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The Devil in the 19th Century #1
The Devil in the 19th Century, Volume 1
The Most Colossal Hoax of Modern Times
Paris 1892.
Dark rituals and secret societies, devil-worshipping Freemasons, the Antipope, a mysterious young woman rumoured to have been fathered by Lucifer himself...and the good Catholic doctor ready to expose them all to the world.
A journalist's twelve-year quest to humiliate the Church.
A story that captivated France.
Discover the Luciferian hoax that fooled the Vatican.
Paris 1892.
Dark rituals and secret societies, devil-worshipping Freemasons, the Antipope, a mysterious young woman rumoured to have been fathered by Lucifer himself...and the good Catholic doctor ready to expose them all to the world.
A journalist's twelve-year quest to humiliate the Church.
A story that captivated France.
Discover the Luciferian hoax that fooled the Vatican.
450 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2024
About the author
Léo Taxil
153 books20 followersMarie Joseph Gabriel Antoine Jogand-Pagès, better known by the pen name Léo Taxil was a French writer and journalist who became known for his strong anti-Catholic and anti-clerical views. He is also known for the Taxil hoax, a spurious exposé of Freemasonry and the Roman Catholic Church's opposition to it.
Taxil first became known for writing anti-Catholic books, notably La Bible amusante (The Amusing Bible) and La Vie de Jesus (The Life of Jesus) in which Taxil satirically pointed out what he considered to be inconsistencies, errors, and false beliefs presented in these religious works.
Taxil first became known for writing anti-Catholic books, notably La Bible amusante (The Amusing Bible) and La Vie de Jesus (The Life of Jesus) in which Taxil satirically pointed out what he considered to be inconsistencies, errors, and false beliefs presented in these religious works.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 22, 2024
The Devil in the 19th Century is the account of Dr. Bataille, a Catholic doctor’s, infiltration and revelation of secret Luciferian Masonic rites as conveyed by Léo Taxil. Widely published and endorsed by the Catholic Church, it wasn’t until Taxil held a press conference in 1897 that he revealed the publications as a prank.
The dramatic and shocking rituals described in the text spark the imagination even today and show why such publications would have captured readers in the 19th century. Taxil wove just enough historical information into the tale to make it plausible, and he appealed to a European belief in the superiority of the Western world to the East by playing on the idea that Eastern cultures were barbaric or demonic and therefore in need of salvation.
This new translation by Aurélie Dekoninck captures the vividness of the writing and makes the book entertaining to read. Minor translator footnotes help explain some of the historical allusions Taxil used to give credibility to the tales. Included in this edition is the account and text of Taxil’s press conference that revealed the hoax.
This book contains only the first volume of Taxil’s hoax. I look forward to new translations of the remaining volumes.
The dramatic and shocking rituals described in the text spark the imagination even today and show why such publications would have captured readers in the 19th century. Taxil wove just enough historical information into the tale to make it plausible, and he appealed to a European belief in the superiority of the Western world to the East by playing on the idea that Eastern cultures were barbaric or demonic and therefore in need of salvation.
This new translation by Aurélie Dekoninck captures the vividness of the writing and makes the book entertaining to read. Minor translator footnotes help explain some of the historical allusions Taxil used to give credibility to the tales. Included in this edition is the account and text of Taxil’s press conference that revealed the hoax.
This book contains only the first volume of Taxil’s hoax. I look forward to new translations of the remaining volumes.
April 16, 2025
I didn't know I needed this book in my life until I came across it randomly in a google search, and then I IMMEDIATELY bought this. This is a lovely translation that makes the true story of the Taxil Hoax accessible to a wider audience. As a translation, I feel like this is excellent- it is easy to read and not overwhelmed with footnotes. I was provided JUST enough. As a piece of entertainment, this is a delightful glimpse into history and a thrilling storyline. It is loaded with scathing sarcasm and mockery of the reader's belief in these fictitious events.
A delightful addition to my devilish book collection. Taxil's Luciferians believe some of the same things as modern Theistic Luciferians and Satanists- I wonder if Taxil was well researched in historical interpretations of Lucifer for the purpose of creating a more believable narrative, or if Taxil's influence on culture persists to this day?
I can't wait for Volume 2 to continue the story! I'm a little bit infatuated with Leo Taxil, and incredibly grateful to Aurelie Dekoninck for facilitating me meeting him.
