Rating: 
Summary: It's fiction, so what? A worthy read...
Review: I enjoyed this book and like others, can understand how this work started "cults" or a new religious movement in certain states. The author has admitted in an interview that this work is entirely fiction, but in more ways than one, this myth contains many "truths." This book offers the other side, a different version of events with new perspective on the stories of pre-creation, adam and eve, cain and abel, moses, lazarus, jesus, and a chilling prophecy for the End of Times. For those that that believe the Bible raises more questions than answers, this book is a must-read for you. The author sums up his objective in the final page of the book: "We should not follow others without knowing why we do so. We should understand what we believe and why. We need to look at weaknesses in our faith and learn to ask questions. If the faith is true, then it will stand the scrutiny. It will come out all the stronger for it. If it fails, then it deserves to fall. We need to find our own path, and not simply be led by what our fathers believed." Highly recommended to all. A worthy read.
Rating:
Summary: The Devil's Apocrypha
Review: When I first picked up a copy of this book, it was to add to my extensive occult library. I have many from Enoch to the Satanic bible and everything in between, but I have attempted to keep pure fiction out of my collection. I purchased this book thinking that there may have been 'Actual scriptures' as the ad and back cover blurb suggests, and although it is highly likely that much of the work would have been fiction, the merest hint of any original texts made it a worthy purchase in my book. It was a great read from the word go, and it was read within a day. It's not a huge book, but is quite different from anything else you are likely to read I can assure you. I have decided that it has earned it's place in my library along side the many versions of the Necronomicon, the book of Enoch, the story of the fallen angels etc etc. Mr Devito has told a story, but much more than that he has managed to put a voice to many many silent doubts. Much of what was said was so similar to my own beliefs that I felt that I had found a Kindred spirit, this alone made it worth it's weight in gold. In this biggoted day and age it is nice to see that a book like this can still make it big despite the loyal legions of religious do-gooders that attempt to prevent such things. I for one choose to believe what is written, because it answers far more questions than the bible, and for the most part, makes infinately more sense. If the church really want to knock this book and future books like it..then they'll need to re-work their bibles, because they currently are full of holes and leaking like a sieve.
Rating: 
Summary: The Devil's Apocrypha
Review: The other day I finished reading The Devil's Apocrypha by John A. De Vito. It is a fiction novel in pseudo-scriptural format which retells the basic narratives of Judeo-Christian theology, but this time from Satan's perspective. In it, God is cast as a selfish and cruel spirit that escapes, along with the rest of heavenly host, from a dying parallel universe. The spirits discover, once they arrive in this universe at the time of the big bang, that their old source of nourishment is not to be found in this universe and that only the faith of sentient beings can keep them alive. Upon discovering this, God develops a plan to manipulate the forces of evolution to create a race of sentient beings which he can shepherd into submission so as to extract nourishment from their religious fanaticism. His plans are met with disapproval by some of his companions. Lucifer, the wisest of the spirits, believes it to be morally unacceptable for anyone to enslave free beings for any reason, even survival. Lucifer, more willing to accept death than violate the rights of man, rebels against the Trinity. The other spirits choose sides, for or against the sanctity of free will, and after a rough battle in the heavens Lucifer and his angels are beaten and imprisoned deep within the planet while God and his angels are free to go ahead with their diabolical plans. Caged within the Earth and unable to escape, Satan attempts to wreck God's plans by helping human beings discover the truth and teach them to have faith in themselves rather than in a distant and cruel, parasitic deity. Needless to say, the novel has a sort of negative attitude towards religion. For the most part I found it clever and interesting. Some parts of the book are nothing less than brilliant, and there are frequent references to science. In fact, the book, despite the scriptural motif, reads more like science-fiction than mythology, and is better as a result. There were, unfortunately, some passages which could be interpreted as anti-semitic but were not, I believe, intended that way. Some clarification in these areas may have complicated the narrative somewhat, but may have been worthwhile, in my opinion. I wonder what it says about me that I so easily identified with the Satan character. As it turns out, some fans of the novel have constructed a website entitled The Church of the Fallen that is built from the philosophies of The Devil's Apocrypha. That's not terribly surprising. For many people, myself included, this novel makes a lot more sense than the Bible.
