Review | The Demonologist by Andrew Pyper

As per my 2019 reading goal, The Demonologist is the next-oldest book on my shelf … I think. Spotted at the Vancouver Airport when I was travelling for Christmas holidays. It seemed like an interesting enough concept, – a blend of Supernatural and Dan Brown – but I was weighted down with Christmas baking and (probably) had plans to sleep on my red-eye … TBR.

The Demonologist follows David Ullman – an English professor and Milton expert – as he is whisked off to Venice, loses his daughter to demonic possession, and initiates a poetry-inspired road trip to solve the mystery.

Maybe it’s the fact that I first spotted this book in the airport, but – as I read – I kept thinking: “This would make the perfect airplane book.” The plot moves fast enough to keep you engaged – but isn’t so complex that you need to pay a lot of attention. The chapters are short — perfect if you’re having to put the book down as the flight attendant comes by. (“Ginger ale, no ice, please.”) And, while the book deals with rather spooky material, the prose and atmosphere are pretty standard – so, there’s little risk of a jump scare as you wait at Gate C42.

Though it’s a bit hard to put into words, there was something about The Demonologist that felt categorically different than my typical reads … something about the pacing, writing, characters, and structure. The best comparison I have is my high school math program. If a 4- or 5-star book is Principles of Math (ie, the university prerec), then The Demonologist was like Applications of Math (ie, the trade school prerec): it had the necessary parts, but it was lacking sophistication. It’s not a book that I’m itching to go out and purchase … but, it’s not a book that overly irritated me. If anything, it was pretty forgettable. Something you’d expect to find at an airport magazine rack — easy entertainment as you cruise at 30,000 feet, but not something you’d cry over if you left it at the luggage carousel.

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The Details:

• The Book: 🍁 The Demonologist by Andrew Pyper
• Published: 2013, Simon & Schuster
• My Copy: KFPL
• Read date: April 15-19, 2019
• Rating: ★★☆☆☆
• You should read this if you like … The Da Vinci Code
• Avoid this if you dislike … a mismatch between subject and tone