DOGMA: A NOVEL

by Kevin Smith

Kevin Smith's first feature film, Clerks, was an instant hit, scoring high-profile awards at the prestigious Sundance and Cannes film festivals and earning Smith titles such as "the king of Gen-X cinema" and "the grunge Godot". The mainstream success of last year's Chasing Amy confirmed what his fans already knew -- that Smith is a writer-director of wide appeal. His offbeat characters, bone-dry sense of humor, and jaded optimism signal nothing less than a new kind of American storytelling that is striking the right chord with audiences across the country -- from the hippest to the most conventional.Now Kevin Smith turns his immense talents to his first novel, Dogma. In it, a pair of duped angels unwittingly orchestrate the unmaking of existence, thanks to a loophole in Catholic dogma, and it's up to an unbelieving lapsed Catholic, the unsung thirteenth Apostle, a muse with writer's block, and a pair of stoners -- who may or may not be prophets -- to stop them. Meanwhile, as an angst-ridden demon and his dim-witted minions plot behind the scenes and the Holy Mother Church reinvents herself for the next millennium under the aegis of a slick, publicity-savvy Cardinal, one can only wonder what happened to the Almighty Him- or Herself.A literary novel to rival the best and sharpest new fiction, Dogma marks Smith's venture into a medium that shows off his storytelling proficiency as much as film. His many fans and all enthusiasts of vibrant modern fiction will applaud this stunning debut.

Genres: Humor, Film, Fiction, Fantasy, Religion, Comedy, Media Tie In

256 pages, Hardcover

First published November 16, 1999

About the author

Kevin Patrick Smith is an American screenwriter, director, as well as a comic book writer, author, and actor. He is also the co-founder, with Scott Mosier, of View Askew Productions and owner of Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash comic and novelty store in Red Bank, New Jersey. He also hosts a weekly podcast with Scott Mosier known as SModcast. He is also known for participating in long, humorous Q&A Sessions that are often filmed for DVD release, beginning with An Evening with Kevin Smith.

His films are often set in his home state of New Jersey, and while not strictly sequential, they do frequently feature crossover plot elements, character references, and a shared canon in what is known by fans as the "View Askewniverse", named after his production company View Askew Productions. He has produced numerous films and television projects, including Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back and Clerks II.

Reviews

[mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading a screenplay is an opportunity to see the writer's original intentions. And while Smith directed, acted in, and edited the movie, there were also the casting director, the actors cast, the director of photography and a co-editor (among others) who got to have their say in shaping the final result. Plus with the screenplay, you get to see the stage directions (surprisingly little in this and mostly for the benefit of the photography) and whatever backstory in terms of explanation/narration the writer included. You also can get the story without being burdened by the visuals; in other words, you get to "see" it in your head the way you would visualize any other work of fiction, which means now it's your personal interpretation of the writer's story. And that's always fun, even if it's a story for a movie I have already seen. So, for example, knowing the nun who loses her faith is Betty Aberlin who played Lady Aberlin on Mister Rogers in the Land of Make Believe, I could easily picture her in her full Lady Aberlin regalia, but wearing the coif, wimple, and veil.

The story is essentially the same as in the movie with all of the satire, parody, sarcasm, and irreverence that you would expect from Kevin Smith. Reading it with the voices of the actors in my head also makes it less like reading and more like being told the story, which is always fun too.

[Just Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Should get docked a point because of the shit monster, but gains it back by casting Alanis Morissette as God. I'm a 90s kid, what can I say except Thank You, Kevin.

[Steven Logan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hilarious and thought provoking.

[Jeff Nielsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read. Enjoyed more than the movie.

[Shody · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the movie so much I needed the screenplay. It's comical and kind of serious... but for the most part, makes you think.

[Rob Kotaska · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would love to read a version without Jay and Silent Bob. There is so much good stuff in this, but they feel shoehorned in.

[Baris Balcioglu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used to love Kevin Smith. I didn't recall that I had discovered him during my first year in the US.

[Punkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars
Smith's best.

[Djayawarman Alamprabu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blasphemy at its best :P
- Great writing
- Great Plot
- And Great cast for the movie :P

[Karen Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

[Marybeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book on a trip to Chicago in the hotel lobby's take-one-leave-one library. I love the movie, and this just gave me a deeper understanding to some of the nuances I've overlooked, plus a few deleted lines and scenes.