The Demon

Harry White, the protagonist of The Demon, is a man who seems to have everything going for him; he's a loving husband, father and son. He's a trusted employee and he's about to be promoted up another step on the corporate-ladder. Yes, Harry is sure leading a blessed life, at least on the surface. You see, the truth of the matter is that Harry White isn't feeling very good, emotionally and mentally. In the past, his solution to dealing with these feelings was simple: Find a married woman and have sex with her, the danger of being caught by her husband being part of the thrill. However, ever since he got married himself, Harry had decided that he was done with that sort of thing. Unfortunately, the little voice in the back of his head soon becomes impossible to ignore and Harry finds himself reverting back to his old habits, but what happens when mere adultery is not enough to keep Harry's inner demon in check...?

Hubert Selby Jr. was an American author most famous for his debut novel, Last Exit to Brooklyn. The Demon was his third novel and the first one of his that I've read. It took me a few pages before my brain had adjusted itself to Selby's writing style (he replaces apostrophes with the / when he doesn't and never uses quotation marks. Although to be fair, he's not the first author I've read who does away with the latter, Cormac McCarthy is another). Once I'd gotten used to Selby's quirks, though, I found The Demon hard to put down.

One thing that The Demon particularly excels at lies in its portrayal of its main character; Selby has a real knack for getting under the skin and into the mind of his protagonist, allowing the reader to understand and even empathize with Harry, even if they do not approve of his actions. Selby actually reminds me a bit of Dostoevsky in that regard.

The Demon is a compelling, harrowing look into a man's gradual fall into deeper and deeper depravity and the toll it takes on both himself and his loved ones. Its a great read, one that stayed with me long after I finished it and that I will surely re-visit in the future. I will also be sure to check out the rest of Selby's work in the future. If all his books are of similar quality, than he's an author worth getting further acquainted with.