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    Magnificent Malevolence: Memoirs of a Career in Hell in the Tradition of The Screwtape Letters
    Unavailable
    Magnificent Malevolence: Memoirs of a Career in Hell in the Tradition of The Screwtape Letters
    Unavailable
    Magnificent Malevolence: Memoirs of a Career in Hell in the Tradition of The Screwtape Letters
    Ebook248 pages3 hours

    Magnificent Malevolence: Memoirs of a Career in Hell in the Tradition of The Screwtape Letters

    By Derek Wilson

    3/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    This remarkable manuscript outlines the career of the prominent devil, Crumblewit (Order of the Sons of Darkness, 1st Class). It was in a much mutilated state. Nevertheless it presents a reasonably coherent narrative of the activities of a post-Screwtape generation of devils. It is not, of course, "true" in the sense of being an objective appraisal of the struggles between good and evil which dominated human affairs in the period from 1942 (when Screwtape's Letters were released to the world) to the present. The account is distorted by Crumblewit's truly diabolical conceit and capacity for self-delusion. However, it does shed fresh light on the ups and down experienced by the Church throughout this period. Crumblewit's energies were deployed in the religious arena. He was employed exclusively in undermining the attempts of Christians to carry out the mission entrusted to them by Jesus :
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherLion Fiction
    Release dateMar 22, 2013
    ISBN9781782640196
    Unavailable
    Magnificent Malevolence: Memoirs of a Career in Hell in the Tradition of The Screwtape Letters
    Author

    Derek Wilson

    Popular historian Derek Wilson came to prominence 40 years ago with A Tudor Tapestry. He is the highly acclaimed author of over 50 books and has written and presented numerous television and radio programmes. He lives and writes in Devon.

    Read more from Derek Wilson

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    Reviews for Magnificent Malevolence

    3/5

    20 ratings9 reviews

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    • 3/5
      This is by no means the only "sequel" to Lewis' _The Screwtape Letters_ that has been written over the years. The premise of the original is an appealing one and quite handy for the scrutiny of current events and trends in a different light.Unfortunately, _Magnificent Malevolence_ fails to take full advantage of Lewis' premise. Rather than focusing on the human failings of the present age, which might have provided more original insight, Wilson burdens the demon Crumblewit with a very narrow survey of social and religious (primarily Christian) trends over the past 60 or 70 years. For the most part, this material provides no surprises. It's hard to dispute that the good intentions that pave the road to Crumblewit's Hell can be twisted and distorted in many of the ways described, but they're nothing new; humanity has been falling into those same basic errors for centuries now, if not longer. Yet, today's world indulges in new forms of error, in my opinion (or at least, old errors in new skins), and I would have preferred to see the author take on some of those.The material that is presented seemed to become repetitious as Crumblewit flitted from one scheme to another. Perhaps this stands as a good commentary on Hell itself, which is the antithesis of progress, but it serves less well to advance the narrative.
    • 2/5
      Clearly, and by the author's admission, this is connected to the brilliant work "The Screwtape Letters" by the masterful C.S. Lewis. Unfortunately, this work never consistently achieves the same level of insight, wit, or scathing commentary that the original displayed. I certainly found moments to love, laugh with, or be unsettled by, but if felt a bit lackluster generally. I am glad I read it once, but this won't garner the same attention year after year that Lewis' groundbreaking work has earned.
    • 3/5
      This book is billed as pseudo-sequel to C. S. Lewis's The Screwtape Letters - a book that holds a special place in my life. I was eager to read Wilson's work. At first, I was pleased. The book begins well, with Crumblewit's cogent explanations of how he manipulated humans using their own weaknesses. But as the book went on, I was less thrilled. I'm not sure it's fair to compare Wilson's work to Lewis's, but there is hardly a way not to. Lewis spoke in broad terms, grounding his book in basic Christian testaments and theology. Wilson did not. He used to many specific cases, narrowing the focus. Several times, I felt he was using the prose as a veil for his own personal beliefs about things (like faith healing, internet, large churches) that, while I don't necessarily disagree with - aren't things in the Bible one can firmly say yea-or-nay on. Wilson's book is weaker then Lewis' and lacks that same soul-deep punch, that awakening that one finds in the Lewis' work. I compare it to the sequel written to Austen's Pride and Prejudice - they are amusing to read, but none compare to the original. And while it may be unfair to make such a comparison, the author invited just that by writing the sequel.While I will not praise this book to the heavens, I will mention it to people I know who enjoy C.S. Lewis - being that I consider it worth a look and I'm interested in their opinions. Note: I received this book free from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers Program, in exchange for my fair and honest opinion.
    • 4/5
      Having read 'The Screwtape Letters' in the last couple of years, when I received this book, I put off reading it for a couple of weeks. I wanted to read it, but was felt it a bit daunting due to the headiness of the former. However, once I got started, I really, really enjoyed this book. It was much easier to understand and had a well-connected story. Crumblewit is a demon who desperately desires to move "down" the ladder to demon stardom. He employs all sorts of strategies and deplorable plans to get there. Along the way, he relates to the reader many of his triumphs and brilliant plans to keep humans from choosing "the enemy" (God) while reiterating his innocence when failure was a result of anything he may have been involved in. For some reason, it was always some other demon's fault.The chapters are set-up in chunks of years in which Crumblewit has certain jobs and titles within the ranks of hell. The delineation makes for easier mind pictures when reading, keeping track of eras, etc. I also appreciated the very specific jibes and references to today's society and its troubles. It gave me a chance to think about how demons really do tempt us and keep us busy so we cannot do God's work. The demons don't always try and lead us to do horrible things, they just try and keep us busy so we don't pray, we don't worship, we don't do God's work. If they accomplish this, they have utterly succeeded. This book has helped me think a bit harder about what I choose to do day-in and day-out. Am I choosing God or are my demons winning?So, I choose not to compare this book to The Screwtape Letters. Instead, I think it can affect the reader just as a good devotional or Bible study. It makes the reader think about his/her choices. Hopefully, all readers will take heed of the demons in their presence and kick them to the curb!Happy reading...
    • 4/5
      I laughed out loud as I read this book. The themes of pride and selfishness which must be a part of the life of a demon were clearly evident. I enjoyed the subtle ways in which Crumblewhit was able to accomplish his mission. The fresh take on the modern church was eye opening. This book was able to accomplish the goal of making us look at our own lives and our walk with God.
    • 5/5
      Intriguing and hilarious while entertaining. This book kept my interest peaked page after page. While obviously fictional it certainly reads as actually written by Crumblewit. A delectable treat with a delightful dark humor. Even if you are unfamiliar with Screwtape this book is refreshingly satisfying in a macabre sort of way.



