The Devils of Loudun

A True Story of Demonic Possession

By: Aldous Huxley

Narrated by: Matthew Lloyd Davies

Length: 13 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

In 1632, an entire convent in the small French village of Loudun was apparently possessed by the devil. After a sensational and celebrated trial, the convent's charismatic priest Urban Grandier - accused of spiritually and sexually seducing the nuns in his charge - was convicted of being in league with Satan. Then he was burned at the stake for witchcraft. A remarkable true story of religious and sexual obsession, The Devils of Loudun is considered by many to be Brave New World author Aldous Huxley's nonfiction masterpiece.

Public Domain (P)2017 Tantor

Amazing book and NOT outdated rather very relevant

If you draw from all points in history to understand the world you are in better, this book is very relevant today.
Wonder where Western Religion got its zeal, its recognition above human moral, and curious why psychology is still to this day, very lacking?
The way Huxley presents this point in history is an expression of what Western Religion has brought and condemned onto societal man. He shares that our use of good and evil, demons and Devils, possession were some of the original scientific studies of psychology in the West and why we are still so sloppy with human relations, health of physical and mental, and connectedness with one another.

Great story...outdated psychology

This is such a fascinating story. Upon completion, I spent the better part of an hour going down an internet rabbit hole reading more about it. This era in French history has always fascinated me. Huxley does a really great job of making this story accessible and a compelling read...up to a point. I feel like if he had just stuck to what was document history this book may have aged better. However, he draws some conclusions that modern psychology would quickly refute. The case of Sister Jeanne is particularly interesting. In the twenty-first century, it is easy to conclude Sister Jeanne had Dissociative Identity Disorder; however, in the seventeenth century the only logical conclusion was demonic possession. The psychology and many of Huxley's conclusions are quite dated, and the last quarter of the book is a slog through some pretty pompous pontificating. But the first three-quarters are worth the read.

My biggest complaint with the narration is that there are many quotes in French, and my French is very rusty. The audiobook provides no translation. Luckily, I also have the Kindle version which does provide the translation. Matthew Lloyd Davies was excellent as always. My complaint is not with him.

Flowing Story

Got to see the Ken Russell movie which was crazy, but needs to be watch. it is said Urban connffesion under torture. truly a man of God

Would have been much better ...

... if frequent passages in French had been translated into English. The kindle version does just that and is a much more preferable way to enjoy this classic work.

Strange book strange tale

Part of the book does a decent job of presenting an interesting historical event. The rest of the book is a rather windy and abstract discussion of obscure issues in theology, mysticism, abnormal psychology, metaphysics and similar matters. The final chapter explores “downward self-transcendence.” Enough said.

The book has frequent quotations in French and Latin that are not translated or paraphrased. In many cases, the quotes make a major point or conclusion, so the absence of a translation is a major detriment.

Worth going over thrice...

Very interesting, insightful, informative. Well narrated. Goes over a lot of historical things during that bewitching time period...

nothing like it

this book, along with the nonfiction version The perennial philosophy, are works like no other.

Highly Recommended

I liked this book a lot. This book describes the events leading to the burning of the stake of Urbain Grandier, a talented young ecclesiastic who came to ruin. Grandier was the new exciting pastor in 17th century Loudon, and there was anticipation he would climb the ladder to success.The story gives an x-ray of that time. At the juncture of political and ecclesiastical changes, Grandier ran afoul of politics, and of local townspeople because of his priapic ways. Huxley has an encyclopedic knowledge of that period and creates a contemporarily styled, novelized portrait of the events, interspersed with his meditation on spirituality and history. The writing is learned, urbane, at times humorous, and philosophical, as during this period in his life Huxley was gravitating towards more ethereal concerns. The book also includes a detailed discussion of Jacques Surin, a highly spiritual but troubled Jesuit priest dispatched to Loudon to address the possession of the Ursuline nun who had provided the primary "evidence" against Grandier. Eventually, long after Grandier's death, Surin managed to overcome a long history of psychiatric disability and die peacefully. Probably more than one reading is required to grasp the complicated politics of France in the day that influenced the trial of Grandier, the Jesuit culture of the day out of which Grandier arose, and the counterintuitive explanations Huxley provides for the actions of the various participants of those events. Damon LaBarbera

Slow

If you enjoy watching paint dry or watching grass grow. This story is for you.

Awful

Would you try another book from Aldous Huxley and/or Matthew Lloyd Davies?

The reading by Davies is fine (he does a pretty good job with French quotes, though he really doesn't need to say "Parree" instead of Paris). But Huxley's book is incredibly pompous, judgmental and unoriginal. Full of clichés. Alas, the poor man has not aged well.