A delightful addition to my devilish book collection. Taxil's Luciferians believe some of the same things as modern Theistic Luciferians and Satanists- I wonder if Taxil was well researched in historical interpretations of Lucifer for the purpose of creating a more believable narrative, or if Taxil's influence on culture persists to this day?
I can't wait for Volume 2 to continue the story! I'm a little bit infatuated with Leo Taxil, and incredibly grateful to Aurelie Dekoninck for facilitating me meeting him.
May 25, 2026
Léo Taxil was a man who was committed to the bit.
Staunchly anti-clerical and anti-Catholic - both radical positions in nineteenth-century France - he had for years written scurrilous papers and books lambasting the church, its priests and the Pope. Suddenly, in 1885, he renounced his previous works and - to the horror of his radical friends - converted to Catholicism.
He began to write tracts against the Freemasons (hated by the Church), claiming that they took part in Satanic rituals. In 1892 he received some backup when extraordinary eyewitness accounts of such rituals began to be published, in instalments. The author, a Dr Bataille, had infiltrated the highest ranks of Freemasonry and was publishing gruesome details of torture, human and animal sacrifice and the appearance of the Devil himself. Catholic France lapped it up, and the Pope himself praised the book. Dr Bataille was a hero!
Except of course there was no Dr Bataille. The real author was Léo Taxil and he had made the whole thing up. In 1897 he called a meeting of the press - and several priests - and announced that the whole thing was a hoax. The audience was up in arms, and Taxil had landed the punchline of a joke that had taken him TWELVE YEARS to set up.
You have to admire the guy's commitment.
The book was quite well known in France, but there had been no good English translation until Aurélie Dekoninck took it on, and raised funds to do so on a Kickstarter project. I supported this project as a work of scholarly endeavour and because I thought the premise sounded hilarious.
And after all that buildup, it is my disappointing duty to tell you that I found the book... very, very boring indeed. It took me nearly 6 months to finish it, as I found it so uninteresting I would read pretty much anything else in preference. But I'd paid for it, so finish it I did.
I think the problem is that, as well as knowing from the start it's a hoax - and I wouldn't have believed it anyway - a 21st-century reader is simply not horrified or titillated by the idea of Satanism. It is a mainstream idea these days, enough to be easily mocked in passing. And once you are not shocked or disturbed, the blow-by-blow accounts of the Satanic rituals are simply... dull. Imagine someone explaining a church service to you, line by line, detail by detail. It really is no more interesting than that. (Could have done with a content warning on the animal abuse though).
By far the best bit is the introduction by the translator, giving an excellent account of life in 19th-century Paris and an interesting potted biography of Taxil.
Anyway, if anyone is interested in getting a paperback copy, I have one going spare...
Staunchly anti-clerical and anti-Catholic - both radical positions in nineteenth-century France - he had for years written scurrilous papers and books lambasting the church, its priests and the Pope. Suddenly, in 1885, he renounced his previous works and - to the horror of his radical friends - converted to Catholicism.
He began to write tracts against the Freemasons (hated by the Church), claiming that they took part in Satanic rituals. In 1892 he received some backup when extraordinary eyewitness accounts of such rituals began to be published, in instalments. The author, a Dr Bataille, had infiltrated the highest ranks of Freemasonry and was publishing gruesome details of torture, human and animal sacrifice and the appearance of the Devil himself. Catholic France lapped it up, and the Pope himself praised the book. Dr Bataille was a hero!
Except of course there was no Dr Bataille. The real author was Léo Taxil and he had made the whole thing up. In 1897 he called a meeting of the press - and several priests - and announced that the whole thing was a hoax. The audience was up in arms, and Taxil had landed the punchline of a joke that had taken him TWELVE YEARS to set up.
You have to admire the guy's commitment.
The book was quite well known in France, but there had been no good English translation until Aurélie Dekoninck took it on, and raised funds to do so on a Kickstarter project. I supported this project as a work of scholarly endeavour and because I thought the premise sounded hilarious.
And after all that buildup, it is my disappointing duty to tell you that I found the book... very, very boring indeed. It took me nearly 6 months to finish it, as I found it so uninteresting I would read pretty much anything else in preference. But I'd paid for it, so finish it I did.
