MEMNOCH THE DEVIL
Posted: October 27th, 2011, 6:08 pm
This is the 5th book in the VAMPIRE Chronicles by Anne Rice. The first of the series is the movie made by Tom Cruise – Interview with the Vampire.
This book presented another challenging opponent for Lestat. The devil himself , Memnoch (Satan), is recruiting Lestat to be his lieutenant.
In order to convince Lestat, Memnoch brings Lestat to Heaven and Hell. He also shows/retells the whole history of man from creation in his own point of view.
I love these kind of stuffs. A spin-off of Bible Stories. The creation story will be retold here along with the downfall of the angels. Another interesting part explained is why Jesus was brought to the earth.
According to the story, Memnoch (Satan) the archangel was angry at God because so many people on earth is suffering while God makes no action and just says “All is well.” One time, Memnoch challenged God to take on the human form so he can experience the suffering and passion of man. Memnoch was punished for this but still, God went down to earth as Jesus and died on the cross. However, Memnoch thought that what God made is just to make suffering and sacrifice as a way to heaven. Memnoch also thought that God’s death experience isn’t the same as man’s death as God knows that He will not die since He is God, while man will loose everything.
The book also told why there is Purgatory. Why souls have to stay there? Why it takes so many many years (maybe thousands) before man can go up to heaven.
The book also told the Devil (Memnoch/Satan) is working for God. His main task is to find all the souls that will be worthy of heaven. He goes searching souls in purgatory for those ready to go up to heaven.
Well, I find this stuff interesting as it challenges some concepts of our faith. Its quite an eye opener for some concepts that I have "missed" or didn't learn about before. So, while reading this book, I had to go back to the bible and make sure that I still know the real story behind.
I agree with the wiki article that : “once you have read this you will question whether there is good and evil, or whether there are two versions of good.”
I wouldn't let kids touch this book.
WIKIPEDIA
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After stalking and killing Roger, a ruthless but enthrallingly passionate mobster, Lestat is approached by Roger's ghost. Roger's ghost asks him to take care of his daughter Dora, a devout and popular television evangelist, whom he wants to spare from embarrassment. At the same time, Lestat has become increasingly paranoid that he's being stalked by a powerful force.
Eventually, Lestat meets the Devil, who calls himself Memnoch. He takes Lestat on a whirlwind tour of Heaven, Hell and retells of the entirety of history from his own point of view in an effort to convince Lestat to join him as God's adversary. In his journey, Memnoch claims he is not evil, but merely working for God by ushering lost souls into Heaven. Lestat is left in confusion, unable to decide whether or not to cast his lot with the Devil.
After the tour, Lestat believes himself to have had a major revelation. Among other things, he believes that he has seen Christ's crucifixion and that he has received Saint Veronica's Veil. He has also lost an eye in Hell. He tells his story to Armand, David Talbot and Dora, who have joined him in New York. Dora and Armand are deeply moved upon seeing the veil. Dora takes it and reveals it to the world, triggering a religious movement. Armand goes into the sunlight and immolates himself in order to convince people that a miracle has occurred.
At the end of the novel, Lestat and David go to New Orleans. There, Maharet returns Lestat's eye to him, along with a note from Memnoch that reveals Memnoch may have been manipulating Lestat to serve his own agenda. Lestat then loses control of himself and Maharet is forced to chain him in the basement of the St. Elizabeth's convent, which is owned by the vampires, so that he will not hurt himself or others.
Although the novel fits into the storyline of The Vampire Chronicles, the vast majority of it consists of Memnoch's account of cosmology and theology.
The novel follows up on claims made by David Talbot in The Tale of the Body Thief that God and the Devil are on better terms than most Christians believe. It also reinterprets biblical stories to create a complete history of Earth, Heaven and Hell that fit neatly with the history of vampires given in The Queen of the Damned.
This book presented another challenging opponent for Lestat. The devil himself , Memnoch (Satan), is recruiting Lestat to be his lieutenant.
In order to convince Lestat, Memnoch brings Lestat to Heaven and Hell. He also shows/retells the whole history of man from creation in his own point of view.
I love these kind of stuffs. A spin-off of Bible Stories. The creation story will be retold here along with the downfall of the angels. Another interesting part explained is why Jesus was brought to the earth.
According to the story, Memnoch (Satan) the archangel was angry at God because so many people on earth is suffering while God makes no action and just says “All is well.” One time, Memnoch challenged God to take on the human form so he can experience the suffering and passion of man. Memnoch was punished for this but still, God went down to earth as Jesus and died on the cross. However, Memnoch thought that what God made is just to make suffering and sacrifice as a way to heaven. Memnoch also thought that God’s death experience isn’t the same as man’s death as God knows that He will not die since He is God, while man will loose everything.
The book also told why there is Purgatory. Why souls have to stay there? Why it takes so many many years (maybe thousands) before man can go up to heaven.
The book also told the Devil (Memnoch/Satan) is working for God. His main task is to find all the souls that will be worthy of heaven. He goes searching souls in purgatory for those ready to go up to heaven.
Well, I find this stuff interesting as it challenges some concepts of our faith. Its quite an eye opener for some concepts that I have "missed" or didn't learn about before. So, while reading this book, I had to go back to the bible and make sure that I still know the real story behind.
I agree with the wiki article that : “once you have read this you will question whether there is good and evil, or whether there are two versions of good.”
I wouldn't let kids touch this book.
WIKIPEDIA
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After stalking and killing Roger, a ruthless but enthrallingly passionate mobster, Lestat is approached by Roger's ghost. Roger's ghost asks him to take care of his daughter Dora, a devout and popular television evangelist, whom he wants to spare from embarrassment. At the same time, Lestat has become increasingly paranoid that he's being stalked by a powerful force.
Eventually, Lestat meets the Devil, who calls himself Memnoch. He takes Lestat on a whirlwind tour of Heaven, Hell and retells of the entirety of history from his own point of view in an effort to convince Lestat to join him as God's adversary. In his journey, Memnoch claims he is not evil, but merely working for God by ushering lost souls into Heaven. Lestat is left in confusion, unable to decide whether or not to cast his lot with the Devil.
After the tour, Lestat believes himself to have had a major revelation. Among other things, he believes that he has seen Christ's crucifixion and that he has received Saint Veronica's Veil. He has also lost an eye in Hell. He tells his story to Armand, David Talbot and Dora, who have joined him in New York. Dora and Armand are deeply moved upon seeing the veil. Dora takes it and reveals it to the world, triggering a religious movement. Armand goes into the sunlight and immolates himself in order to convince people that a miracle has occurred.
At the end of the novel, Lestat and David go to New Orleans. There, Maharet returns Lestat's eye to him, along with a note from Memnoch that reveals Memnoch may have been manipulating Lestat to serve his own agenda. Lestat then loses control of himself and Maharet is forced to chain him in the basement of the St. Elizabeth's convent, which is owned by the vampires, so that he will not hurt himself or others.
Although the novel fits into the storyline of The Vampire Chronicles, the vast majority of it consists of Memnoch's account of cosmology and theology.
The novel follows up on claims made by David Talbot in The Tale of the Body Thief that God and the Devil are on better terms than most Christians believe. It also reinterprets biblical stories to create a complete history of Earth, Heaven and Hell that fit neatly with the history of vampires given in The Queen of the Damned.