Seriously, this book...it's fantastic.
I first read it at an age rather too young for proper comprehension, though it did entertain me some at the time. After reading it over a few more times as a teen and young adult, it began to speak to me in a way it hadn't when I was younger.
As a Christian, this book is more to me than an entertaining read. For me it's the second handbook on devils. (The first, of course, being the Bible.)
EVERYONE should read this book. As said, I am a Christian so this book takes on a special meaning for me. But even so, your religion matters not in the slightest. If it does not mean something to you, you will still be thoroughly entertained by reading this and your thoughts will probably be provoked.
The setting and plot consist of during WWII America, an older devil writes letters of advice to his nephew, a young devil just getting started in the way of...devilry, I suppose.
On the topic of character development...the main characters are fairly static, keeping true to Biblical teaching. Their victims, however...very dynamic.
Reading this book is like peering into the window (or reading the notes from, as it were) a "top-secret" devil's meeting, the topic being how to cause people to stumble and ensure their feast of human souls in Hell.
I'm fairly certain I'd not be far off to call CS Lewis the most phenomenal Christian author of all time thus far, not counting the men who were responsible for the writing of the Bible itself.
Bottom line: READ IT. You will not regret it. Unless you are a Satanist, then, well, I don't know what to tell you.
