Practical Demonkeeping
Encyclopedia
Practical Demonkeeping, published in 1992, is Christopher Moore's first novel
. It deals with a demon
from Hell
and his master. The novel has been translated and published in German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese and Russian.
from hell named Catch as his servant, presumably forever. Ever since then, Travis has been trying to get rid of Catch, but is unable to do so because he has lost the repository of the necessary incantations. He traces their whereabouts to a fictional town called Pine Cove, along Big Sur
coast, where he thinks the woman he gave them to may be residing. Interactions with the townspeople and with a djinn
, who is pursuing Catch, create considerable complications.
Several characters from this novel continue their lives in later novels by Moore; in addition, the setting of Pine Cove itself is revisited for The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove
and The Stupidest Angel
. The fictional town of Pine Cove is described as being within easy driving distance of San Luis Obispo, California
, and seems to be modeled after the town of Cambria, California
.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
. It deals with a demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
from Hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
and his master. The novel has been translated and published in German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese and Russian.
Plot summary
Travis was born in 1900, yet he has not aged since 1919, because he accidentally called up a demonDemon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
from hell named Catch as his servant, presumably forever. Ever since then, Travis has been trying to get rid of Catch, but is unable to do so because he has lost the repository of the necessary incantations. He traces their whereabouts to a fictional town called Pine Cove, along Big Sur
Big Sur
Big Sur is a sparsely populated region of the Central Coast of California where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. The name "Big Sur" is derived from the original Spanish-language "el sur grande", meaning "the big south", or from "el país grande del sur", "the big...
coast, where he thinks the woman he gave them to may be residing. Interactions with the townspeople and with a djinn
Genie
Jinn or genies are supernatural creatures in Arab folklore and Islamic teachings that occupy a parallel world to that of mankind. Together, jinn, humans and angels make up the three sentient creations of Allah. Religious sources say barely anything about them; however, the Qur'an mentions that...
, who is pursuing Catch, create considerable complications.
Several characters from this novel continue their lives in later novels by Moore; in addition, the setting of Pine Cove itself is revisited for The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove
The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove
The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove is the fifth novel by author Christopher Moore, published in 1999. It is set in the same fictional town of Pine Cove, California, as his first novel, Practical Demonkeeping, and also brings back some of the same characters.-Plot summary:Pine Cove suffers a major...
and The Stupidest Angel
The Stupidest Angel
The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror is the eighth novel by Christopher Moore. Set during Christmas, it brings together several favorite characters from his previous books in the fictional town of Pine Cove, a recurring location in Moore's novels.An unabridged commercial...
. The fictional town of Pine Cove is described as being within easy driving distance of San Luis Obispo, California
San Luis Obispo, California
San Luis Obispo is a city in California, located roughly midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on the Central Coast. Founded in 1772 by Spanish Fr. Junipero Serra, San Luis Obispo is one of California’s oldest communities...
, and seems to be modeled after the town of Cambria, California
Cambria, California
Cambria is a seaside village located midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on the California State Route 1 . The name Cambria was settled upon in 1869 .It is a census-designated place in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States...
.
Trivia
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has bought the filmFilmA film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
rights to the novel, it has not been made into a motion picture as of yet. - This novel includes one of the earliest literary examples of Internet datingOnline dating serviceOnline dating or Internet dating is a dating system which allows individuals, couples and groups to make contact and communicate with each other over the Internet, usually with the objective of developing a personal, romantic, or sexual relationship...
. - The demon in the story, Catch, is also featured in another of Moore's novels, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood PalLamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood PalLamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal is the sixth novel by absurdist author Christopher Moore, published in 2002. In this work the author seeks to fill in the "lost" years of Jesus through the point of view of Jesus' childhood pal, "Levi bar Alphaeus who is called Biff".The...
. - The character of Mavis Sand also appears in Moore's novels The Stupidest AngelThe Stupidest AngelThe Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror is the eighth novel by Christopher Moore. Set during Christmas, it brings together several favorite characters from his previous books in the fictional town of Pine Cove, a recurring location in Moore's novels.An unabridged commercial...
and The Lust Lizard of Melancholy CoveThe Lust Lizard of Melancholy CoveThe Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove is the fifth novel by author Christopher Moore, published in 1999. It is set in the same fictional town of Pine Cove, California, as his first novel, Practical Demonkeeping, and also brings back some of the same characters.-Plot summary:Pine Cove suffers a major...
. - The character of Alphonse Rivera appears again as a detective in Moore's novel Bloodsucking FiendsBloodsucking FiendsBloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story is the third novel by Christopher Moore, published in 1995. It combines elements of the supernatural and of the romance novel.-Plot summary:...
, A Dirty JobA Dirty JobA Dirty Job is the ninth novel by Christopher Moore, published in 2006. While reflecting the author's absurdist tendencies, the content of the novel draws in no small part from his own experiences in tending to the needs of close family and friends who were in the stages of dying.- Plot :The story...
, You Suck, and Bite Me, and briefly in Coyote BlueCoyote BlueCoyote Blue is the second novel by Christopher Moore, published in 1994.The plot concerns a salesman in Santa Barbara, California named Sam Hunter who, as a teenager, fled his home when he was involved in the death of a law officer...
. - The character of Augustus Brine and his house of pleasure 'Kings Lake' are briefly mentioned in Coyote BlueCoyote BlueCoyote Blue is the second novel by Christopher Moore, published in 1994.The plot concerns a salesman in Santa Barbara, California named Sam Hunter who, as a teenager, fled his home when he was involved in the death of a law officer...
.