Literary Quiz: Damon Snow and the Nocturnal Lessons

My childhood bestie Laura and I have long exchanged literary quizzes.  The premise is that you find the most absurd blurb on the back of a novel you can, then invite your reader to dissect it.  Actually reading the book is strongly discouraged.  Today's selection:

Damon Snow and the Nocturnal Lessons

Damon Snow thinks he has the world figured out. As an incubus demon and male prostitute, the world is a cruel, dark and lonely place where men only want one thing. When his long-time patron Byrne discovers he's dying, Byrne offers to leave his entire fortune to Damon. There's only one catch: Damon has to investigate and write about the reason another patron Price visits him. Easy – the same reason as all men. But what starts as an easy assignment turns into an impossible secret, the last thing Damon would ever suspect. If men only want one thing, how can one possibly fall in love?


1.  Do you think Damon's demon parents gave him that name? It seems really unoriginal, bordering on cruelty.  This is my demon son, Damon.  I bet he got teased in Imp school.  Are the Snows an old demon family, or a bunch of nouveau fiends on the make?  Expand on Damon's family background, exploring the potential impact on his life choices and the trajectory of the story. (10 points)

2. An incubus is a male-form sexual demon that preys on women in it's spare time.  How does this fit with his occupation as a male prostitute, given the contextual suggestion that his primary clients are men?  Is it really fair to say that the world is "cruel and dark" when, as a incubus demon, he's the one prowling around being shadowy and evil? Discuss the inherent paradoxes that set up the central psychological conflict of this piece. (15 points)

3.  The author asserts that men "only want one thing" but then fails to inform the audience what that might be.  What is the effect of this ambiguity? How might readers be misled? Create a list of the one thing men might plausibly want. Possibilities include: Some freaking peace and quiet for once, to finish the game without being bitten by a toddler etc. (10 points)

4.  Who is dying?  Parse the grammar. (5 points)

5. Given that Damon is a demon, suggest likely occupations for Price.  A salesman? A checker?

6.  Who is the intended audience for Damon's investigative journalism? Byrne the voyeur? People perusing the back page of Eugene Weekly to see the proclivities of local lonely weirdos? The Daily Male, the gossip rag for demonic prostitutes?  Write a sample article in Damon's signature style.  (20 points).

7.  Return to pondering question #3.  What is the one thing that is totally incompatible with also falling in love?  Pooping publicly? Very unattractive and does not promote romance.  Or does it.... happily married for seven years, yo. (10 points.)

8.  How much would you have to be paid to read this book?  Would you do it to ensure your candidate wins the presidency? What would your price be? Asking for a demon friend.