Congratulate the Devil

by Howell Davies, Adrian Dannat (Foreword)

Mescal had always had its routes into the world, as this novel's complex relationships show: Starling knows a chemist named Roper, who knows a painter named Jourbert, who knows a man in Mexico who works for the government. There has been a new shipment of mescal, but it is not quite what anyone expected. This is a new drug that opens the doors of perception for a man such as Roper, hiding away in his north London laboratory. He can make people work for him and turn his friends into fools or murderers—if only he could control his own mind.

Genres: Science Fiction

264 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1939

About the author

Howell Davies (1896-1985) was a Welsh editor and author who wrote three novels under the pseudonym "Andrew Marvell".

Reviews

[Nicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Congratulate the Devil is, though I didn't know that when I picked it up, an SF novel. Imagine there was a pill that, when you take it, made you able to make anyone do anything. If you silently order a man to go stand on his head, that's what he will do. The novel explores the ethics of that, and its effects on two very different men: one with a streak of badness in him, and the other with a streak of generosity and loving kindness. Both of them cause equal amounts of problems, in the end -- if anything, the man who spreads loving kindness causes more mayhem than the other, because he is not selfish and wants to make everyone the same, while the selfish man only wants to change things that pertain to himself.

It is, of course, written by a Welshman, and there's commentary on Welshness in it -- the long memories of the Welsh are a little joke, here and there, and it begins and ends in a Welsh village. It only briefly touches on life in a Welsh village, but somehow manages to get the life of it down (at least so far as I can judge from reading other Welsh fiction).

There's something quite comic about parts of it, which is fun, and it's very easy to read. Even if you're not interested in Welsh fiction per se, this 1939 Welsh SF book might be of interest... It reminds me of H.G. Wells and the like, exploring a hypothetical scenario ('what if you could turn invisible?' i.e. The Invisible Man, or 'what if you could travel in time?' i.e. The Time Machine).

I wonder if his other books are in print. Somehow doubt it. He's Welsh, after all.

[Gaabriel Becket · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! The publisher, Parthian Books, is re-releasing "lost" Welsh titles from the 30s and 40s that didn't get the attention they might have because of the depression and the war. "Congratulate the Devil" is a TREASURE of 1930s sci-fi, great plot, really great writing - sly, wise, loving and thoughtful - great characterization, NOTHING pulpy about this story. Just really f'ing great. I've read tons of sci-fi and this is as good as any writer I've read and better than most.

[Chelsea Mcgill · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a wealthy layabout named Starling discovers that a class friend of his has something to do with a strange incident involving his uncle’s dog in the daytime in a park, he goes to investigate. Roper is a chemist who analyzes samples of drugs seized by the police. This newest shipment is strange – it has amazing mind-expanding properties. Starling is pulled into experimenting with Roper, and as his friend’s negative side becomes more and more pronounced, he wonders if he should do something… especially when Roper becomes interested in a girl he just met…

This novel is considered to be a classic of Welsh fiction, and has been republished as part of the Library of Wales series.

Happiness and Misery

Starling and Roper are joined in these experiments by a Welsh street singer named Bert. Unlike the lazy Starling and the manipulative and cruel Roper, Bert is a good person. He is happy with his simple life and just wants to make people happy as much as he can. When Bert starts taking the drug, his natural instincts are enhanced. Instead of manipulative or evil, Bert becomes even more kind. More than that, he makes others happy and generous.

Read the rest of my review here: http://thegloballycurious.blogspot.in...

[Mathijs Beaujean · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book itself doesn't rate over 3 stars for me. It is not badly written and I love the story he is trying to tell, but it lacks a natural pace.
In principle one could divide it in three parts:
1) setting the stage
2) Roper uses the pills (introvert person)
3) Bert uses the pills (extrovert person)
The first two parts are not efficient enough. Part 1 leaves a lot of loose ends and part 2 drags on and on... Even though the writer has valid points to make.
Only in part 3 does he make his point in a short and effective way. Maybe too effective and too short, because it is over before the real implications of universal love become apparent.

One has to remember that this book was written well before the '60s. And the writer does show having an intimate understanding of the motivations of man. If only he had rewritten the book one more time it would have been a 4 star book easy.

I still do not advice against reading it. But make sure you have time on your hands and nothing to distract you. Because the writing in itself will not prevent your mind from wandering.

[Paradise P]

i need to read this book