- The Devils of Loudun
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For the opera, see The Devils of Loudun (opera).
The Devils of Loudun 
First editionAuthor(s) Aldous Huxley Country United Kingdom Language English Subject(s) History, Biography Genre(s) Non-fiction Publisher Chatto and Windus Publication date 1952 Media type Print (Hardback & Paperback) ISBN NA The Devils of Loudun is a 1952 non-fiction novel by Aldous Huxley. It is a historical narrative of supposed demonic possession, religious fanaticism, sexual repression, and mass hysteria which occurred in 17th century France surrounding unexplained events that took place in the small town of Loudun; particularly on Roman Catholic priest Urbain Grandier and an entire convent of Ursuline nuns, who allegedly became possessed by demons after Grandier made a pact with Satan. The events led to several public exorcisms as well as executions by burning.
The story was adapted into a stage play in 1960, which was then adapted into the controversial 1971 Ken Russell film The Devils, which starred Vanessa Redgrave and Oliver Reed. The book, though lesser known than Huxley's other novels (such as Brave New World) is widely considered one of his best works.[1]
Contents
Historical details
Urbain Grandier was a priest burned at the stake at Loudun, France on August 18, 1634. He was accused of seducing an entire convent of Ursuline nuns and of being in league with the devil. Grandier was probably too promiscuous and too insolent to his peers. He had antagonised the Mother Superior, Sister Jeanne of the Angels, when he rejected her offer to become the spiritual advisor to the convent. He faced an ecclesiastical tribunal and was acquitted.
It was only after he had publicly spoken against Cardinal Richelieu that a new trial was ordered by the Cardinal. He was tortured, found guilty and executed by being burnt alive but never admitted guilt. Huxley touches on aspects of the multiple personality controversy in cases of apparent demonic possession within this book.
Adaptations
Playwright John Whiting adapted Huxley's book as the play The Devils (1960). Ken Russell directed a feature film adaptation The Devils (1971), starring Vanessa Redgrave and Oliver Reed. Krzysztof Penderecki wrote an opera, The Devils of Loudun (Die Teufel von Loudun) in 1969.
See also
- The Loudun possessions— historical events the book was written on
- Mother Joan of the Angels (film)
- The Devils (1971 film based on the novel)
References
- ^ "The Devils of Loudun by Aldous Huxley". Harper Collins. http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780061724916/The_Devils_of_Loudun/index.aspx?WT.mc_id=POSTS_HarperAcademicBlog_092608. Retrieved 29 March 2009.
Works by Aldous Huxley Novel Crome Yellow (1921) • Antic Hay (1923) • Those Barren Leaves (1925) • Point Counter Point (1928) • Brave New World (1932) • Eyeless in Gaza (1936) • After Many a Summer (1939) • Time Must Have a Stop (1944) • Ape and Essence (1948) • The Genius and the Goddess (1955) • Island (1962)
Short story "Happily Ever After" • "Eupompus Gave Splendour to Art by Numbers" • "Cynthia" • "The Bookshop" • "The Death of Lully" • "Sir Hercules" • "The Gioconda Smile" • "The Tillotson Banquet" • "Green Tunnels" • "Nuns at Luncheon" • "Little Mexican" • "Hubert and Minnie" • "Fard" • "The Portrait" • "Young Archimedes" • "Half Holiday" • "The Monocle" • "Fairy Godmother" • "Chawdron" • "The Rest Cure" • "The Claxtons" • "After the Fireworks" • "Jacob's Hands: A Fable" (published 1997) co-written with Christopher Isherwood
Short story collection Limbo (1920) • Mortal Coils (1922) • Little Mexican (US title: Young Archimedes) (1924) • Two or Three Graces (1926) • Brief Candles (1930) • Collected Short Stories (1957)
Poetry The Burning Wheel (1916) • Jonah (1917) • The Defeat of Youth (1918) • Leda (1920) • Arabia Infelix (1929) • The Cicadias and Other Poems (1931) • Collected Poetry (1971)
Travel writing Along the Road (1925) • Jesting Pilate (1926) • Beyond the Mexique Bay (1934)
Essay collection On the Margin (1923) • Essays New and Old (1926) • Proper Studies (1927) • Do What You Will (1929) • Vulgarity in Literature (1930) • Music at Night (1931) • Texts and Pretexts (1932) • The Olive Tree (1936) • Ends and Means (1937) • Words and their Meanings (1940) • Science, Liberty and Peace (1946) • Themes and Variations (1950) • The Doors of Perception (1954) • Adonis and the Alphabet (US title: Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow) (1956) • Heaven and Hell (1956) • Collected Essays (1958) • Brave New World Revisited (1958) • Literature and Science (1963) • The Human Situation: 1959 Lectures at Santa Barbara (1977) • Moksha: Writings on Psychedelics and the Visionary Experience (1999)
Screenplay Pride and Prejudice (1940) • Madame Curie (uncredited, 1943) • Jane Eyre (1944) • A Woman's Vengeance (1947) • Prelude to Fame (1950) • Alice in Wonderland (uncredited, 1951)
Non-fiction The Perennial Philosophy (1945) Grey Eminence (1941) • The Devils of Loudun (1952)Play The Discovery (based on Frances Sheridan) (1924) • The World of Light (1931) • The Gioconda Smile (play version, also known as Mortal Coils) (1948) • The Genius and the Goddess (play version, with Betty Wendel) (1957) • The Ambassador of Captripedia (1965) • Now More Than Ever (1997)Children's book The Crows of Pearblossom (1944, published 1967) • The Travails and Tribulations of Geoffrey Peacock (1967)Other book The Art of Seeing (1942) •• Selected Letters (2007)Categories:- British novels
- 1952 books
- Books by Aldous Huxley
- Occult books
- Novels adapted into films
- Biography book stubs
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