The Devil's Own Work

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The Devil's Own Work
TheDevilsOwnWork.jpg
First edition (UK)
Author Alan Judd
Cover artist Gustav Klimt,
"Judith", 1901
LanguageEnglish
Publisher HarperCollins (UK)
Knopf (US)
Publication date
1991 (UK)
1994 (US)
Publication placeUnited Kingdom
Media typePrint
Pages96 (UK)
ISBN 0-00-223832-2

The Devil's Own Work is a 1991 novella by Alan Judd which won the Guardian Fiction Award. A modern version of the Faust legend, [1] it was inspired by a dinner with Graham Greene. [2] and tells of a pact an author makes with the devil as told by his lifelong friend. In style the work was compared by Publishers Weekly with that of Henry James. [3]

Contents

Plot introduction

The unnamed narrator tells of his friend Edward's meeting in the south of France with O. M. (Old Man) Herig, a renowned author. Herig is found dead the following morning and the narrator later learns that Herig was a victim of sexual assault.

Reception

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References