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The Gargoyle Code
Not since the Screwtape Letters has there been such a devastatingly diabolical collection of correspondence. Master Tempter Slubgrip writes daily to a trainee devil Dogwart, advising him on the temptation of a confused young Catholic, while he struggles to control his own patient, an older Catholic man who is facing a serious illness. Meanwhile, Slubgrip has to watch his back, keep control of various under devils who are plotting to take control of his territory and send him to the banqueting house of the Father below. The Gargoyle Code makes for un-put-downable reading at any time, but it is especially designed as a book to be read during Lent. The letters from the tempters begin on Shrove Tuesday and follow day by day, taking the reader on an entertaining, enlightening and sobering journey toward Easter Sunday. Fr Dwight Longenencker has written a book on spiritual warfare that is profound, hilarious, upbeat and inspiring. He nails the devils and all his works, and succeeds in keeping the reader's attention all the way through. This is a book to be read and re-read and to share with others.
103 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
33 people are currently reading
109 people want to read
About the author
Dwight Longenecker
45 books80 followersDwight Longenecker was brought up an Evangelical, studied at the fundamentalist Bob Jones University, and later was ordained an Anglican priest in England. After ten years in the Anglican ministry as a curate, a chaplain at Cambridge, and a country parson, in 1995 Dwight was received into full communion with the Catholic Church. He has published in numerous religious magazines and papers in the UK, Ireland, and the USA, writing on film and theology, apologetics, Biblical commentary and Catholic culture.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 15, 2014
This book is a riot. If you liked The Screwtape Letters, this is along those lines, but with a Catholic twist. Pokes fun at the foibles of contemporary parish life, so if you haven't got a sense of humor about yourself, you might get your pants in a wad.
Join the campaign to persuade Fr. L. to write more fiction!
Warning: This is supposed to be "Read on letter a day through Lent." Um, good luck with that. You'll just want to keep flipping pages. So plan to give up chocolate or roll in nettles or something, lest you have nothing Lenten left after the first few hours on Ash Wednesday.
Join the campaign to persuade Fr. L. to write more fiction!
Warning: This is supposed to be "Read on letter a day through Lent." Um, good luck with that. You'll just want to keep flipping pages. So plan to give up chocolate or roll in nettles or something, lest you have nothing Lenten left after the first few hours on Ash Wednesday.
April 12, 2023
A great way to spend Lent. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel to it.
March 12, 2011
As a definite fan of Fr. Dwight Longenecker's books and of course his blog I was delighted to receive his new book The Gargoyle Code from him Though I was even more delighted in reading it. In fact I started reading this 110 page book and pretty much continued until I had finished it.
Fr. Longenecker new book is in the tradition of the Screwtape Letters. His previous books have all been solid spiritual reading where at times we would get a glimpse of his Chestertonesque humor. His blog has amply shown his ability for humor and this book is a great combination of humorous spiritual reading. One minute you are seriously laughing at something and the next minute you are evaluating your own spiritual life.
As in the Screwtape letters we have a Demon tempter training a newer tempter in how to keep their "client" on the right path to Hell. The language is quite sarcastic and rude as they discuss their human clients and the ups and downs of their tempting success. The clients in this case are an older ultra-traditionalist who can do nothing but count liturgical abuses and having no real prayer life and a young man who is fine with his modern parish with awful music and bland progressive homilies as he check marks just going to Mass on Sundays.
The original Screwtape Letters were brilliant and I think Fr. Longenecker has pulled off equal brilliance. Having a specifically Catholic context really improves the concept and offers excellent spiritual advice at the same time. Somehow the setting of satire really drives the message home in a way that other forms of spiritual reading don't. I highly recommend this book to give you both laugh-out-loud lines and much to reflect upon.
Fr. Longenecker new book is in the tradition of the Screwtape Letters. His previous books have all been solid spiritual reading where at times we would get a glimpse of his Chestertonesque humor. His blog has amply shown his ability for humor and this book is a great combination of humorous spiritual reading. One minute you are seriously laughing at something and the next minute you are evaluating your own spiritual life.
