| Author: | Sebastian Michael | ISBN: | 1230000009600 |
| Publisher: | Optimist Creations | Publication: | July 25, 2012 |
| Imprint: | Language: | English |
| Author: | Sebastian Michael |
| ISBN: | 1230000009600 |
| Publisher: | Optimist Creations |
| Publication: | July 25, 2012 |
| Imprint: | |
| Language: | English |
Damion is a boy so beautiful that everybody falls in love with him. This, his greatest advantage in life, gradually turns into his heaviest burden and so as he reaches adulthood, Damion, in an act half wanton, half heroic, destroys what for most people - but not for him - has come to define his essence. - A classic tale of a young man in search of his destiny.
"A delight to read. So delicate, casually cruel, wickedly funny and wildly alluring." - Stephen Fry
"Sebastian Michael's novel, 'Angel', is a great achievement; beautifully written and thoroughly engaging.
At face value it is the story of a young man so beautiful that "anyone who met him fell instantly in love with him". His emergence from boyhood is described with an astonishing sympathy for the experience of adolescence. The author has a great gift for subtle and commanding characterisation, one result of which is our developing appreciation of the burden of beauty on the 'hero' of the tale and all who come into contact with him. Events are beautifully described with a perspicacity for place and sensation.
On another level, 'Angel' can be read as an allegory of a society concerned largely with the superficial. Here value is determined by Beauty and the consequence of a great surfeit in power created by fundamental inequalities between people is explored in the trajectories of human lives. 'Angel' raises questions of responsibility and agency, as those privileged by society try to claim some responsibility for what appears to be pre-determined lives. We are asked to consider to what extent we can be responsible for the impact of our existence.
'Angel' is compelling and curious, an intelligent inquiry and a sensual pleasure. Its characters and their experiences feel immediately real and they also resonate over time remaining with the reader: so true is the author's ability with narrative and character. With 'Angel', Sebastian Michael has produced a novel that is a pleasure to read, that has depth and detail, and that raises some of the important questions for the contemporary moment. The ultimate meaning of 'Angel' will be a subject of debate between readers, as is inevitable with a novel that works so well on many levels."
Alana Jelinek - Author of Ohm's Law
"ANGEL is one of those books that you read that makes you feel you were just listening to a friend telling a story. The details make you feel the emotions of the characters. In my opinion once you read this novel, you will want to share it with everyone you know. The story is about a young man that is haunted by his beautiful looks. Everyone around him, men and women alike become mesmerized by his good looks. He is never in need of human contact, but feels alone. The author tells the story in a way that it seems he gives you the answer first and then the question. This is one of the only books I have read that I wanted to read the end of the book first after reading only a few chapters. It really gets you thinking. I enjoyed the read and would definitely recommend."
Reviewed by Rae for MyBookAddiction
"From the first days of his birth, Damion has an unimaginable beauty; such is his beauty that all who behold him are mesmerized at first sight, often likening him to an angel. A reserved young man, he accepts this without question, but is occasionally drawn to people in impulsive sexual encounters.
As he longs to be seen beyond his beauty, he makes a split decision that will change everything about him, and how others perceive him.
This is a haunting story. Written in a polished, formal manner with an almost lilting prose, the words are nearly as beautiful as the character of Damion. The characters are explained in detail and with great care, especially in how they relate to Damion and his "gift." As the story unfolds we see how having been blessed with this angelic appearance, Damion struggles with true meaning. After a horrific accident leaves him disfigured, he begins to search for his true identity, through his "book of empty pages."
An eye-opening look at society's obsession with pretty people, and how, possibly, we are doing them a huge disservice. A tragic novel, resonating with emotion, Angel may very well change how you choose to view others."
Reviewed by Charlene for Literary R&R Book Review
Damion is a boy so beautiful that everybody falls in love with him. This, his greatest advantage in life, gradually turns into his heaviest burden and so as he reaches adulthood, Damion, in an act half wanton, half heroic, destroys what for most people - but not for him - has come to define his essence. - A classic tale of a young man in search of his destiny.
"A delight to read. So delicate, casually cruel, wickedly funny and wildly alluring." - Stephen Fry
"Sebastian Michael's novel, 'Angel', is a great achievement; beautifully written and thoroughly engaging.
At face value it is the story of a young man so beautiful that "anyone who met him fell instantly in love with him". His emergence from boyhood is described with an astonishing sympathy for the experience of adolescence. The author has a great gift for subtle and commanding characterisation, one result of which is our developing appreciation of the burden of beauty on the 'hero' of the tale and all who come into contact with him. Events are beautifully described with a perspicacity for place and sensation.
On another level, 'Angel' can be read as an allegory of a society concerned largely with the superficial. Here value is determined by Beauty and the consequence of a great surfeit in power created by fundamental inequalities between people is explored in the trajectories of human lives. 'Angel' raises questions of responsibility and agency, as those privileged by society try to claim some responsibility for what appears to be pre-determined lives. We are asked to consider to what extent we can be responsible for the impact of our existence.
'Angel' is compelling and curious, an intelligent inquiry and a sensual pleasure. Its characters and their experiences feel immediately real and they also resonate over time remaining with the reader: so true is the author's ability with narrative and character. With 'Angel', Sebastian Michael has produced a novel that is a pleasure to read, that has depth and detail, and that raises some of the important questions for the contemporary moment. The ultimate meaning of 'Angel' will be a subject of debate between readers, as is inevitable with a novel that works so well on many levels."
Alana Jelinek - Author of Ohm's Law
"ANGEL is one of those books that you read that makes you feel you were just listening to a friend telling a story. The details make you feel the emotions of the characters. In my opinion once you read this novel, you will want to share it with everyone you know. The story is about a young man that is haunted by his beautiful looks. Everyone around him, men and women alike become mesmerized by his good looks. He is never in need of human contact, but feels alone. The author tells the story in a way that it seems he gives you the answer first and then the question. This is one of the only books I have read that I wanted to read the end of the book first after reading only a few chapters. It really gets you thinking. I enjoyed the read and would definitely recommend."
Reviewed by Rae for MyBookAddiction
"From the first days of his birth, Damion has an unimaginable beauty; such is his beauty that all who behold him are mesmerized at first sight, often likening him to an angel. A reserved young man, he accepts this without question, but is occasionally drawn to people in impulsive sexual encounters.
As he longs to be seen beyond his beauty, he makes a split decision that will change everything about him, and how others perceive him.
This is a haunting story. Written in a polished, formal manner with an almost lilting prose, the words are nearly as beautiful as the character of Damion. The characters are explained in detail and with great care, especially in how they relate to Damion and his "gift." As the story unfolds we see how having been blessed with this angelic appearance, Damion struggles with true meaning. After a horrific accident leaves him disfigured, he begins to search for his true identity, through his "book of empty pages."
An eye-opening look at society's obsession with pretty people, and how, possibly, we are doing them a huge disservice. A tragic novel, resonating with emotion, Angel may very well change how you choose to view others."
Reviewed by Charlene for Literary R&R Book Review
