The Penguin Book of Exorcisms. Available from Penguin Classics.
Haunting accounts of real-life exorcisms through the centuries and around the world, from ancient Egypt and the biblical Middle East to colonial America and twentieth-century South Africa
A Penguin Classic
Levitation. Feats of superhuman strength. Speaking in tongues. A hateful, glowing stare. The signs of spirit possession have been documented for thousands of years and across religions and cultures, even into our time: In 2019 the Vatican convened 250 priests from 50 countries for a weeklong seminar on exorcism. The Penguin Book of Exorcisms brings together the most astonishing accounts: Saint Anthony set upon by demons in the form of a lion, a bull, and a panther, who are no match for his devotion and prayer; the Prophet Muhammad casting an enemy of God out of a young boy; fox spirits in medieval China and Japan; a headless bear assaulting a woman in sixteenth-century England; the possession in the French town of Loudun of an entire convent of Ursuline nuns; a Zulu woman who floated to a height of five feet almost daily; a previously unpublished account of an exorcism in Earling, Iowa, in 1928–an important inspiration for the movie The Exorcist; poltergeist activity at a home in Maryland in 1949–the basis for William Peter Blatty’s novel The Exorcist; a Filipina girl “bitten by devils”; and a rare example of a priest’s letter requesting permission of a bishop to perform an exorcism–after witnessing a boy walk backward up a wall. Fifty-seven percent of Americans profess to believe in demonic possession; after reading this book, you may too.
“Gripping . . . Thoroughly researched . . . [with a] descriptive flare in rendering the ‘goblinlike entities,’ jealous demons, and evil spirits . . . This is a boon for anyone curious about exorcism and its wide-ranging, spiritually diverse legacy.” ―Publishers Weekly
Audiobook read by Dennis Logan
Press for The Penguin Book of Exorcisms
Lucy Pearson, "The 9 Best Books to Get Spooked By This Halloween," HelloGiggles (October 28, 2022).
James Butler, "Thou Old Serpent!," London Review of Books 44:5 (March 10, 2022).
Jay Elweys, "The Insatiable Human Appetite for Exorcism," Prospect Magazine (October 29, 2021).
The Economist, "Exorcism has a long and spooky history" (October 31, 2020).
WGN Radio, "Exploring exorcisms with professor Joseph Laycock and his “Penguin Book of Exorcisms” (October 2, 2020).
Alan Sherschtul, "The Penguin Book of Exorcisms," Shelf-Awarness.com.
The Paranormal Podcast, "E654: Exorcism and Possession," (September 22, 2020).
Julie Cooper, "Religious studies professor explores exorcisms in new book from Penguin Classics," news.txstate.edu (September 21, 2020).