Rating:
Summary: The book that started a movement
Review: I came across this book at the website of a group calling themselves the Church of the Fallen (www.geocities.com/church_of_the_fallen666) which bases it's beliefs on this book and it's philosophies. The movement has chapters (and more websites) in Florida, Indianapolis, Canada, Malta and who knows where else. After reading the excerpts from the book on the site, I decided to buy it. I can see how this book was able to start a new religion. The concepts are life-enhancing, the tales are well presented and thought out, and you can't help getting the chills as you read it. I found myself drawn in and hooked. While the Devil is portrayed as the good guy and God "evil", the philosophies are morally sound and I find my life changed by them. Controvercial, yes. Absolutely. Fundamentalists will react to this (and have) the same way the muslims reacted to Rushdie. Evil? I don't think so. An alternate, and I'd even say more realistic, view of biblical tales we've been raised not to question. I recommend this highly.
Rating:
Summary: Great!
Review: The reinvention of satan is brilliantly presented, but it won't have people running out to draw pentagrams in chicken blood and sacrificing children. Some have called this a satanic book, but that is a false label. If you define satan as evil, the bringer of horror, the champion of sin, then this is not a satanic book - the satan of this book is very different. He is portrayed as a good, caring, and wise entity. He is shown as the protector of mankind and the icon of goodness. Yes, yes, the religiously intolerant who take all this seriously will tell you that 'of course satan will let you believe he's good, he is the great deciever, dont be fooled'. But who says he's the great deciever? We are told that, so we believe it. Where's the proof? Why could it just as easily be the other way around, if we are only going by someone's word? If so, couldn't the stronger of the two have won, and couldn't the winner be deceiving us? There is no reason to believe one over the other. It's all a matter of opinion and a question of what you want to believe. The author is able to pull off his 'good satan' by using actual biblical events. He shows a satan for the twenty-first century: a being who stood up for his beliefs despite overwhelming odds, at whatever the cost. God is demonized by his actions as demonstrated in his own book, the bible. He threw Adam and Eve (and their tribe) out of Eden before they knew the difference between right and wrong, good and evil (that is what the fruit of the tree allowed them to do, so how can they have been held accountable prior to that knowledge?). He flooded the whole world and killed everyone except Noah and his family - could they all have been wicked? He hardened Pharoah's heart so he wouldn't release the jews and then caused the plagues, culminating in the massacre of first born men, women and innocent children. He drowned Pharoah's army, who were only obeying orders from Pharoah, who was under God's control. God let the jews wander in the desert for 40 years (how many must have died) before finally giving them a place to settle. I think there is plenty of biblical evidence to dispute the kind and loving god theory. If your not open to a different take on the bible, this is definitely not for you. If you are, this book will have you thinking in a whole new light.
Rating:
Summary: An alternative interpretation of a familiar tale
Review: I find it interesting how history is less about facts and more about perception. History tends to change when you look at different historical interpretations of an event. The Devil's Apocrypha is this type of work. It isn't alternative history, as that concerns itself with 'what if it happened this way instead of that way'. Alternative interpretation uses the same facts to derive different conclusions. When I was a kid, the three wise men were the three magi who visited Jesus in the manger. Now, most bibles call them 'three astrologers'. This is because the magi were high priests of a religion called Mithraism, which worshiped Mithra, a figure who was also considered a man-god, died and was resurrected, raised the dead, turned water to wine, and did many other things that later were incorporated into Christian dogma. While Christianity did it's best to stamp out religious competition and surpress its pagan origins, it was not entirely successful. The discovery of the Nag Hamadi library and the Dead Sea scrolls revel writings that were untouched (i.e. un-doctored) since the early days of Christianity. They show us that Christianity was more like the Mystery Religions and had many of the same characteristics. What Christianity did that made it outlast it's predecessors and contemporaries was to incorporate Hellenistic philosophy into its religious tales. That was where the Mystery Religions, all with their resurrected god-man figures (like Jesus), fell short. They were big on ritual and short on 'life philosophy'. By incorporating the philosophies of Plato, Aristotle, Zeno and others into their Christian version of the Mysteries, Christianity offered a life guide. Previously, religion and philosophy were separate. People didn't expect religion to guide them through their everyday trials. That is what philosophy was for. By incorporating philosophy into their religion, Christianity became a one stop shop that validated it's magical tales. What I liked about this book is that it, too, combined philosophy, science and religion to create an entirely new account of a familiar story. An account which is just as valid as the original (and seems even more so). The text portrays a humanistic philosophy and has a very Gnostic feel in its interpretations. The familiarity of the reader with the basic biblical tales is exactly what makes this work so powerful. It takes what you know and rearranges the bricks to create a totally new structure. The book sparks new thoughts and ideas from what has become common fodder for the masses. An excellent read.
Rating:
Summary: Take a deep breath and start reading...
Review: I found this to be one of the most unique reading experiences of my life. These types of things can be either hit or miss, and this one is a big big hit. DeVito takes accepted religious dogma and spins it 180 degrees in such a way as to make you question what is real and what isn't. The writing style is in a biblical hand and adds a validating eerieness to the text. I understand why the book would have started a cult, as it reads like a religious work, with all of the greater-than-life juiciness and spice that can be found in all religious works, especially the Bible. On that note, the book is organized much like the Bible, as a bunch of related tales from the old testament through the new testament, with (of course) a drastically different perspective to each. It also ends like the Bible, with predictions of a near future, some of which may or may not have already happened. I truly enjoyed this alternative tale of one of the largest cults on earth (the catholic church). It just sucked me in and I couldn't put it down.
Rating:
Summary: A riviting read, but 'buyer beware'
Review: Because of the subject, this is a love it or hate it work. Religious-themed books, historically, always have been. People either want to burn them or praise them. So if you have rigid religious views, die-hard Christians beware. Don't even bother. This book will definitely piss you off. The reworking of Christian myth is no less than genius, however. I found the Book of Philosophies section to be an enlighted list of words to live by. Nowhere does the book promote hate or evil, it always and consistently promotes a live-and-let-live message evident in every section. While it pulls no punches and does not tread lightly on any sacred cows of Catholicism, the arguments and presentation of material is presented in such a way as to be quite feasible and even more believable in many instances than the Bible which is the basis of the stories. In it, the tale of Pre and Post Creation, that of Adam and Eve, Moses (especially), and the reworking of the Christ tale ring true - especially late at night. This is not an evil book, so fundamentalists look elsewhere to vent your wrath. For the rest of you, if you're looking for an innovative take of Christian tales that spins the whole mythos on its head, then stop looking. You've found it.
Rating: 
Summary: Hate and Bad Writing Live
Review: I just finished John A. De Vito's "The Devil's Apocrypha: There Are Two Sides To Every Story". Now besides being the most facile piece of inversion trivia I have ever read I also found it to filled with Hate. Now I'm not talking about how God the Father is portrayed. I've no problem in the trashing of Christianity where and when it deserves it (and it often does) but I'm talking about good old fashioned Hate! Hate for what? Well, when you reach the Book of Prophecy section, near the end of the book, which speaks of 'the end of days' you learn what hate: Anti-Christian, Anti-Catholic (of course to be expected because of the inversion), anti-semitism, anti-environmentalism, Anti-Islamic, Anti-Science, etc. [...] Now, aesthetically this book is even worse. Flat characters, a boring plot, little unpredictable crisis, more facile thinking. All and all the work of an amateur...and not one very well educated. Why is education important...because the back of the book indicates that he has multiple degrees and certifications (what the latter may mean I do not know)...my question is...Did he buy these off the internet. I like dark fantasy and am open to all manner of weirdness and oddities...in fact I love them...but HATE ain't cool...Hate ain't weird....Hate ain't odd...it is mundane and destructive. Destructive not in its creative sense but in its most nihilistic and debilitating sense. Am I alone in this assessment...if not please speak up. I am not suggesting censorship...I just want to make Amazon readers aware of my concerns about this book. Of course I may be wrong but this has disturbed me a little. Freedom of choice is vitally important to our world but freedom of speech is also...and so I am exercising the latter.
Rating:
Summary: God writes scripture for his own ends
Review: Now this is an interesting fish; the story of the Creation and the saga of the Men and God told from Lucifer's perspective. It is refreshing to see God portrayed as an evil, vindictive, needy entity, with Lucifer simply looking out for us little people. The essence of the story is excellent. It follows the movement of the truth (being that God is manipulating us for his own ends and that Lucifer is our salvation) through time to the present. On the way, well-known and less well-known Christian myths and inverted in ways that are stunning and revolutionary. It is certainly persuasive enough to encourage some healthy doubt as to what is and isn't true. Fundamentalists, this author is not the Devil Incarnate. He's just trying to tell a story. And it's a story worth reading.
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