James Hogg was a Scottish poet and novelist from the early 19th century. Hogg was a poor shepherd as a boy. His employer lent him books and through hard work he became self-educated. Published in 1924 this work is considered a Gothic novel, a psychological study of an unreliable narrator and an examination of totalitarian thought. The novel is filled with angels, devils, and demonic possession. This is the story of a young man who encounters a shape shifting devil and the adventures that follow. Hogg explores the duality of good and evil which led critics to wonder if this work was the...

Published in 1824, this was a hundred years ahead of its time, and it's just now coming to be appreciated. Is it a gothic novel? A meta-novel? A precursor of magic realism? A warning against religious fanaticism? The book hinges on the extreme Calivinist concept of antinomianism: if you're predestined to be saved, you'll end up in heaven no matter what outrageous sins and crimes you commit. This obviously raises interesting moral dilemmas. Hogg was a contemporary and friend of Sir Walter Scott, but while Scott's prose sometimes puts modern readers to sleep, Hogg is more likely to keep you...