The Devils of Loudun
A True Story of Demonic Possession

This is probably one of the most interesting and important books I've ever read. Let me say first that (in spite of the tag-line) it actually has almost nothing to do with devils, or "demon possession" as such. I suspect it was billed as "A True Story of Demon Possession" in order to boost sales. It......more

Not about devils, really, but about mass hysteria and the psychological roots of religious ecstasy, mania, and spirituality itself. This is the story of the philandering priest Urbane Grandier of Loudun, in 17th Century France, who was burnt at the stake for causing the demonic possession of a whole......more

A challenging read, not least because it deals with some of the worst of human behaviour in a way that is depressingly recognisable. It's challenging too in the sense of straddling multiple genres, which can be a great thing in literature but is problematic when it comes to history. Huxley takes, to......more

Un saggio romanzato o un romanzo saggistico. Sta di fatto che l'incedere lento e pastoso di questo scritto mette spesso a dura prova la pazienza del lettore. Sicuramente molto erudito, sicuramente molto ducumentato, sicuramente molto ben scritto altrettanto sicuramente senza anima. Non comunica null......more