Dan England and the Noonday Devil

Dan England and the Noonday Devil was Myles Connolly’s favorite of his five books. Indeed, with the profound philosophic sensibility and keen artistic vision that marked Connolly’s craft in the outstanding Mr. Blue shining out even brighter here, one can easily see why. Dan England is a merry and magnanimous man, whose occupation in life is the forging of friendships and the spreading of joy. Believing totally in the capacity of his friends to reach the heroic heights of sainthood, Dan himself is beset by doubts as he battles against that most insidious of foes: acedia, or the “noonday devil.” For this new edition, Stephen Mirarchi’s Introduction elucidates the novel’s background and themes, and his immensely informative notes on the text highlight Connolly’s influences, historical details, and the connections between Dan England and myriad other great works of art, literature, and theology. Take and read. Dan England and the Noonday Devil might just become your favorite Myles Connolly book as well.