the country. But he needs to find something to give him the fighting edge. After Satan torches the FBI building, he is spoted by Whitford. Unfortunately, Whitford is also on Satan’s radar which leads to him taking a cross country trip to Texas to find Whitford.
And finally, Liam McEwin used to work for the CIA. But now he runs a guitar shop with a couple stoners. He is called in to figure out what is going on with Satan and Whitford and try and stop anything from causing the apocalypse.
This was a humorous book. I loved all the sarcasm. I admit some of the sarcasm was a bit much and did get a touch tedious when it had to be over explained. One of the funniest parts was the whole fight over getting Satan’s gas turned on.
This is a good story. I really enjoyed it and I think most people will like it.
I received this book from the Library Thing Early Reader Program in exchange for an honest review.
At the same time, Pastor William Cadmon has been guided by the angel Ezekial to find an anti-christ. Governor Dick Whitford has control of several states and is in the process of taking over the country. But he needs to find something to give him the fighting edge. After Satan torches the FBI building, he is spoted by Whitford. Unfortunately, Whitford is also on Satan’s radar which leads to him taking a cross country trip to Texas to find Whitford.
And finally, Liam McEwin used to work for the CIA. But now he runs a guitar shop with a couple stoners. He is called in to figure out what is going on with Satan and Whitford and try and stop anything from causing the apocalypse.
This was a humorous book. I loved all the sarcasm. I admit some of the sarcasm was a bit much and did get a touch tedious when it had to be over explained. One of the funniest parts was the whole fight over getting Satan’s gas turned on.
This is a good story. I really enjoyed it and I think most people will like it.
I received this book from the Library Thing Early Reader Program in exchange for an honest review.
September 20, 2014
They say never to judge a book by its cover or title, but that's exactly what drew me to "What Would Satan Do?" Although not a new idea, the premise of Satan wandering around America creating mayhem intrigued me and the synopsis hinted at an entertaining, easy read.
The novel opens with Satan teaching a class at a college enlightening the students with his claims that the apostles were cannibals. He is plagued by frogs, but he is determined not to let the apocalypse happen. What follows is a tale of what occurs when with his hot temper and unusual powers in hand, he navigates the trials and tribulations thrown at him.
This would not normally have been a book that I would choose to read. It was outside of my comfort zone, but I'm glad that I picked it up and read it. I loved the chaotic situations that Satan found himself in and the outrageous, totally unbelievable plot more generally. I enjoyed seeing Satan portrayed as a "goodish guy" and reading about the weird characters he came across and generally found the read engaging and amusing.
Overall, I would recommend this book with a few caveats. It would benefit from the services of a good editor as it was hard not to notice the spelling and grammatical errors. Personally, I found the plot a little disjointed, it didn't seem to flow and at times just seemed a little too forced.
The novel opens with Satan teaching a class at a college enlightening the students with his claims that the apostles were cannibals. He is plagued by frogs, but he is determined not to let the apocalypse happen. What follows is a tale of what occurs when with his hot temper and unusual powers in hand, he navigates the trials and tribulations thrown at him.
This would not normally have been a book that I would choose to read. It was outside of my comfort zone, but I'm glad that I picked it up and read it. I loved the chaotic situations that Satan found himself in and the outrageous, totally unbelievable plot more generally. I enjoyed seeing Satan portrayed as a "goodish guy" and reading about the weird characters he came across and generally found the read engaging and amusing.
Overall, I would recommend this book with a few caveats. It would benefit from the services of a good editor as it was hard not to notice the spelling and grammatical errors. Personally, I found the plot a little disjointed, it didn't seem to flow and at times just seemed a little too forced.
March 6, 2013
I decided to read this book because a Goodreads friend was reading it and the intro sounded interesting. This was absolutely not the type of book I usually read.
Unlike books I've been reading lately that seem to take forever to get to the point, this one had me hooked from the start. The writing style is engaging and very descriptive. The character development in the story was also very good. I could have done without so much of the profanity and sometimes grotesque descriptions but even so, they were well thought out and executed.
I loved that Satan was given a sense of humor in this book and it made me laugh quite a few times along the way. I was slightly disappointed in the ending that it seemed to wrap up too quickly. That being said though, all the story lines were tied up at the end and there wasn't the feeling of "wait, what happened to so-and-so?" The last line of the book actually made me laugh out loud and gave me a kind of happy feeling (yeah, weird, to say the least, especially given the title and subject matter of the book!)
So, overall, good book, excessive profanity and more than slightly grotesque at times. This is still a book I would recommend to friends and if the author ever published another book, I would definitely read it.
Unlike books I've been reading lately that seem to take forever to get to the point, this one had me hooked from the start. The writing style is engaging and very descriptive. The character development in the story was also very good. I could have done without so much of the profanity and sometimes grotesque descriptions but even so, they were well thought out and executed.
I loved that Satan was given a sense of humor in this book and it made me laugh quite a few times along the way. I was slightly disappointed in the ending that it seemed to wrap up too quickly. That being said though, all the story lines were tied up at the end and there wasn't the feeling of "wait, what happened to so-and-so?" The last line of the book actually made me laugh out loud and gave me a kind of happy feeling (yeah, weird, to say the least, especially given the title and subject matter of the book!)
So, overall, good book, excessive profanity and more than slightly grotesque at times. This is still a book I would recommend to friends and if the author ever published another book, I would definitely read it.
March 1, 2015
This is the most entertaining take on the end of the world since reading Good Omens many years ago. Arnie's comparison to the Devil being a choirboy still makes the top three, but this slides in easily at number two.
For me story is always king - but not in this case although the story is just fine. Here it's the characters that stand out and the star of the show is naturally the devil himself. Having decided that he's been dealt a sucker's deal in his role in Armageddon he leaves Hell to its own devices and lives life as a regular human. Well not quite. He has anger management issues, especially when it comes to frogs.
With Satan's character the author's writing shines. It has a whimsical and very funny style that carries the humour perfectly. And it doesn't just work for the devil, the other characters come across strongly as well. The roles of each character aren't clear from the beginning and here again the author's talent shines. As the story reaches its conclusion it becomes clear and I appreciated the planning of it.
For me this was the perfect package, good story, well written and characters that kept me interested throughout. Well worth a read!
For me story is always king - but not in this case although the story is just fine. Here it's the characters that stand out and the star of the show is naturally the devil himself. Having decided that he's been dealt a sucker's deal in his role in Armageddon he leaves Hell to its own devices and lives life as a regular human. Well not quite. He has anger management issues, especially when it comes to frogs.
With Satan's character the author's writing shines. It has a whimsical and very funny style that carries the humour perfectly. And it doesn't just work for the devil, the other characters come across strongly as well. The roles of each character aren't clear from the beginning and here again the author's talent shines. As the story reaches its conclusion it becomes clear and I appreciated the planning of it.
For me this was the perfect package, good story, well written and characters that kept me interested throughout. Well worth a read!
November 3, 2011
I had a lot of fun reading this. Definitely not for the ultra-conservative or deeply religious, this is a very funny, entertaining read that takes the mickey out of the whole Armageddon idea, complete with angels, demons, corrupt politicians, and the most unlikely Whore of Babylon you'll ever read about.
When Satan gives up hell as a bad idea, he soon finds out that a quiet retirement on earth is not all it's cracked up to be. And when it looks like a crooked politician is starting the end of days without him, Satan decides to step in - to stop it happening.
What happens when an ex-angel with poor impulse control, a talent for swearing and a bad temper decides to try to save the world make for some absolute laugh-out-loud black humor. Personally, I sympathise with the whole elevator issue.
I'm rating this four stars instead of five because in places the humor felt a little forced and jarred a bit for me personally. On the whole though, lots of fun and smoothly done.
Recommended for : Lovers of black humor, horror and fantasy.
When Satan gives up hell as a bad idea, he soon finds out that a quiet retirement on earth is not all it's cracked up to be. And when it looks like a crooked politician is starting the end of days without him, Satan decides to step in - to stop it happening.
What happens when an ex-angel with poor impulse control, a talent for swearing and a bad temper decides to try to save the world make for some absolute laugh-out-loud black humor. Personally, I sympathise with the whole elevator issue.
I'm rating this four stars instead of five because in places the humor felt a little forced and jarred a bit for me personally. On the whole though, lots of fun and smoothly done.
Recommended for : Lovers of black humor, horror and fantasy.
May 2, 2013
I am now 70% of the way through Anthony Miller's book and do not care to continue, having arrived past the half way mark by skipping a multitude of pages in the hopes of finding the engagement that made me download the book in the first place. I now don't care what happens to Satan or any of the other angels that might be roaming earth. That's too bad. The premise and character development at the beginning was interesting, so is the idea of Satan having amnesia, but Miller has chosen to include tangents —and characters— that make the whole thing feel like a concert where the opening band (which is not that good) continues to hang around, while the main act cuts off stage to smoke some dope... turning back up when the crowd starts booing. Satan does a little dance, creates a little mayhem and death, then disappears again. The wait for his return takes so long, people start leaving... Bye-bye.
November 14, 2014
"Necessity may be the mother of invention but it's father is an asshole." Pg 120
The Devil has decided to retire and where better but on earth he takes the disguise of a snappily dressed lecturer with a penchant for Lamborghini’s and ice-cream. He tries to keep his temper in check however some people just rub him up the wrong way...
