Devil's Contract
By Ed Simon
By Ed Simon
By Ed Simon
By Ed Simon
Category: Literary Criticism | Philosophy
Category: Literary Criticism | Philosophy
-
$28.99
Jul 09, 2024 | ISBN 9781685891046
-
Jul 09, 2024 | ISBN 9781685891039
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
Monsters
Crazy Like a Fox
Cloudland Revisited
Committed
Small Fires
Artful
Rhyme’s Rooms
The Black Box
Contemporanea
Praise
The Next Big Idea Club’s July 2024 Must-Read Books
“Simon’s probing curiosity conjures up an enjoyable grab-bag of arcane knowledge. It’s a beguiling literary history of diabolical deals.”– Publishers Weekly
“An undeniably fascinating read, as the author weaves literary and intellectual strands into a colorful tapestry.” —STARRED Kirkus Review
“Erudite, scintillating, amusing, and undeniably unsettling … reveals the terms of the contract the devil is extending to every one of us: the false promise of limitless power and pleasure, in exchange for a mere trifle: our principles, our souls.” – Carol Zaleski, author of The Book of Heaven
“I truly admire the hell out of this book. It’s thrilling yet erudite investigation into the long history of a Faustian bargain with the devil. It uncovers the way the sinister transaction, however mythic, has been incorporated into literature, culture—and contemporary human nature. Eye-opening and pleasurable reading that is also cause for self-reflection.” —Ron Rosenbaum, author of Explaining Hitler and The Shakespeare Wars
“The Faustian bargain is, of course, the very epitome of the fool’s bargain; but there are moments in life when one might almost be persuaded that one’s soul is not too exorbitant a price to pay for what one most keenly desires. Simon’s survey of the long history and mysterious psychology of the notion of a deal with the devil is many things—wild, entertaining, absorbing, learned, witty, acute—but it is also, in its final movement, prophetic and charged with an unsettling moral clarity.” —David Bentley Hart, author of That All Shall Be Saved
“In Devil’s Contract, Ed Simon uncovers the shrouded history and enduring influence of the legend of Faust, the ambitious scholar who sold his soul to a demon in exchange for knowledge and power. Far more than a reception history, this haunting book not only traces the lineaments of this legend from its biblical roots to the modern day, but it also challenges readers to confront their own moral transactions, in particular how personal compromises made in our quest for capital and comfort have resulted in the calamities of our current age, which Simon provocatively calls the ‘Faustocene.’” —Scott G. Bruce, editor, The Penguin Book of Hell
“Never before has the Faust legend has been studied in this context … What is conjured by this study is a new perspective on the human condition.” —Joseph P. Laycock, author of Speak of the Devil
“An engaging, accessible, well-written, and more than timely reminder of the enduring propensity to trade our humanity for social, economic, or political gain … persuasively and coherently argued.” —Philip Almond, author of Mary Magdalene: A Cultural History
“Ed Simon beautifully weaves a tale—at once ancient and contemporary –about human intoxication with quick-fix power. From Jesus in the desert to Robert Johnson at the Delta crossroads, to the swindles of Hollywood contracts, Simon gives us a compassionate tour of human vulnerability and craven desire. His masterful grasp of the literature and lore of Faustian bargains makes Simon a worthy guide, and his friendly style makes him a congenial companion as we enter the dark territories of unholy covenants.” —Stephen Asma, author of The Evolution of Imagination, and cohost of podcast Chinwag
Table Of Contents
Introduction: Appointment at Deptford
Chapter 1: Simon Magus: Arch-Heretic, Supreme Necromancer
Chapter 2: Christ in the Desert: Two Millennia of Lent
Chapter 3: Of Saints and Succubi: Medieval Diabolical Contracts
Chapter 4: Great Reckonings, Small Rooms: Searching for the Historical Faust
Chapter 5: A Devil Too Many: Kit Marlowe and the Conjuring of Dr. Faust
Chapter 6: Going Upstairs, Coming Downstairs: On Witches’ Sabbaths and Black Masses
Chapter 7: Faust Is an Artist: Christoph Haizmann and the Infernal Painting
Chapter 8: A Romantic Hell: Goethe Saves Faust
Chapter 9: Melodies of Damnation: Faust Is a Musician and Composer
Chapter 10: Mephistopheles is American: Faustian Contracts in the United States
Chapter 11: The Darkest of Arts: Totalitarianism in the Faustian Century
Chapter 12: Mephistopheles in Hollywood: The Faustian Desires of Entertainment
Chapter 13: The Destroyer of Worlds: Condemned to Apocalypse in the Faustocene
21 Books You’ve Been Meaning to Read
Just for joining you’ll get personalized recommendations on your dashboard daily and features only for members.
Find Out More Join Now Sign In