Scan barcode
A review by mediaevalmuse
The Devils of Loudun by Aldous Huxley
4.0
This book wasn't on my radar until I happened upon it at a used bookstore, and honestly, I might not have picked it up had I not seen it was written by Aldous Huxley. I've only read Brave New World, so I was curious as to what his non-fiction would look like.
Overall, I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. It's very much not pop history; Huxley dives into the world of 17th century France, including what philosophical and theological discourses were influential at the time and how that informs the way we understand the story. I liked the little tangents where Huxley put in his own thoughts on several theories, and the prose feels both learned and playful at the same time.
I wouldn't recommend this book for casual history readers, however. Though the story is about demonic possession, it doesn't revel in the details of demonic lore or all the spread things that were being done. Instead, Huxley is interested in what went into this event being possible: what the political situation was like, what the Church stood on certain ideas, the tension between local persons of interest, etc. If you're looking for some Exorcist-level thriller, this book is not that. But people with an academic interest in history might be delighted.
All that being said, I think I would have liked an edition with more supporting materials. This edition has some interviews and clips from other writings in the back, but I think I would have preferred an edition with some helpful lists or keys for diving into this book. For example, I found it difficult to keep all the names straight, so a list with a little reminder or description of who they are would have been useful.
TL;DR: The Devils of Loudun is a fascinating analysis of a 17th century French town whose famous episode of demonic possession had more to do with local and national power struggles than supernatural warfare.
Overall, I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. It's very much not pop history; Huxley dives into the world of 17th century France, including what philosophical and theological discourses were influential at the time and how that informs the way we understand the story. I liked the little tangents where Huxley put in his own thoughts on several theories, and the prose feels both learned and playful at the same time.
I wouldn't recommend this book for casual history readers, however. Though the story is about demonic possession, it doesn't revel in the details of demonic lore or all the spread things that were being done. Instead, Huxley is interested in what went into this event being possible: what the political situation was like, what the Church stood on certain ideas, the tension between local persons of interest, etc. If you're looking for some Exorcist-level thriller, this book is not that. But people with an academic interest in history might be delighted.
All that being said, I think I would have liked an edition with more supporting materials. This edition has some interviews and clips from other writings in the back, but I think I would have preferred an edition with some helpful lists or keys for diving into this book. For example, I found it difficult to keep all the names straight, so a list with a little reminder or description of who they are would have been useful.
TL;DR: The Devils of Loudun is a fascinating analysis of a 17th century French town whose famous episode of demonic possession had more to do with local and national power struggles than supernatural warfare.