Satan: His Psychotherapy and Cure by the Unfortunate Dr. Kassler, J.S.P.S.

Satan: His Psychotherapy and Cure by the Unfortunate Dr. Kassler, J.S.P.S. is the funniest and most disturbing book I read in the 1990s (except the zine Murder Can Be Fun.  That’s in a special category).  The title is also the plot (which is absurd on the face of it) but one of my born-again friends wouldn’t even open it.  Apparently she was afraid of Satan, or of God (not sure which), as if Satan wasn’t already the prince of this world, or God had no sense of humor.

The story is really about Dr. Kassler, who has about the most wretched life possible, but never gives up.  It’s entertaining and uplifting in a very horrible sort of way, like watching Silence of the Lambs¹ and being really, really glad it’s fiction.

¹ OK, not that horrible.  But you get my drift, I think.

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