The devils of Loudun

About this book

“HUXLEY'S MASTERPIECE AND PERHAPS THE MOST ENJOYABLE BOOK ABOUT SPIRITUALITY EVER WRITTEN. .” — Washington Post Book World Aldous Huxley's "brilliant" (Los Angeles Times) and gripping account of one of the strangest cases of demonic possession in history, hailed as the "peak achievement of Huxley’s career" by the New York Times In 1632 an entire convent in the small French village of Loudun was apparently possessed by the devil. After a sensational and celebrated witchcraft trial, the convent's charismatic priest Urbain 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. A remarkable true story of religious and sexual obsession, The Devils of Loudon is considered by many to be Brave New World author Aldous Huxley's nonfiction masterpiece. But was this a case of genuine demonic possession, an elaborate fraud, or a tragic outbreak of mass hysteria? A Gripping True Crime Story: Follow the sensational trial of Father Urbain Grandier, a charismatic priest accused of orchestrating the demonic infestation of an entire convent, leading to his brutal execution. 17th-Century France: Step into the small village of Loudun, a community torn apart by religious conflict and superstition, where a single accusation spirals into a terrifying witch hunt. Religious and Sexual Hysteria: Explore the psychological storm that swept through the Ursuline convent as nuns exhibited shocking behaviors, blurring the line between the sacred and the profane. Political Intrigue: Uncover the hidden agendas at play, where powerful figures use the scandal for their own ends, sealing Grandier’s fate.