Demonology

Sometimes you can judge a book by its cover.  In fact, I may have never read Rick Mood at all had the cover of Demonology not been so strikingly odd compared to the title:

His writing is truly fantastic.  I sent some of these around a few years ago, but they are completely worth sharing again.

From The Carnival Tradition

p. 176

Late in every possible way. Late to engagements major and minor; late when it was crucial to be on time; late when it made no difference; late when lateness was clearly his fault; late in the mornings (for
having slept late); late in the evenings (for having stayed up late); late to the birth of his godchildren; late to plays; late to job interviews; late to dates and romantic escapades; late when remorseful about lateness; late when careless; late when happy; late when sad or impervious to feelings, increasingly late, and it had always been that way.

p. 221

Some people had cruelties inflicted on them because cruelties had been inflicted on them in the past. These initial cruelties acted as magnets for further cruelties. You saw the wound, you saw the way the victim loved the wound, you saw the way he tended it, how lovingly, how pridefully, and you couldn't do anything but reopen this wound. In fact, it was almost pleasurable to be the source of this renewed trauma for this unfortunate, because it was something that the victim knew well. Therefore, you were reassuring him even while you were inflicting discomfort.

p. 226

It was a delirium of stories in which the principals never quite met, never quite spoke, never quite loved, never quite left. The pieces didnt match and never would , but the pieces were almost identical.