50
Used, New, and Out of Print Books - We Buy and Sell - Powell's Books
Cart |
|  my account  |  wish list  |  help   |  800-878-7323
Hello, | Login
MENU
  • Browse
    • New Arrivals
    • Bestsellers
    • Featured Preorders
    • Award Winners
    • Audio Books
    • See All Subjects
  • Used
  • Staff Picks
    • Staff Picks
    • Picks of the Month
    • 50 Books for 50 Years
    • 25 Best 21st Century Sci-Fi & Fantasy
    • 25 PNW Books to Read Before You Die
    • 25 Books From the 21st Century
    • 25 Memoirs to Read Before You Die
    • 25 Global Books to Read Before You Die
    • 25 Women to Read Before You Die
    • 25 Books to Read Before You Die
  • Gifts
    • Gift Cards & eGift Cards
    • Powell's Souvenirs
    • Journals and Notebooks
    • socks
    • Games
  • Sell Books
  • Blog
  • Events
  • Find A Store

PowellsBooks.Blog
Authors, readers, critics, media − and booksellers.

Guests

Good vs. Evil, Again

by Danielle Trussoni, March 25, 2010 10:16 AM
While doing a reading at Vromer's Books in Pasadena recently, someone asked me about the good and evil characters, the battle between good and bad, between Nephilim and Human, in my book. Although this isn't anything new, I thought I'd ramble on a bit about it here, especially because it is at the heart of Angelology.

Angelology is a theological study which has existed for hundreds of years. I've taken this idea and, in the world of my novel, posited that famous thinkers, philosophers, and religions have dedicated their lives to the study of angels with the purpose of fighting evil angels called Nephilim. In the library archives at www.angelologist.com, you can consult pages of a directory of some famous angelologists from my novel. Reading about these people made me want to write about them and their fight with the Nephilim — from ancient times to the present.

As I wrote Angelology, I found myself less interested in the classic ‘good vs. evil' concept and was drawn more and more to the ambiguity, the shades of gray between the two extremes. I wanted to show that the Nephilim have a variety of qualities: are more or less human and have more or less angelic qualities, and that nothing is as straightforward as pure good or pure evil. From a writer's point of view, it is nearly impossible to draw believable characters that are at either extreme. For example, my character Percival Grigori is desperately attracted to human women, despite himself. Meanwhile, the angelologists who hope to track the Nephilim down and rid them of their powers are faced with ambiguous feelings, difficult decisions, moral dilemmas. So maybe this book is not so much about good and evil, but all the nuances between.

What are some of your favorite Good vs. Evil stories? Please post below.




Books mentioned in this post

Angelology

Danielle Trussoni
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##

Most Read

  1. Best Fiction of 2020 by Powell's Books
  2. 25 Books to Read Before You Die: 21st Century by Powell's Staff
  3. Midyear Roundup 2021: The Best Books of the Year (So Far) by Powell's Staff
  4. The 11 Best Places to Read by Will Schwalbe
  5. 25 Books to Read Before You Die: Pacific Northwest Edition by Powell's Staff

Blog Categories

  • Interviews
  • Original Essays
  • Lists
  • Q&As
  • Playlists
  • Portrait of a Bookseller
  • City of Readers
  • Required Reading
  • Powell's Picks Spotlight

3 Responses to "Good vs. Evil, Again"

rsklnkv April 8, 2010 at 02:49 PM
You remember incorrectly, Mark:) There was this one angel (if you recall) in that book that went 'evil', hence the idea of gray-areas when one talks about 'good' and 'evil'. In fact (maybe not the best word to use in this context!), does that book even talk about some inherent 'goodness' of angels beyond that they served god? Does this make them perfect? Genuinly curious here but it seems to me that anything less than perfect brings up the possibility of committing acts one might consider 'bad' even when the perpetrator is generally 'good'. Grey-areas rule.

the_echobabies March 28, 2010 at 08:06 AM
Isn't everything about Good vs. Evil, or Order vs. Chaos, and all the choices we make that are in-between? It's hard to think of a favorite that actually proclaims to be about Good vs. Evil! Maybe The Name of the Rose? I admit, I haven't bought your book yet, but I read the great review in the New York Times. It looks both fun and intriguing, and I'm really looking forward to delving into it, ASAP. I have to wait for payday. : )

Mark Reyter March 25, 2010 at 10:43 AM
Mine's the Bible-but I remember the angels being good, not in between.

Result(s) 3

Post a comment:

*Required Fields
Name*
Email*
  1. Please note:
  2. All comments require moderation by Powells.com staff.
  3. Comments submitted on weekends might take until Monday to appear.
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram

  • Help
  • Guarantee
  • My Account
  • Careers
  • About Us
  • Security
  • Wish List
  • Partners
  • Contact Us
  • Shipping
  • Sitemap
  • © 2022 POWELLS.COM Terms