Before long there seem to be more frogs to squash than feasibly possible and despite his best efforts he cannot escape the fact that someone has decided it is a good time to start Armageddon. (Though ice-cream is always a good distraction for a moment or two)
A very funny book, though be aware if you are fastidious in noticing grammatical errors and so poor editing, you may find the errors irritating, however if you just accept these I think you will be laughing as much as I did.
October 1, 2014
Excellent book with many funny moments that will have you laughing out loud at the characters and sometimes at your own life.
To really enjoy this book you must have the ability to regard the stereotypes through the lenses of an absurd comic book. Once you are able to do that the story has its own life to entertain until the end.
And by the way, I am a conservative male and big proponent of the Second Amendment. In this story I would most likely be one of the under-educated Hummer driving goons. But I did not take offense to the stereotype. Unlike other books that try to push their author's agenda and attempting to be sly, this book uses all stereotypes equally thus tipping its hat to all of life's interesting characters we may encounter.
I guess I ultimately appreciate the caricatures that it paints. Great job to Miller.
To really enjoy this book you must have the ability to regard the stereotypes through the lenses of an absurd comic book. Once you are able to do that the story has its own life to entertain until the end.
And by the way, I am a conservative male and big proponent of the Second Amendment. In this story I would most likely be one of the under-educated Hummer driving goons. But I did not take offense to the stereotype. Unlike other books that try to push their author's agenda and attempting to be sly, this book uses all stereotypes equally thus tipping its hat to all of life's interesting characters we may encounter.
I guess I ultimately appreciate the caricatures that it paints. Great job to Miller.
October 31, 2011
I really wanted to like this book more than I ended up liking it. It had a promising story line, interesting characters and even a decent ending. However, the entire book felt rushed. The characters could have been a bit better developed (there was great material to work with - it just wasn't executed completely for my liking). There were also a couple items that never really got addressed.
If it had the pace slowed down just a bit, better character development and all loose ends tidied up then I would have said it reads similar to something I would expect to be written by Kevin Smith (If you don't get the reference then you aren't meant to). Since it wasn't - I can only give it 3 stars. Respectable but not anything that stands out like the title suggests it should.
If it had the pace slowed down just a bit, better character development and all loose ends tidied up then I would have said it reads similar to something I would expect to be written by Kevin Smith (If you don't get the reference then you aren't meant to). Since it wasn't - I can only give it 3 stars. Respectable but not anything that stands out like the title suggests it should.
May 18, 2014
Brilliant, loved it. It was very tongue in cheek and slightly farcical, but amusing nevertheless.
I did see a spot of "The Men who stared at goats" (although in this book they were sheep) and the butler/lover reminded me hugely of the butler in The Birdcage (movie) from dress sense to accent, but that just made it cosier.
I would have liked to find out exactly who Lola really was (but I think I know). Liam's real identity was left in question right to the last. I was also not quite sure what it turned out Ekekiel was up to either.
Anyway, enjoyable, original and recommended.
I did see a spot of "The Men who stared at goats" (although in this book they were sheep) and the butler/lover reminded me hugely of the butler in The Birdcage (movie) from dress sense to accent, but that just made it cosier.
I would have liked to find out exactly who Lola really was (but I think I know). Liam's real identity was left in question right to the last. I was also not quite sure what it turned out Ekekiel was up to either.
Anyway, enjoyable, original and recommended.
September 15, 2014
This book is ridiculous. And that's what makes it so good.
Comedy stories are hit-and-miss, and I generally stay away from them for that reason. But this one gets it right, and had me laughing aloud throughout reading it. I even treated the fiancé to select super-funny passages as I was reading. Said passages caused him to agree the book was probably hilarious, and might result in him reading it in the future, right after he's done beating Saints Row 3 on Xbox.
So, if you've already beaten Saints Row 3 on Xbox, this would be a great story to dive into for your next round of entertainment!
Comedy stories are hit-and-miss, and I generally stay away from them for that reason. But this one gets it right, and had me laughing aloud throughout reading it. I even treated the fiancé to select super-funny passages as I was reading. Said passages caused him to agree the book was probably hilarious, and might result in him reading it in the future, right after he's done beating Saints Row 3 on Xbox.
So, if you've already beaten Saints Row 3 on Xbox, this would be a great story to dive into for your next round of entertainment!
December 9, 2011
This book by Anthony Miller caught my attention by the title itself.We have all heard or red about What Would Jesus Do, but here is the opposite tack and one that gets your attention. The story itself was ok by me but though there were some really good spots, was impossible to live up to the title. It is funny at spots and did keep you wonderin what satan would really do.
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"
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