The overarching plot of this big, sprawling novel by the Dutch writer Harry Mulisch (The Assault) is revealed to the reader in a prologue and, scattered at intervals throughout the book, five dialogues between two wisecracking angels. The junior angel is reporting to a superior (you know he's superior because he talks - sometimes at length - in italics; very annoying) who in turn will keep "the Chief" posted. Given the characters, it seems fair to assume that these dialogues take place ...