Pizza with Sarah and Donald

Book Reviews

Portland Book Review Magazine, May 2011, “Lucifer’s Guide to Life”

One might expect Lucifer’s lessons to be full of pro-evil propaganda and vitriol.  On the contrary, his guide to life is designed to help people reach their full potential and get everything they can out of life.  This might be surprising considering the source, but according to Lucifer, the image that most people have of him is a skewed misunderstanding of his relationship with God. Unlike the popular view of Satan as a fallen angel, he and God actually get along and Lucifer is really more of a messenger for God than a fallen angel at complete odds with him. Currently, God is annoyed with the human race and is considering writing the earth off as a failed experiment. Lucifer, who likes many things on earth (Disneyland being a favorite), has decided to impart his wisdom to humans to improve their lot and hopefully lead lives that have more personal gain and satisfaction than ever before.

Channeling his thoughts through author Stanley Harris and bringing in occasional pinch hitter and ghost Sam Clemens, Lucifer gives the human race his thoughts and directions on everything from his general thoughts on humanity to witchcraft for daily use (helpful for work and for home). Particularly amusing highlights are his views on marriage (he recommends incorporation versus marriage as couples can then write more off their taxes), children (who, to learn the importance of money, should play with bankbooks and wallets instead of toys), and becoming a better criminal (criminals are valuable assets and support a huge job industry in the justice system).

Stanley Harris, in channeling these life lessons from the wise, has created a hilarious, sometimes surprisingly thought provoking book that is delightful and will bring a smile to the face of the reader (and sometimes also bring strange looks from co-workers and spouses).  He uses a deft hand to navigate the various topics of discussion and strikes a pleasant balance between funny and serious and does a nice job in making the thoughts seem as if they are coming from a separate entity. Fans of humorous satire will particularly enjoy this Guide to Life.  

Portland Book Review Magazine, June 2011, “I Was Morgan Fairchild’s Love Slave”

I Was Morgan Fairchild’s Love Slave  by Stanley Harris is a tongue-in-cheek farce about a chance meeting with Morgan Fairchild … Stanley’s childhood of nerdiness and obesity kept women at bay from him until, as a self-imposed hippie in the early seventies, Stanley heads to Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco, California during a break from college for a much-needed adventure. He hitchhikes south to L.A. and is picked up by none other than Morgan Fairchild who ends up offering to let him stay in her home with her for the duration of his visit to California. …

… Comedy abounds with uncultivated tangents in his fantasies like with his pet snake, Satan and dreams of what may happen to him next or what he should be saying or doing. The story is engaging and believably clever capturing character traits of the well known actress. It takes you on a moment by moment journey of his five days with her …  you can’t put it down; you have to know what happens in the end. While the title and premise is silly and even embarrassing to take the book with you anywhere in public, the writing itself is hilarious, entrancing and forces you to and relive your own memories, both good and bad, of that first love lost. All things considered, it is an entertaining tryst of a novel if you can get past the love-hate emotions you feel for Morgan Fairchild as a person.