The War Hound and the World's Pain [Hardcover]

Michael Moorcock (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 239 pages
• Publisher: Timescape Books (October 1981)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671437089
• ISBN-13: 978-0671437084
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,932,179 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born in London in 1939, Michael Moorcock now lives in Texas. A prolific and award-winning writer with more than eighty works of fiction and non-fiction to his name, he is the creator of Elric, Jerry Cornelius and Colonel Pyat, amongst many other memorable characters.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lucifer must be out of his mind!, October 30, 2003

By 

OAKSHAMAN "oakshaman" (Algoma, WI United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The War Hound and the World's Pain (Hardcover)

As much as I enjoyed the subsequent two novels of the Von Bek trilogy (_City in the Autumn Stars_ and The Dream Thief's Daughter_) this first volume is still my favorite. It could easily have stood on it's own as a classic.
The basic premise is that Lucifer is not an all-knowing, all-powerful arch fiend, but merely a frustrated, desperate exile. God exiled Lucifer to earth with no instructions and no further communication. In his own words, Lucifer tells how everything that he did since then was his own idea, done on his own initiative. First, he tried to prove that he could build a world that was greater than the Creator's (he reveals that most of the world's rulers and churchmen are really "his".) However, by the 17th century, Europe is clearly dieing in unending warfare and plague INSPITE of his efforts to make a better world. Lucifer admits that his efforts have been a colossal failure and that he has no idea why. Moreover, he just wants to reconcile with God and go back home to his old position in heaven.

In desperation Lucifer sends an agent to find the Holy Grail. Grasping at straws, he believes that the legendary Grail will grant immediate union with God, and as a result the Last Judgement and an end to the World's Pain. Unfortunately, the Devil has no pure knights to search for this Grail- the closest thing he can find is Capt. Ulrich Von Bek. Von Bek is far from innocent, since as a mercenary soldier he has wilfully commited murder, torture, rape, and robbery as "part of the soldier's craft." Von Bek does have a conscience, though- he just gambled that there was no God or Devil to answer to for his crimes.

Von Bek goes forth on this hopeless quest- quite convinced that Lucifer, and quite possibly God, are both out of their minds....

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Moorcock's Best, September 25, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The War Hound and the World's Pain (Hardcover)

This book, along with Gloriana, is Moorcock's best work. Very different plot from his typical Elric, Corum, etc. Set during one of the interminable wars in the middle of the last millenium, the tale revolves around a German officer on an unusual quest. Very interesting take on the role of Lucifer in our world.

Very enjoyable!