As in the Screwtape letters we have a Demon tempter training a newer tempter in how to keep their "client" on the right path to Hell. The language is quite sarcastic and rude as they discuss their human clients and the ups and downs of their tempting success. The clients in this case are an older ultra-traditionalist who can do nothing but count liturgical abuses and having no real prayer life and a young man who is fine with his modern parish with awful music and bland progressive homilies as he check marks just going to Mass on Sundays.
The original Screwtape Letters were brilliant and I think Fr. Longenecker has pulled off equal brilliance. Having a specifically Catholic context really improves the concept and offers excellent spiritual advice at the same time. Somehow the setting of satire really drives the message home in a way that other forms of spiritual reading don't. I highly recommend this book to give you both laugh-out-loud lines and much to reflect upon.
May 9, 2022
A quick read. There were several grammar and style problems - poor Father obviously did not have a good editor. I am actually a bit shocked that nobody noticed them before the book was published.
There were enjoyable moments, and I have to admire anyone with the guts to attempt to write a spiritual successor to The Screwtape Letters, but it was just not a well executed book.
It honestly reminded me of a work of fanfiction... which, in a way, it is.
I hate to leave a mostly negative review on a book like this, but it missed the mark for me.
There were enjoyable moments, and I have to admire anyone with the guts to attempt to write a spiritual successor to The Screwtape Letters, but it was just not a well executed book.
It honestly reminded me of a work of fanfiction... which, in a way, it is.
I hate to leave a mostly negative review on a book like this, but it missed the mark for me.
August 10, 2018
Insightful
Reminiscent of the Screwtape Lettes, whether you are a devout catholic or not, this book reads with an incredible insight into the war between principalities that is always waging.
Reminiscent of the Screwtape Lettes, whether you are a devout catholic or not, this book reads with an incredible insight into the war between principalities that is always waging.
April 3, 2020
An updated version of the Screwtape Letters the situations it presents are more familiar to 21st century readers than Mr. Lewis’ excellent book. It has the added bonus of being set up to read one chapter a day for everyday in Lent. But like potato chips, it’s hard to stop at one a day.
February 18, 2017
The Gargoyle Code is a modern form of C.S. Lewis’ much-lauded classic, The Screwtape Letters, in which a senior demon mentors a junior demon in the fine art of spiritual sabotage. Longenecker departs from a strict duplication of Lewis’ style by having the senior demon (Slubgrip) change apprentices halfway through, and a flurry of letters to other demons – coordinating attacks and conspiring against one another – are also included. At first I liked the evidence of demonic infighting as an example of evil will oft evil mar (Slubgrip flatters a fellow demon in one letter, then derides their character when writing to others), but the amount of demonic politicking is such that it consumes a third of the book. It became more distracting than helpful, though others have found it funny.
Still, Lewis’ marvelous subtlety is repeated here in good form. One of my favorite passages from the Screwtape Letters involved a demon using church attendance to weaken his client’s spirituality, by having him think about the moral frailties of his fellow parishioners, self-righteously fuming over their hypocrisy. Here, the senior demon uses a similar approach by having his conservative Catholic target constantly think about how awful ‘reform’ liturgy is, how the wondrous hymns of old have been replaced by happy-clappy praise music, etc. Subtle manipulation is the name of the game: it’s no good to have a target simply fall into sin, for abrupt attacks tend to backfire. The target will be so ashamed of themselves they may literally repent and start avoiding avenues of temptation. Slow and steady is the goal – erode the connections people make between their lives and what is taught, then tempt them. The best of worlds is a subject who goes to church faithfully, but has religion so compartmentalized in his mind that it only exists on Sundays; otherwise he follows his every whim, and is forever guarded against any soul-searching by the comforting notion that he goes to church, so of course he's OK.
While it doesn't eclipse The Screwtape Letters, Code was written as book to read during Lent, each letter or 'text' being spaced out among the forty days, and so is perfect for that season.
Still, Lewis’ marvelous subtlety is repeated here in good form. One of my favorite passages from the Screwtape Letters involved a demon using church attendance to weaken his client’s spirituality, by having him think about the moral frailties of his fellow parishioners, self-righteously fuming over their hypocrisy. Here, the senior demon uses a similar approach by having his conservative Catholic target constantly think about how awful ‘reform’ liturgy is, how the wondrous hymns of old have been replaced by happy-clappy praise music, etc. Subtle manipulation is the name of the game: it’s no good to have a target simply fall into sin, for abrupt attacks tend to backfire. The target will be so ashamed of themselves they may literally repent and start avoiding avenues of temptation. Slow and steady is the goal – erode the connections people make between their lives and what is taught, then tempt them. The best of worlds is a subject who goes to church faithfully, but has religion so compartmentalized in his mind that it only exists on Sundays; otherwise he follows his every whim, and is forever guarded against any soul-searching by the comforting notion that he goes to church, so of course he's OK.
