The Infernals: A Samuel Johnson Tale

John Connolly

Oct 2011 · The Samuel Johnson Series Book 2 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

From New York Times bestselling author John Connolly, a wonderfully strange and brilliant novel about a boy, his dog, and their struggle to escape the wrath of demons. Young Samuel Johnson is in trouble. Not only is his eyesight so poor that he mistakenly asks out a letter box on a date, but an angry demon is seeking revenge for Samuel’s part in foiling the invasion of Earth by the forces of evil. It wants to get its claws on Samuel, and when Samuel and his faithful dachshund, Boswell, are pulled through a portal into the dark realm, the home of the Infernals, it gets its chance.

But catching Samuel is not going to be easy, for the Infernals have not reckoned on the bravery and cleverness of a boy and his dog, or the loyalty of Samuel’s friend, the hapless demon Nurd, or the presence of two clueless policemen and the unlucky, if cheerfully optimistic, driver of an ice-cream van.

Most of all, no one has planned on the intervention of an unexpected band of little men, for Samuel and Boswell are not the only inhabitants of Earth who have found themselves in the underworld. If you thought demons were frightening, just wait until you meet Mr. Merryweather’s Elves. . . .

Ratings and reviews

In the novel The Infernals by John Connolly, a sequel to the novel The gates, the title is the name of all that inhabit Hell, explained by the author as a dimension where the souls lost to sin go after death, condemned there for the rest of their immortal being. It also obviously relates to the meaning of the word infernal, referring to hellish, fiendish, and diabolical beings. But underneath the obvious there is the conflict of whom the true infernal are, and the need for evil still lays in the two dimensions: Hell and Earth. The story begins where we left off in the small town of Biddlecombe, England, where the memory of the recent attack of all hell’s inhabitants, is slowly fading away. Told in the second person point of view, Samuel Johnson and his dachshund, Boswell, are pushed into the reader’s attention. Samuel is an engaging character, in which you find yourself feeling sorrow towards. Since the town of Biddlecombe seems to blame him and his, rather to aware of being a dog, Boswell - and quite frankly is not enjoying it- for Hell’s recent interest in trying to take over it. Although the story veers towards Samuel, the author explains the misfortunes of the demon Nurd, whose connection with Samuel is stronger than with his own parents, causing Nurd to open his heart and discover new traits about his self and others. The book is an easy read for advanced readers and a highly motivated one for proficient and reluctant readers. For the mix of horror, humor, and engaging characters this book ranks a 5/5 for teens. For adults the comical remarks of both author and character will be a vague reminder of the works of Stephen King, along with the conflicting views of faith and science discussed incessantly in both story and footnote. Keeping the adult reader asking the question of, “who am I really?” In the book Nurd is asked how he had gotten so clever, and he replies by saying, “Because I realized I wasn’t as clever I thought I was before.” This is something that both teens and adults can mull over, are we really as _______ as we thought. Will we come to a revelation to better ourselves, or will we lives out our lives in a false identity?

Hardcover and in good condition. Haven't finish reading it. But the first few pages made me laugh. I gotta say It's really worth reading.

Clever and so very British. As if Christopher Moore and Douglas Adams had a literary love child.

About the author

John Connolly is the author of the #1 internationally bestselling Charlie Parker thrillers series, the supernatural collection Nocturnes, the Samuel Johnson Trilogy for younger readers, and (with Jennifer Ridyard) the Chronicles of the Invaders series. He lives in Dublin, Ireland. For more information, see his website at JohnConnollyBooks.com, or follow him on Twitter @JConnollyBooks.