Smart as the Devil

by Felice Picano

Felice Picano's first three novels were thrillers reflecting their time, echoing the best of Stephen King and Peter Blatty. Smart as the Devil was nominated for the first P.E.N. Ernest Hemingway Award for a debut novel and became a book club choice. The notion of "the bad seed" was explored in various novels and films.
The confounding, implacable rages of Nicholas De Luca, a young, handsome, articulate teenager, had become a problem; Darien, CT schoolboard psychologist Peter Mazur is brought in. Nicholas resides in a sedate country home, with a nearby lake, a mother who coddled him, and a housekeeper who tolerates him. Sucked into their hidden emotional vortex, Peter soon becomes part of the who controls whom? With the sudden, suspicious death of Nicholas's male friend, the mysteries deepen. Nicholas takes on the personality of Christopher Darling, a 16th century figure from the witch trials; the boy grows stronger, more dominant daily. When Peter brings in a recruit, his retired mentor from college, the game is almost only one personality can survive. Right up to the final climax, Peter is still asking dual-personality? a case of possession? Or pure evil ...
This new edition is accompanied by an afterword by the author.

Genres: Horror

382 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1975

About the author

Felice Anthony Picano was an American writer, publisher and critic who encouraged the development of gay literature in the United States. His work is documented in many sources.

Reviews

[Cody · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. A boring book that tries to be a conglomeration of Rosemary’s Baby, The Exorcist, and The Other while never living up to the promises it makes. Bargain bin ‘70s horror at its worst.

[Richard K. Wilson · Rating 1 out of 5]

OMG this was just DREADFUL!

So if you take the year 1975, throw in some wanna be horror rip off of any thriller released that summer year....and this is what you come up with! For being a book by an author I usually enjoy, this was just dreadful! 12 year old Nicholas is extremely mature for his age, well that is what the author wants you to think, very good looking and sensual, and just a spoiled rich kid. He goes to a very expensive private school, and all his teachers both female and male are entranced and obsessed with him.....why? It is never explained. Throw in some stupid scenes with dumb adults and an Ouija board, and just plain bad connections with supposed witch craft and a 300 year old spirit of a manboy who could have been a witch.....and there you have it; 'Smart As The Devil'. It ended up being the worst waste of time.....and the book has the worlds fucking smallest print ever.......don't waste your time, you cannot get it back.

1 🤦‍♂️

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately too much of a slow burn to hold my interest.

[Ronald Wilcox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this novel the first time as a teenager about 30-35 years ago. I remembered that I enjoyed it but could not remember much details so decided to read it again. Enjoyable suspense novel about an well-behaved adolescent who suddenly begins having violent attacks. Enter Peter Mazur, a child psychologist of the school district. He decides that the child has a dissociative personality and tries to bring the two personalities together. Or is he wrong? Is it a possession of the spirit of an evil youth from 300 years before? Mazur has to evaluate the youth and decide what needs to become to help him.

[Michael Kerjman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whatever strange, different, not convincing sometimes, this story grasps a reader on a first page to finał one steadily while a hidden contempt of quackery disguised with white robes of medicine psychiatry located customarily within, is especially vivid in a covid-tale enchanted world nowadays.

[Jacob B · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not horrible, not very fun.

[David Lewis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing...interesting premise, but too many unbelievable plot twists.

[Alexa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a great read all the way up until the last section of the book where it quickly came to an end and left me with more questions than answers.

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another evil child kind of story, but it held my attention.

[Beckey · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like Damian the movie or other similar to that then this maybe a book for you. Interesting ...

[Stephen Ezute · Rating 5 out of 5]

i read this book in 1995 and i loved it