Asmodeus; or, The Devil on Two Sticks

by Alain René Le Sage

"Asmodeus; or, The Devil on Two Sticks" by Alain René Le Sage is a novel first published in 1707. When a young Spanish aristocrat frees the demon Asmodeus from imprisonment in a bottle, the grateful devil repays him with supernatural assistance. Together they embark on pranks and adventures through Madrid, with Asmodeus granting his rescuer the power of flight and the ability to see through rooftops into people's private lives. The novel features thinly-veiled portraits of Parisian celebrities that caused immediate scandal and recognition.