Saturday, December 18, 2010

Lord Foulgrin's Letters by Randy Alcorn

How to strike back at the Tyrant by deceiving and destroying his human vermin.

Know your enemy. Read his mail.


Lord Foulgrin's Letters are written by a demon to his subordinate Squaltaint. Lord Foulgrin advises Squaltaint how to tempt and deceive Jordan Fletcher, the human "vermin" or "sludgebag" to whom he's assigned.

Referring to God as a "Tyrant" and "the Enemy," Lord Foulgrin is a proud, demanding and devious rebel with an inflated sense of self-importance.

As Christians, we are on Satan's hit list. Demons are out to get us. They are devoted to deceiving and destroying us, as a means of lashing back at God, the Creator who evicted them.


My Review:
I've heard about this book many times, but I've never had the opportunity to read it. When my pastor recently preached a series of messages about the work of Satan, he recommended everyone read this book. I checked this copy out from my local library.

The novel is written much like C.S. Lewis's The Screwtape Letters, which I read many years ago. Lord Foulgrin writes to instruct, encourage, and threaten Squaltaint, his underling, a demon in charge of tempting, deceiving, and guiding the human, Jordan Fletcher into sin. Truths from the Bible permeate the pages which show the behind-the-scenes spiritual battle waging all around us.

Interspersed between each letter is a story about the life of Jordan. The characters are quite believable--a family of four, struggling with their complex lives. The pace of the plot keeps the pages turning. It was hard to put down.

It made this reader pause and think more deeply about the things of God. I am so glad that I finally got around to reading this awesome classic. I highly recommend this book to Christians or nonbelievers.

If you would like to read the first chapter, click here.