wow

finished this in a few days. gripping. quite an in-depth look at the rites of exorcism. I didn't know becoming possessed was a long process. very interesting.

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Curiously topical...

An outstanding and important book, if at times very realistically explicit. Malachi Martin was unquestionably an extraordinarily gifted novelist and, being primarily an eminently educated Catholic priest (a Jesuit of the 'old school' - when they were still the elite amongst the clergy) and an exorcist himself, at ease with topics in theology, philosophy or psychology alike, he presents, on a handful of curiously topical examples (the book was written in 1976), a profoundly thoughtful and thought-provoking analysis of the very complex issue of demonic possession, so often regarded by the enlightened man of today as little more than slightly scary fairy stories.

It is only surprising that the complete text of the exorcism from the Rituale Romanum is appended at the end - even if only in translation from the original Latin. This text in no way qualifies for public knowledge - even a priest can only use it at the express instruction of a bishop, and for a very good reason.

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No Irish narrators available?

Malachi Martin knows how to tell a story. It's gripping stuff. My only issue is the reading performance. The narrator does Yorkshire/Welsh/Brummy accents for all the Irish characters. As an Irishman I burst out laughing or cringed while listening. I felt bad for doing so especially during the dramatic exorcisms. It was nearly as bad as watching Russell Crowe spit out every UK and Irish regional accent during Robin Hood. Crikey could they not have got an Irish narrator since himself was an Irishman. Hey Audible! Sort it out me old son....

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very unsettling but a must listen

Truly one of the most unsettling thing I've ever heard, but super interesting and strangely enjoyable. Very educational as well. Just don't listen in the dark or alone and expect to fall asleep !!

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1 person found this helpful

Excellent Book

This my 4th time reading (now listening) to this book. I used to tune in to Art Bell every time Malachi Martin was on his show. An incredible book.

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2 people found this helpful

The reality everyone should be aware of

Really up to date book, reports what never changes unless we learn how to stop it.
Helps people understand each other understand the needing of faith in Christ and the Roman Catholic Church, His church 🙏🏻

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Could have been awesome

I loved the concept of this book since the subject holds great interest for me. The execution, however, is lacking in some significance ways. Each story is really long, about 3 to 4 hours, and goes into the smallest details about how the individual became more and more controlled by the devil. It was rather boring. I struggled to maintain focus. The first story contained some extremely graphic sexual language which took me by surprise since this book was written by a traditional Catholic priest and is seeking to uphold the faith. I get that these were the actual words spoken by the possessed person during an exorcism but do we really need to hear it all, word for word? It created an ugly, revolting image in my mind which I struggled with the following day. The second story dragged a lot, and didn't even finish with a dramatic encounter. In the end I gave up. It's not the best.

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