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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
before there was Stephen King there was Dennis Wheatley..,
By lazza (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Haunting of Toby Jugg (Paperback)
Many folks regard Dennis Wheatley as the author of 'The Devil Rides Out' and other occult fiction which can perhaps be described as "over the top". Nearly all his books are out of print, so one might assume that the works of Dennis Wheatley are best forgotten. This is unfortunate because, at least with 'The Haunting of Toby Jugg', Dennis Wheatley has produced some very innovative works of horror.'The Haunting of Toby Jugg' is the story of a young man, crippled during the war, being held captive by his guardian. Poor Toby suffers from extremely emotional distress because of his nightly visits by some shadowy creatures. Is Toby going insane or is his guardian behind all this? For much of the novel we don't know. The story has the feel of 'Misery' by Stephen King. It is taut, well-paced ... without excessive mini-lectures on satanism usually found in Wheatley novels. In addition, 'The Haunting of Toby Jugg' is written as series of diary entries. So it has a personal, psychological feel to it much along the lines of 'Dracula' (Bram Stoker) and 'The Woman in White' (Wilkie Collins). Bottom line: works well as a psychological "captive vs captor" novel. Of course there is the sprinkling of Wheatley's absurd satanist nonsense to contend with, but overall the book is a real page-turner. Recommended.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
A good book, but the worst ending I have ever read.,
By
This review is from: The haunting of Toby Jugg (A Black magic story) (Paperback)
I'm a big fan of Dennis Wheatley; the atmosphere in his books are superb, and his characterisation is masterful. Unfortunately, although he sometimes creates amazing plots, many of his books end with an unsatisfying "deus ex machina". This is one of those books. The ending is not only illogical, but impossible, as far as I can tell. Not to mention the other thing that happens, which I can't tell you without spoiling the book.The rest of the book is fairly exciting and scary. Toby Jugg ("ahaha") is confined to a wheelchair. He is staying in a remote mansion in Wales (DW seems to be very anti-Welsh, by the way) and gets imprisoned. Then he gets visited by demons, falls in love, etc etc. Not Dennis Wheatley's best book.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Spiders, Demons, and the Satanic Brotherhood.,
By New Age of Barbarism "zosimos" (EVROPA.) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Haunting of Toby Jugg (Wordsworth Mystery & Supernatural) (Paperback)
_The Haunting of Toby Jugg_, first published in 1948 and made available here by Wordsworth Editions Tales of Mystery & The Supernatural, is an occult suspense novel by British novelist Dennis Wheatley that features themes of satanic menace and a group of Satanists behind it. Dennis Wheatley (1897 - 1977) was a British novelist who is perhaps best known for his occult thriller novels. Wheatley was a fierce defender of British royalty, the empire, and the class system and his novels feature characters who also adhere to this particular point of view. In particular, this novel is dedicated to the R.A.F. and features a fiercely patriotic main character, Toby Jugg, who has been paralyzed as a result of being shot down while piloting a plane for the R.A.F. The novel takes place during the Second World War and Wheatley makes frequent mention of both Hitler and the Communists. In particular, Wheatley shows a character who is destined to inherit wealth but who must face Communist agents in league with Satanists. Wheatley's novels also feature a religious theme, and while Wheatley was avowedly Christian he maintained some unorthodox beliefs such as a belief in reincarnation (as expressed by one of the characters in the novel through the book _Winged Pharaoh_ of Joan Grant). Wheatley also features themes of black magic and satanic sacrifice as well as a belief in ghosts and the paranormal. In particular, the main character Toby Jugg in this novel recounts an encounter with a ghost that echoes one of Wheatley's own encounters with a spirit. This novel remains a central contribution by Wheatley and is an enjoyable read among occult thrillers.The novel is laid out in a series of journal entries made by the paralyzed Toby Jugg in a stamp collection book. Toby Jugg is a wealthy heir to great wealth that he will inherit on his twenty-first birthday from his grandfather. He was schooled at a special preparatory school known as the Weylands Abbey, where he was not instructed in religion and brought up in a general atmosphere of atheism, materialism, and liberalism. It was here that he met Dr. Helmuth Lisicky who becomes in charge of his trust and who he will later begin to suspect of satanic activity. While under the tutelage of Helmuth, Toby Jugg runs away and joins the R.A.F. where he becomes a pilot, earning the nickname of "the Viking" because of his red hair and his fierce combativeness. However, he has been shot down and become paralyzed as a result. The story takes place in a castle in Wales where the paralyzed Toby Jugg is attended to by nurses and Helmuth. Initially Toby Jugg recounts his encounter with a demonic infestation which he believes to be shaped like an octopus that he sees in the moonlight. His nurse Deb and attendant Taffy attend to his needs during the day; however, soon Toby Jugg comes to suspect Helmuth of plotting against him. In the meantime, he has taken a renewed interest in religion and has begun praying. Eventually, he will find it necessary to hypnotize Deb (who turns out to be a communist agent working in England) and Taffy and get them to help him against Helmuth. He attempts to escape the grasp of Helmuth by hypnotizing Taffy; however, he is captured and brought back to the castle. He also manages to notify his uncle Paul (who is on the board of trustees) and his Italian wife Julia about the situation and his difficulties with Helmuth. However, both come down to patch things up between Toby Jugg and Helmuth. Deb is forced to leave and he receives a new nurse, Nurse Cardew, who will become his love interest. In the meantime, Helmuth does turn out to be a Satanist and explains how by joining the "Brotherhood" Toby Jugg can expect to survive financially and avoid the excessive taxation of his wealth during an era of socialism and the expectant rise of communism. Toby Jugg considers the offer but ultimately must decline because it would require him to sign over all his wealth to the Brotherhood. In the meantime, Helmuth plagues him with an infestation of spiders. We also learn that Toby Jugg's Great-aunt Sarah who is mentally addled has been slowly digging a tunnel underneath the castle to re-capture her "Launcelot". Further, we learn that Nurse Cardew, who is a devoted Englishwoman, can be trusted and falls in love with Toby Jugg. She also tells him of her theory of reincarnation, echoing the themes of Joan Grant's book mentioned above. In addition, it becomes apparent that Helmuth is attempting to have Toby Jugg declared insane so that he can attain his wealth in that manner. The rest of the story plays out with many surprises as Uncle Paul and Julia come to visit again and a group of Satanists meets to summon forth the demon. Ultimately the enterprises of Great-aunt Sarah may prove fruitful for Toby Jugg. This novel is an enjoyable read and is recommended to all who would be interested in the works of Dennis Wheatley. As with all his novels, the heroes are champions of the British empire while they are plagued by the nefarious doings of the Communists and Satanists. As an occult thriller, this novel is certainly highly enjoyable and recommended on that account.
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