Wakefield

Southern Living Selects Wakefield BY ANDREI CODRESCU (ALGONQUIN BOOKS OF CHAPEL HILL, $24.95)

When Wakefield, the author's protagonist, strikes a bargain with the Devil, it's not as dramatically charged as you might expect. In fact, the atmosphere is surprisingly casual. Unlike the traditional Faustian barter, Wakefield's "deal of deals" ends up being more about amusement for a bored and jaded Satan. The Prince of Darkness is only marginally interested in possession of the motivational speaker's soul. After all, the deal maker is practically drowning in a buyer's market of fame-seeking, money-hungry souls.

In this clever and at times hilarious novel, a multitude of middle-aged problems-a paunchy belly, tired yellow eyes, and a bad back-beset our modern Devil. Even hell has become annoyingly bureaucratic, and Beelzebub endures endless meetings with bickering, upstart demons clamoring for his power.

A frequent commentator on National Public Radio, Louisiana-based Andrei Codrescu routinely explores life as an immigrant to America. One of the best aspects about reading Wakefield is that you can almost hear his cheerful, accented voice sharing this delightful fiction. -CARLTON RILEY SMITH

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Jul 2004
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