The Demonologist, by Andrew Pyper

I am a coward.  I really, honest to god, am.  Things that go bump in the night still freak me out, even at my age; I can’t watch scary movies; ghost hunting shows are beyond my delicate nerves; and documentaries on exorcisms are cringe-inducing at best, and the things of nightmare at worst.  So why, then, did I pick up my latest read, The Demonologist, by Andrew Pyper?  Because I can’t help myself… Like the kid who eats just one more cookie, even though they already feel nauseous, I sometimes get in these moods where I just can’t look away and want to be scared.  And Pyper’s book found me at just the right time.

The Demonologist is the story of David Ullman – father, failed husband, and undergraduate professor who specializes in Milton’s poem, Paradise Lost.  One day, Ullman gets an odd invitation to consult on an unspecified project and, looking for a chance to get out of his usual rut, takes the job and travels to Venice.  While in Venice, Ullman is directed to the scene of what appears to be a demonic possession; there, he is given proof of Evil’s existence, and what follows is a chase to understand why Evil revealed itself as it did, and to what ends.

On a whole, I found this book to be an interesting read, thought not quite as horrifyingly titillating as one would hope with a title like The Demonologist.  In reality, Ullman is an academic on a quest that just happens to involve dark forces – he’s not a demonologist, nor is he particularly knowledgeable on the topic.  If you’re looking for a high-church assessment of what demons are, you’re not going to get it in this book.  However, the story is engaging, the characters are relatable, and it’s just twisted enough to keep you interested.

In terms of writing style, Pyper does a good job – the story and plot develop at a reasonable pace, and there is no lagging.  The only thing I didn’t like was the ending; it seemed all at once far-fetched and predictable, and yet would be completely hard to explain away if the book had only one more chapter.  For all that though, it was a good read.

So, final verdict?  This is a pretty good book from an author I think we’re going to be seeing a lot more of in the future.  While I was expecting to have to fall asleep with one eye open after reading this one, and that wasn’t the case, I would still recommend the book.  I think it has a wide appeal to those who like to be scared by the things that go bump in the night, and to those cowards like me.