The Devil Upon Two Sticks in England: Being a Continuation of Le Diable Boîteux of Le Sage

by William Combe (Creator)

This is a reproduction of the original artefact. Generally these books are created from careful scans of the original. This allows us to preserve the book accurately and present it in the way the author intended. Since the original versions are generally quite old, there may occasionally be certain imperfections within these reproductions. We're happy to make these classics available again for future generations to enjoy!

Genres: Humor, Fiction, French Literature

306 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1707

About the author

William Combe was an English writer. His early life was that of an adventurer, his later was passed chiefly within the "rules" of the King's Bench Prison. He is chiefly remembered as the author of The Three Tours of Doctor Syntax, a comic poem, illustrated by artist Thomas Rowlandson's color plates, that satirised William Gilpin. Combe also wrote a series of imaginary letters, supposed to have been written by the second, or "wicked" Lord Lyttelton. Of a similar kind were his letters between Swift and "Stella". He also wrote the letterpress for various illustrated books, and was a general hack.

Reviews

[Lora Milton]

This reads with the style of books of its era, over 200 years ago. It's actually an amusing story if you have the patience to traverse the writing style. A man hiding in an Alchemist's lab is enticed into releasing a devil kept in a bottle. In return, the devil takes him on a wild adventure across Spain, observing details of the human condition.

Although there is an occasional nod to the idea that the devil creates mischief, overall he's quite amenable. The series of stories about courtesans, cheating husbands and other human foibles serves as commentary on our human weaknesses, so often blamed on demons when in fact they are just part of the nature of our species and common to every era.

At times it really did feel like a slow read, but interesting at the same time and sometimes amusing.

[Creolecat]

The Devil Upon Two Sticks (1707).

[Zac Pruce]

Strangely compelling

[Piotrek K.]

Początek jak z "Narrenturm" Sapkowskiego: przydybany młody kochanek zwiewa przed mścicielami pohańbionej cnoty, tu akurat po dachach. Chroni się na przypadkowym poddaszu, gdzie natrafia na... pracownię alchemika. W zakorkowanej flaszce, którą przypadkiem rozbija, siedział Asmodeusz, jeden z pomniejszych diabłów. Wdzięczny za uwolnienie, proponuje młodzieńcowi przegląd madryckich domów (dla bezpieczeństwa Lesage przeniósł akcję do Hiszpanii, by nie podrażnić francuskiej publiki) i poczynań ich mieszkańców.

Zaglądają do kamienic, więzienia, domu dla obłąkanych, asystują wykupionym z niewoli przez zakon redemptorystów powracającym z Afryki, na dwór królewski. O każdym kulawy Asmodeusz ma coś do powiedzenia, a przed czytelnikami przesuwa się kalejdoskop postaci.

Zwykle o jednym człowieku diabeł opowiada jednym zdaniem lub krótkim akapitem, toteż jest ich od groma i nie chodzi chyba o to, by je zapamiętać wszystkie. To trochę tak, jakbyś siadł na ławce na deptaku i pokazywał palcem przechodzących i dostawał o każdym pojedyncze, wyrwane z kontekstu fakty. Trafia się również kilka dłuższych
opowiastek, niezbyt oryginalnych. To zwykle historie miłosne pełne niezwykłych zbiegów okoliczności.

Forma literacka oryginalna, przypomina jakby notatnik pisarski, pomysły ledwo rzucane na papier, często bez pointy i nagle urwane.

Całość rozgrywa się w jedną noc. Diabeł jest tu sympatyczny i pomaga młodzieńcowi zyskać bogatą żonę wyżej od niego urodzoną.

Trzy gwiazdki, bo trochę to jednak nudne...

[Travis]

One of those older novels that uses a clever bit of fantasy as a frame work for telling numerous stories and making comic observations on life and society, without actually making much use of the fantasy element.

One of the many satires that sprang up, all wanting to be Faust or Guliver's Travels.

A young lover, on the run from his love's burly, angry brothers, stumbles into an alchemists den and by accident frees the devil from the title from a bottle.
He turns out to be a quite genial and grateful devil and takes the young man on a magical tour of Spain and a chance to see how stupid, immoral and generally messed up his fellow citizens are.

While, being over two hundred years old, many of the political jabs go over my head, but the fantasy elements are entertaining and a lot of the little stories are clever and fun enough to keep your interest.
Book could probably survive having fifty pages edited out.

The short story, about two chimneys commenting on the various people that have lived in their rooms was quite cute and clever.

While i can understand why this never became a classic, but it was a good read.