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David Applegate, author of the Boyhood of Kaede
An interesting tour of London disguised as a Christmas Story, suitable for any time of the year. It is many stories within one story, with a delightful twist. It is an entertaining and uplifting read. Highly recommended.
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I was initially drawn to A Festive Juxtaposition by its unusual title and the fact that it was obviously set over the festive season of Christmas. I loved the description of the Devil as he suddenly appears at Charing Cross Station on Christmas Eve. Everything from his impeccable grooming, charming manner, and quite debonair apparel is so unlike the usual description(s) of the Devil. The sights of twinkling lights and sounds of merry-making in the pubs, bars, and shops along the old streets of London on a wonderfully snowy Christmas Eve are also evocatively described. To add to the festive feel, snippets of historical detail about Old London and famous characters the Devil has met in years gone by are woven beautifully into the tale.
The book consists of a number of different stories, each featuring a particular character(s) with a problem to be addressed. And as the Devil himself says: ‘When you are in Hell, only the Devil can point the way out.’ The way he interacts with these unfortunate / ‘dispossessed’ people on this holy night made me smile. I particularly liked the confusion this highly unusual stranger causes in these people, and I chuckled at the way various appropriate items/gifts are pulled from inside his coat or behind his back
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The book kept me guessing until the end regarding the Devil’s intentions for many of the people he seeks out. If you want to know what those intentions are – and to know the meaning of ‘juxtaposition’ within the story – you will have to read the book
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A very well-written story with some lovely touches of humor.
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In a delightfully Dickensian modern novella, set on Christmas Eve in the heart of London, here is a new kind of Devil. Dapper, immaculate, and hell-bent on a secret mission that becomes clearer as the story progresses, this was a devil whose every action and utterance challenged my assumptions and brought a host of pleasing questions bubbling into my mind.
At first, all his encounters with the down-and-outs of London appear curiously benign – yet is it all a confidence trick? Is he luring them to some worse fate than the one they already suffer? Later one sees a ruthless side to his modus operandi, and a pattern begins to emerge. At first, he appears infinitely capable, powerful, able to summon any outcome or gift that he chooses, but later one begins to wonder: in this one evening of gifts and connection, is he merely living out his own personal purgatory, constrained and lonely?
Read simply as a Christmas story, the book is entertaining and touching; beautifully written, it draws the reader in with its kindly written narratives of troubled lives and its elegant devil. But beneath this – and always appropriate for the season – it is also a deep and satisfying exploration of forgiveness and redemption. It doesn’t offer easy answers, but its questions are gorgeous.
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There are many juxtapositions in this clever, intriguing Christmas story, but they are not the ones I expected. As I read the book, delighted by the characters, the action, the reversals of fortune, and the delicious references to a city I know only from books and films and histories, I was expecting the juxtaposition to be wealth and poverty, humility and arrogance, like Dickens’ Christmas Carol to which it will inevitably be compared. But despite its similarity in mood and tone and magic, this is a very original and different story, and it was only afterwards, weeks afterwards sometimes (it’s a book that keeps coming back into my mind), that I came to my own understanding of what was being juxtaposed. Forgiveness juxtaposed with damnation. Time running out juxtaposed with eternity. The devil we thought we knew, and the devil we didn’t. And most troubling of all, a forgiving Devil, juxtaposed with an unforgiving God.
That all sounds so serious though! Actually, it's a witty little book, it has lots of moments when one smiles, one or two when one steps back with a gasp and a few when one pumps one's fists in satisfaction. And the devil - smartly turned out in his astrakhan coat and his goatee beard - is to die for. Or perhaps to live for. You decide.
I was given a copy of this book, and I will repay the gift by giving copies to many friends at Christmas. It’s such a refreshing piece of writing, with a mysterious message to unpick and discover and ponder on. What a special find!
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I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book by Paul Stanton. It definitely had a different take on what I was expecting a book about the devil to be. I won't give anything away, but strongly suggest that you read it. would make a wonderful TV film for Christmas time. Five stars.
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A very interesting and captivating read.
A totally different spin on the devil which was super creative and awesome for Christmas.
If you think that's a weird and unique combination. Then you gotta read the book
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The perfect book for the winter season, but not only! This is one of the rare books that deeply intrigues the Reader from the very first sentence, inviting one to visit London during Christmas and dive into the world of an intriguing mystery. What is uniquely rare about this book is its beautiful, elegant language which reminds one of the Victorian novel, at the same time combining the elements of modernity with the past in an engaging, eloquent, and inviting way! This book will be a perfect Christmas gift, but not only! It will be a perfect gift for every Reader who values beautiful style, valuable content, and intriguing plot. I highly recommend it!
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Like a good many other people on here who have left a review, I was drawn to A Festive Juxtaposition initially by the title. once I had read the back cover I was then fully committed. What would the Devil want with the dispossessed at Christmas time I asked myself? Well, surely the answer was obvious; he would be going about collecting souls as was his usual habit. But nothing could be further from the truth. Others have commented here about the various juxtapositions that appear to layer this book, and I, having read it once, merely became cognizant of those that appeared obvious. It was only on the second reading did I fully comprehend just what the author was getting at; and when I finally understood it, the full realization hit me like a bolt from the blue. So glaringly obvious was it in fact I wondered why it was I hadn’t picked up on it during the first reading. Other reviewers have also remarked on the similarity to Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, but I beg to differ here. A Christmas Carol was ostensibly about a man finding redemption through adversity at Christmas time, and A Festive Juxtaposition is, to a similar degree, written in a Victorian, near Dickensian style, which allows all the characters contained therein to ‘come to life, but there the similarity ends. The book also has a wonderful depth to it which is brought about by allowing the main protagonist, the Devil, to become thoughtful every now and then; which sees him reflecting upon past memories, or merely considering the wonderful characters he has known in the past – Dr Johnson being a case in point. The book is also littered with enjoyable and interesting snippets of history pertaining to the capital, which adds to the overall breadth and dimension. In all a very satisfying and engrossing read. I believe this book has all the making of a classic and it would, in my opinion, be a crime if it failed to fulfill its full potential. Five stars all the way. I truly hope there is a sequel and a sequel to the sequel. Would indeed, as pointed out by others here, make a great Christmas TV film.