      I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. Thank you for the generosity in exchange for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      Magnificent Malevolence by Derek Wilson“Memoirs of a Career in Hell in the Tradition of The Screwtape Letters”Books similar to Magnificent Malevolence have fascinated me. The original is The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis, and Magnificent Malevolence is honoring the 50th anniversary of The Screwtape Letters! Here are a few other examples for those interested: As One Devil to Another by Richard Platt, Demon by Tosca Lee, and Lord Foulgrin's Letters and The Ishbane Conspiracy both by Randy Alcorn. I would describe these books as possible “behind-the-scene” views of the evil side of reality. A reality that tends to be ignored, however we need to remember that “our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.” (Ephesians 6:12) These books allow us to look at our lives, responsibilities, temptations, etc. as followers of Christ from a totally different perspective. Here’s an excellent example of this from Magnificent Malevolence: “One of the elementary lessons we all learn in tempter school is to keep our subjects busy. The more time they devote to the trivia of their petty lives, the less time they have for contact with the enemy.” (pg. 27) We may read about the danger of busyness to our walk with God in a devotional or Christian living book, but reading in this context seems to ...(how could I put it)... magnify the truth... if that makes sense!Many happy readings to you!Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from Kregel Publications in exchange for a fair and honest review.
    • 1/5
      The Screwtape Letters was an attempt to show us how the devil works in our lives. This book, Magnificent Malevolence, was just a story about Crumblewitt and his climb up the evil corporate ladder. I had really looked forward to this book as I had just finished The Screwtape letters but I was disappointed. If it had not been tied to The Screwtape Letters and just left to it's own I believe I could have enjoyed it more.
    • 2/5
      I'm giving Derek Wilson two stars in my review mostly because it takes a lot of balls to write a self-proclaimed "sequel" to the masterpiece Screwtape Letters. To openly draw comparisons to one of the arguably greatest writers of all times is either very brave or very foolish. When held against Lewis' classic, Magnificnet Malevolence is flat, repetive and derivative. Wilson is doing what has already been done, but not nearly as well. Unlike in Screwtape, the criticisms in M.M. are too obvious to be impactful (internet porn is endorsed by the devil - who knew?) and the themes are too broad to be personal (mega-churchs are more about show than carrying on Jesus' missions- shocking!). Lewis had the awareness and skill to record the little things individuals do to each other everyday that are devilish. As a result, we can change our behaviors and become better. Wilson's attempt at this fails because his scope is too big and historic. I'm sorry to continuosly compare this work to Lewis', but by putting Screwtape on the cover, Wilson asked for it. In a vacuum, Wilson's work would be ok, but he begged comparisons (and sales) with his cover art. As such, the work fails.