Mark Twain: Letters from the Earth

I may read a lot of fluff, but I promise I am a semi-intelligent being, capable of reading and ingesting 'more serious and academic' novels. Take this week's bathroom read: Mark Twain's Letters from the Earth.

Let me give you a little back story on this. I went out to have drinks with a few friends at the Flying Saucer. The group of us were trying various beers and not-quite-beers, and getting pretty happy. As nerdy as we are, the discussion turned to books. I admit, I am embarrassed when discussing books with snotty intellectual types (not that these guys were snotty), because I read for relaxation and pleasure. I don't want to have to analyze a book if I don't have too. And I like being able to pick it up and put it down with ease. It is the story I am after.

Anyhoo - I was explaining this, and my rapid decent into pop-books going from the ilk of Bronte Classics, to Anne Rice, to Douglas Adams, to Laurel K Hamilton, to eventually - yes.. cheesy romance novels of time traveling Highlanders.

We started talking Neil Giamon, and I mentioned Good Omens. One of the more well read at the table (he is an English teacher) then recommended Letters from the Earth. He thought it would suit me. He also recommended CS Lewis' Screwtape letters to follow it up.

Being the nerds that we are, after our round of drinking, we thought the most fun thing to do next was --- go to Half Price Bookstore -- and try to find some of the books we had recommended to each other. I found Letters from the Earth, and started it that night, and let me tell you - the book had me smiling. It kinda felt like talking to an old friend.

Without getting into a discussion on religion, Lucifer's letters and reasoning to his archangel friends sounded strikingly familiar to my own musings when I was younger. Of course, Twain speaks them much more elegantly, and with great humor.

The book is a collection of letters written by Satan when he was still the Archangel Lucifer under God's company. He and the other angels get into a discussion about God's experiment - Earth. Lucifer goes to Earth and sees the ludicrous expectations and adoration of the humans where God is concerned. He writes home telling tales, and analyzing humanity's follies on faith and religion.

I am still reading pieces of the book, but thus far it has completely surpassed my expectations. The only Mark Twain I had exposed myself to before this was Huck Finn and the other novels I was forced to read in my youth.

Great Read. :)