Falling Angel

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This article is about the 1978 William Hjortsberg novel. For other uses, see Falling Angels (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Fallen angel (disambiguation) or Angels Fall (disambiguation).
Falling Angel
First edition
AuthorWilliam Hjortsberg
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarcourt Brace Jovanovich
Publication date
1978
Media typePrint
OCLC873367495
Preceded byToro! Toro! Toro! (1974) 
Followed byTales & Fables (1985) 

Falling Angel is a 1978 horror novel by American writer William Hjortsberg. Written in a hardboiled detective style with supernatural themes, it was adapted into the 1987 film Angel Heart.[1]

Plot summary[edit]

Johnny Favorite, a popular crooner before and during the Second World War, has not been seen or heard of since he was critically wounded during a 1943 Luftwaffe raid on Allied forces in Tunisia. In 1959, private investigator Harry Angel is hired to locate him on behalf of a mysterious client who calls himself Louis Cyphre. During his investigation, Angel finds himself enmeshed in a disturbing occult milieu.

Adaptations[edit]

The book was adapted into a 1987 mystery-thriller film entitled Angel Heart starring Mickey Rourke, Robert De Niro, and Lisa Bonet.[1] It was also adapted into an opera by J. Mark Scearce to a libretto by Lucy Thurber.[2] Titled Falling Angel, it premiered at the Brevard Music Center on June 30, 2016,[3][4] after having initially been commissioned by the Center for Contemporary Opera in New York.[2] The novel was serialized in digest version in Playboy magazine in 1978, winner of Playboy Editorial Award for Best Major Work.[5]

Sequel[edit]

A sequel, Angel's Inferno, was published posthumously in 2020.[6][7]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Canby, Vincent (March 6, 1987). "Angel Heart (1987) Film: Mickey Rourke Stars in 'Angel Heart'". The New York Times.
  2. ^ a b "J. Mark Scearce (DM 93) Commissioned by the Center for Contemporary Opera - News Updates". Indiana university. Archived from the original on 19 May 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  3. ^ Waleson, Heidi (5 July 2016). "'Falling Angel' Review: Brevard Bravado". WSJ. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  4. ^ "BMC > Performances > June 30, 2016 > Falling Angel – World Première". Brevard music. Archived from the original on 26 April 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  5. ^ "Falling Angel". williamhjortsberg.com. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  6. ^ Didcock, Barry (12 December 2020). "A Satanic sequel to cult noir Angel Heart set in Beat-era Paris". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  7. ^ Nette, Andrew (9 December 2020). "The Long, Dark Legacy of William Hjortsberg's Supernatural Neo-Noirs". CrimeReads. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
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