I think the problem is that, as well as knowing from the start it's a hoax - and I wouldn't have believed it anyway - a 21st-century reader is simply not horrified or titillated by the idea of Satanism. It is a mainstream idea these days, enough to be easily mocked in passing. And once you are not shocked or disturbed, the blow-by-blow accounts of the Satanic rituals are simply... dull. Imagine someone explaining a church service to you, line by line, detail by detail. It really is no more interesting than that. (Could have done with a content warning on the animal abuse though).
By far the best bit is the introduction by the translator, giving an excellent account of life in 19th-century Paris and an interesting potted biography of Taxil.
Anyway, if anyone is interested in getting a paperback copy, I have one going spare...
July 5, 2026
I went into this knowing the historical context of the Taxil Hoax, but I approached this book as what it works best as today - a work of Gothic fiction. Viewed through that lens, I had an absolute blast. The supernatural imagery is nicely over-the-top, the occult conspiracies are endlessly entertaining, the macabre atmosphere pulled me in from the beginning. If you enjoy dark, nineteenth-century Gothic literature with devils, secret societies, and crazy rituals, there's a lot here to love.
What surprised me most is how little known this story is in the English-speaking world. But I understand why, considering it remained unavailable in English for so long. It makes this translation feel like uncovering a forgotten piece of literary history. Whether you know the historical hoax behind it or not, the story stands remarkably well on its own as an imaginative adventure.
Just don't pick it up expecting history or theology. Read it as a dark fantasy novel written in the nineteenth century, and it's an incredibly fun ride. I can't wait to dive into Volume II
What surprised me most is how little known this story is in the English-speaking world. But I understand why, considering it remained unavailable in English for so long. It makes this translation feel like uncovering a forgotten piece of literary history. Whether you know the historical hoax behind it or not, the story stands remarkably well on its own as an imaginative adventure.
Just don't pick it up expecting history or theology. Read it as a dark fantasy novel written in the nineteenth century, and it's an incredibly fun ride. I can't wait to dive into Volume II
May 31, 2024
I had never heard of Leo Taxil before discovering the Kickstarter campaign for this book. It sounded interesting so I decided to take a chance. I must admit I was a little hesitant because I typically find older books to be too verbose to hold my interest. The book is gorgeous, but how would the actual story hold up?
What we have is the story of a Catholic doctor who infiltrates Freemasonry to expose it for being Luciferian (the book does distinguish between Luciferian and Satanic). He travels across the world witnessing many strange occult rituals. Some of them truly horrific and reminiscent of something Poe or Lovecraft would create.
So, yes, the writing is excellent. I was never bored and thoroughly enjoyed reading about Mr. Taxil and his hoax. Thanks to Mlle Dekoninck for this wonderful book. I eagerly await volumes 2 and 3.
What we have is the story of a Catholic doctor who infiltrates Freemasonry to expose it for being Luciferian (the book does distinguish between Luciferian and Satanic). He travels across the world witnessing many strange occult rituals. Some of them truly horrific and reminiscent of something Poe or Lovecraft would create.
So, yes, the writing is excellent. I was never bored and thoroughly enjoyed reading about Mr. Taxil and his hoax. Thanks to Mlle Dekoninck for this wonderful book. I eagerly await volumes 2 and 3.
December 23, 2024
At long last, we have a superb English translation of this pivotal work—one that masterfully illuminates the roots of the conspiracy-driven thinking that still permeates our society more than a century later.
This edition not only preserves the nuanced voice of the original but also offers valuable context for modern readers seeking to understand why misleading ideas so easily take hold. The translator’s clear prose and meticulous notes make the text accessible without sacrificing its depth or historical significance. In an era where misinformation can spread at lightning speed, this translation offers a timely reminder that many of today’s conspiracy theories draw on long-standing fears and prejudices.
This edition not only preserves the nuanced voice of the original but also offers valuable context for modern readers seeking to understand why misleading ideas so easily take hold. The translator’s clear prose and meticulous notes make the text accessible without sacrificing its depth or historical significance. In an era where misinformation can spread at lightning speed, this translation offers a timely reminder that many of today’s conspiracy theories draw on long-standing fears and prejudices.
June 18, 2026
Brilliant example of the hoaxer's art - starts out sensationalistic, ends up totally illucid. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/202...
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews