The Demonologist: The Extraordinary Career of Ed and Lorraine Warren [Paperback]

Gerald Brittle (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 13, 2002

If you think ghosts are only responsible for hauntings, think again. The Demonologist reveals the grave religious process behind supernatural events and how it can happen to you. Over twenty years in print, here is the original uncut version of this classic text. Illustrated with photographs of phenomena in progress, every sentence in the book is true. Used as a text in seminaries and classrooms, this is one book you can't put down.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

For over five decades Ed and Loraine Warren have been considered America?s foremost experts on demonology and exorcism. With over 3,000 investigations to their credit, they reveal what actually breaks the peace in haunted houses. Expertly written by Gerald Daniel Brittle, a nonfiction writer with advanced degrees in literature and psychology specializing in mystical theology.

Product Details

• Paperback: 238 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (September 13, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595246184
• ISBN-13: 978-0595246182
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (81 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #96,111 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

197 of 207 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You might not be prepared for this., October 7, 2004

By 

M. E. Boisvert "The Enthusiast" (Bethel, CT) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Demonologist: The Extraordinary Career of Ed and Lorraine Warren (Paperback)

I know I was not prepared for this. I love horror movies and books, have seen the Exorcist, the Omen, Rosemary's Baby, The Exorcist III, etc. I have read both the Exorcist and it's sequel, Legion. And I have even seen the Warrens' seminar four times. I sat down with this book expecting a good scare and some good entertainment. What I got was something else altogether.

To start, The Exorcist is a cakewalk compared to this. It puts any Stephen King or H. P. Lovecraft story to shame. It's simply the most frightening book I have ever read. This is partly due to how convincing it is and partly do to how it portrays real horror. It describes the intelligence and strategy of the demonic spirit, and the insanity, terror, and consequences they're capable of. The Exorcist seems like a very mild case of exorcism after reading this.

But more importantly, this book makes you think. It wasn't written to scare or even to shock. It was written to inform. I didn't come into this a believer, either in the supernatural or religion. I was a curious enthusiast who found the Warrens to be fascinating, even if they are just conartists. (Maybe they are, maybe they aren't. I don't care.) But since I've finished it I've had to completely reevaluate my stance on religion. I think it gives a deeper understanding of true evil and a very real God. This book didn't make me run out and find Jesus, but it did make me rethink religion. One very important reason for this is that the book, even though the Warrens are Catholics, doesn't cater to one faith. Instead it paints a picture of religion that includes all faiths. It basically backs up the belief that all major religions worship the same God, just in different ways.

The case for the existence of demonic spirits is so carefully thought out, so tactfully delivered that one can't help but wonder. I couldn't help starting to believe. This is a very different type of book than The Exorcist or Rosemary's Baby. For one I found reading it at night unbearable.

The book goes on to make the bizarre and ridiculous stories like Amityville seem so much more possible. After reading this the so-called "evidence" that these stories are hoaxes will seem laughable. It will be clear that those people just don't understand.

Many reviews here will tell you that strange things happened to the reader while they were reading the book. This is ridiculous and untrue. For one, this book is doing just what the Devil doesn't want, exposing his truth. Reading it is quite safe and will make you less likely to experience something like this. Knowledge is key. The greatest trick the Devil ever played was convincing the world that he doesn't exist.

So I urge you to read this. You won't forget it. You won't regret it.

75 of 78 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rock-Solid. It's In My Top Ten Non-Fiction List., June 30, 2004

By 

Marifrances (United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Demonologist: The Extraordinary Career of Ed and Lorraine Warren (Paperback)

It's understandable that most people would dismiss a book like this out of hand. However, considering that this book really does stand in a league of its own, it would be the reader's loss to give this a miss.

I've read widely in many genres including the "ghost/spirit" genre. As a librarian, it has been my job to review non-fiction books of all varieties and judge them for quality. I also have a bit of an interest in the topic personally. So, when I say this book is most recommended, and is in fact in my Top Ten Non-Fiction List, I sincerely mean what I am saying.

I know that the subject seems a bit ... cheesy. Frankly, it's been done to death (no pun intended), but it has never been done RIGHT until Mr. Brittle's book came along. Conjecture, sensationalism, cornyness, New Age claptrap -- I wouldn't blame you if you thought this book was just another lame "Magic for Dummies" type offering. HOWEVER:

1. This book was meticulously researched and documented.
2. This book does not contain anything remotely cheesy. In fact, the cases in this book are explored with a brisk, no-nonsense tone.
3. The pictures included are worth seeing.
4. Ed and Lorraine Warren did not collect phat paychex for going into haunted houses. In fact, they did all of their work for free. Contrast that with many of the so-called "psychic researchers" we see on TV today.
5. This book reads more like a textbook than it does anything else.
6. This book does not try to push religion or in fact any viewpoint down the reader's throat. The facts are presented and you are left to make up your own mind.
7. Ed and Lorraine kick b*tt and make no apologies for their beliefs.

I was very happy to see this book available on Amazon, as it was out of print for years and the only copy I could find was on Alibris for $100.

I would say, buy this book while you can. You'll thank me -- and you'll thank Gerald Brittle, Ed, and Lorraine for being forthright about this much-maligned topic.

61 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars (A++) A Frightening Book About Real Documented Demons, October 31, 2003

By 

OverTheMoon ([e-mail]) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Demonologist: The Extraordinary Career of Ed and Lorraine Warren (Paperback)

This is extraordinarily terrifying non-fiction. First off all I can safely say that many would find themselves better off not reading this book if they are of a nervous disposition. It is extremely serious in tone and probably one of the most compelling dissertations on the phenomena of ghosts, spirits and demons that I have come across. This is not your casual, "I saw a ghost floating across a room in a haunted house" or "I felt a cold spot in my bedroom and watched a glowing orb" type ghost book. It is more along the lines of "This entity was ripping my living room to shreds, writing obscene messages on the walls and appearing behind me as a disfigured monk with no eyes who then proceeded to attack me while my family screamed in terror as they huddled together on the staircase."

I was really unsure of what I was getting myself into here. I heard that this book had a cult following and that Stephen King basically calls it his best book of reference. I was aware that this book was about two "ghost hunters" - Ed and Lorraine Warren and covers some of their research, spanning some 60 years, along with various case studies. What I did not know is that this book actually makes a valid statement on the entire issue of haunted houses, ghosts and demons and even goes into elaborate explanations for these phenomena. Truth be told I have read some highly professional books on this very topic before. Here is a word of advice. If you are seriously interested in learning more about the Occult then read "The Tibetan Book of the Dead" by W.Y.Evans-Wentz. It has forward by Jung. It is an ancient Tibetan Holy book that elaborates on and explains many different types of psychic phenomena but the book is not classed as such. It is a religious/psychological book about Tibetan Buddhism but it clarifies a lot about the supernatural. So I was well armed going into this one with at least a little more knowledge on the subject that your average reader.

The first thing that struck me was the authenticity of what I was reading. There are many books on this topic that would make me laugh or at least see another logical reason for what was going on. "The Demonologist" is having none of that. It is straightforward - here is another world, YOUR WORLD, where demons actually exist creating misery for peoples lives. Everything is explained in relentless detail without sparing the readers unease about such a topic. The book moves between cases of demonic disturbances (incorrectly referred to as Poltergeist activity according to the author) and the lives of the two researchers/demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren. Most of the book is done in an interview fashion with Ed and Lorraine answering many questions and telling several stories about their many encounters with the diabolical. One story, about a family called the Donovans, will blow your mind. The case is also illustrated with photographs of demonic activity in progress. There is also transcripts of conversations with ghosts and demons from tape recordings.

Ed and Lorraine Warren are not "ghost hunters" per se. Ed actually uses religious strategies and holy objects to establish and combat the very physical presence of an "inhuman" spirit that is usually violent and on the offensive. Lorraine uses her sixth sense to establish connections with "human" spirits that are passive and inoffensive and are just looking for resolution to their misery. The book mostly concentrates on the malevolent "inhuman" type.

There is also something tremendously otherworldly about the book itself as if it carries with it some sort of direct connection to the Warrens experiences. "Potent" would be the best word to describe it. I am telling you right now in an honest manner, do not go near this book if you think you will be uncomfortable about the subject matter. The mildest parts of this book are utterly mind shattering and the more disturbing elements will deliver instant insomnia with unfeigned paranoia by the truckload. Only for the hardened spiritual explorers who can deal with the "demon shock" - The Exorcist is kindergarten in comparison.

**As a note there is apparently a problem with the US edition which has been heavily edited and is missing pictures. The UNCUT edition is available from the UK. I went the extra mile and got the UNCUT version but I have not seen the US edition so I can not say with certainty that this is the case except that other reviewers too have pointed out that the US edition is cut. Get it from Amazon UK if you want the UNCUT version like I did.**

My only critic about this book is the pictures. Please reprint them as quality standard middle section pictures next time! The resolution was not the best - however, like the rest of the book, they certainly are unsettling.