Aldous Huxley turns to the real case of Urbain Grandier, a priest in the French town of Loudun, who was burned in 1634 after a group of Ursuline nuns claimed to be possessed by devils. Huxley sets out the politics of Cardinal Richelieu, the role of the exorcists, and the psychology of the convent's prioress, Sister Jeanne des Anges. He draws lessons on religious hysteria, sex, and power.
Readers of history and psychology who like a vivid case study will find it absorbing. It is a dark account of how belief and ambition combined to destroy a man.
Deep and thought-provoking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Deep Diver. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1952
- Language
- EN