While it doesn't eclipse The Screwtape Letters, Code was written as book to read during Lent, each letter or 'text' being spaced out among the forty days, and so is perfect for that season.
April 15, 2014
In the tradition of "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis, "The Gargoyle Code" is a record of correspondence among the devil's tempters. In this book, however, the correspondence is not just advice from a master to a novice but also among tempters, revealing infighting and political maneuvering. This adds to the entertainment of the work.
The book is written to read one letter a day during Lent. However, I couldn't wait to find out how it ended, so I finished it before Easter! It is fascinating to consider our lives from the other side--how events in our lives can be used by evil spirits to hinder or completely reverse our growth in faith and holiness.
I highly recommend this book. Read it any time of the year!
The book is written to read one letter a day during Lent. However, I couldn't wait to find out how it ended, so I finished it before Easter! It is fascinating to consider our lives from the other side--how events in our lives can be used by evil spirits to hinder or completely reverse our growth in faith and holiness.
I highly recommend this book. Read it any time of the year!
April 11, 2016
Enjoyable lighthearted read. Following in the footsteps of C. S. Lewis' Screwtape, Fr. Longenecker writes another tale of a senior demon advising an up and coming tempter.
Writing from a specifically Catholic orientation, this new volume includes more modern references (like email and Internet pornography) and specifically Catholic topics, like the various forms of Mass, sacraments, and religious vocations.
My only critique would be the bit of naiveté concerning the issue of women using pornography as statistics show it is becoming an increasing problem and is no longer just a sin for the guys.
Writing from a specifically Catholic orientation, this new volume includes more modern references (like email and Internet pornography) and specifically Catholic topics, like the various forms of Mass, sacraments, and religious vocations.
My only critique would be the bit of naiveté concerning the issue of women using pornography as statistics show it is becoming an increasing problem and is no longer just a sin for the guys.
October 20, 2012
There is unfortunately no way this is equal to the Screwtape Letters, but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it. I thought most of the ideas presented in this book nice enough, although maybe a bit shallow and relying on stereotypes at times.
As a nitpicker it took me quite a bit of willpower to get over the minor style/language points I dislike (like not putting a comma between "this is how it's done" - or an equivalent piece of text - and "Dogwart").
I liked how the depiction of competition between the demons was made clear.
As a nitpicker it took me quite a bit of willpower to get over the minor style/language points I dislike (like not putting a comma between "this is how it's done" - or an equivalent piece of text - and "Dogwart").
I liked how the depiction of competition between the demons was made clear.
March 2, 2013
This is meant to be a day by day Lenten read, but I really don't think anyone could make it last for 40 days. I couldn't stop once I'd started reading it. It is very insightful, but also very entertaining. If you've ever had a hard time examining your conscience before confession, this is the book for you! We ignore the spiritual realm at our own peril. It has certainly made me more aware of the source of distractions and of areas where I have been blind to my own weaknesses. I want to read more of his books!
April 14, 2017
Great Lent Read
This is a wonderful read for Lent. I was curious how it would compare to Screwtape, but was not disappointed. A great way to travel through Lent. Every Catholic should put on their plan for next Lent if they haven't already read it.
This is a wonderful read for Lent. I was curious how it would compare to Screwtape, but was not disappointed. A great way to travel through Lent. Every Catholic should put on their plan for next Lent if they haven't already read it.
December 29, 2013
A different and wonderful take on The Screwtape Letters. Perfect read for Lent.
April 8, 2016
rather insightful,
but not up to the caliber of Lewis's The Screwtape Letters, from which this work receives its inspiration
However, I'll probably read the sequel next Lent.
but not up to the caliber of Lewis's The Screwtape Letters, from which this work receives its inspiration
However, I'll probably read the sequel next Lent.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews