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Confrontation with Evil: An In-Depth Review of the 1949 Possession that Inspired The Exorcist
For Steven A. LaChance, the possession case that inspired The Exorcist has always felt . . . incomplete. In this book, he shows how the official account crumbles under scrutiny, revealing instead a story of familial horror and spiritual corruption that implicates the highest levels of the Catholic Church.
Known as the 1949 St. Louis Exorcism, the harrowing story of a possessed child and his terrified family was immortalized in The Exorcist. While theories and rumors about the case abound, none of them explain how a young child could have been possessed to the degree described in Father Raymond Bishop's infamous diary.
Join Steven A. LaChance--author, investigator, and himself the survivor of a long-term demonic attack--as he shares shocking evidence for how seemingly benign events progressed into a full-blown demonic possession. While the conventional story is that the boy brought the infestation upon himself, this book presents an alternative interpretation and provides new insights into the nature of possession itself. As LaChance gains access to a secret location that plays a crucial role in the story, he sheds new light on how the exorcism's bizarre aftermath continues to haunt the city of St. Louis and the Catholic Church to this day.
Known as the 1949 St. Louis Exorcism, the harrowing story of a possessed child and his terrified family was immortalized in The Exorcist. While theories and rumors about the case abound, none of them explain how a young child could have been possessed to the degree described in Father Raymond Bishop's infamous diary.
Join Steven A. LaChance--author, investigator, and himself the survivor of a long-term demonic attack--as he shares shocking evidence for how seemingly benign events progressed into a full-blown demonic possession. While the conventional story is that the boy brought the infestation upon himself, this book presents an alternative interpretation and provides new insights into the nature of possession itself. As LaChance gains access to a secret location that plays a crucial role in the story, he sheds new light on how the exorcism's bizarre aftermath continues to haunt the city of St. Louis and the Catholic Church to this day.
264 pages, Paperback
Published February 8, 2017
13 people are currently reading
550 people want to read
About the author
Steven LaChance
5 books41 followersSteven LaChance has been called one of the most prolific supernatural writers of this generation. In 2007, he released the bestselling non-fiction, The Uninvited, which detailed the true story of his own personal haunting living in the infamous Screaming House. In 2010, he released the ground breaking short story collection, Crazy. In 2014, Steven released the long awaited sequel to, The Uninvited, which completed the two book Screaming House series, titled Blessed are the Wicked.
Crazy: A Prayer for the Dead, is the full length version of the Truck Stop Hell story from the short story collection. It was released for Halloween 2016 and immediately gained a large cult following.
On February 8, 2017, Steven published his long awaited book on the 1949 St. Louis Exorcism case, the same case the blockbuster film, The Exorcist, was based upon. Confrontation with Evil, was one of the most anticipated true life paranormal books of 2017. The book was based upon Steven's over a decade of research into this horrifying case and will reveal new insight and evidence never before shared with the public.It won numerous awards and was featured in the New York Post and The Sun. St. Louis GO Magazine voted the book the best of 2018. The book recently was released in a Special Edition which includes new information and photos.
Steven has appeared on numerous television, film and radio programs worldwide. He has been featured on NBC News, CBS News, Travel Channel, Chiller, CNN, Destination America, the Discovery Channel, Warner Brothers, Universal, Sony plus many more. Steven has also worked on the popular television series, Supernatural. You can currently see Steven in the Discovery+ documentary, The Exorcism of Roland Doe.
Crazy: A Prayer for the Dead, is the full length version of the Truck Stop Hell story from the short story collection. It was released for Halloween 2016 and immediately gained a large cult following.
On February 8, 2017, Steven published his long awaited book on the 1949 St. Louis Exorcism case, the same case the blockbuster film, The Exorcist, was based upon. Confrontation with Evil, was one of the most anticipated true life paranormal books of 2017. The book was based upon Steven's over a decade of research into this horrifying case and will reveal new insight and evidence never before shared with the public.It won numerous awards and was featured in the New York Post and The Sun. St. Louis GO Magazine voted the book the best of 2018. The book recently was released in a Special Edition which includes new information and photos.
Steven has appeared on numerous television, film and radio programs worldwide. He has been featured on NBC News, CBS News, Travel Channel, Chiller, CNN, Destination America, the Discovery Channel, Warner Brothers, Universal, Sony plus many more. Steven has also worked on the popular television series, Supernatural. You can currently see Steven in the Discovery+ documentary, The Exorcism of Roland Doe.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
February 16, 2017
Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this for an honest review.
Started and finished in one evening, the subject matter kept my interest , however I found the ending to be a bit disjointed.
Started and finished in one evening, the subject matter kept my interest , however I found the ending to be a bit disjointed.
February 19, 2017
I remember watching The Exorcist when I was about 16-17 years old and not really finding it terrifying at all, I put that down to desensitization as I had already been watching horror films for years and they never really bothered me. My mum, however, went to see it when it was first released and it scared the s**t out of her, she says she only watched up until the piano scene and then spent the rest of the film with her head against my dad so she wouldn't see it, she did hear it and I think that's sometimes bad enough.
When I saw this book I knew I had to read it, I was intrigued about the real story behind The Exorcist and wanted to see if the William Peter Blatty version was being truthful with the facts.
Not gonna give too much, if anything, away about this as I think, if you're that interested in the truth and myth behind the exorcism that you will pick this book up regardless and won't, really, listen to what I think.
I did get into a conversation with my mum after I'd read this but she still refuses to watch the film again. Mothers!.
Going to leave you with this quote from the author Steven A. LaChance;
"I cannot and will not tell you what you should believe. My place is to share ideas and theories for you to consider, and if somewhere within that self reflection you figure out what you actually believe, then I have done my job properly"
Wouldn't it be better if that's what everyone thought!?
*Huge thanks to Steven A. LaChance, Llewellyn Worldwide, LTD and NetGalley for this copy which I chose to read and all opinions are my own*
When I saw this book I knew I had to read it, I was intrigued about the real story behind The Exorcist and wanted to see if the William Peter Blatty version was being truthful with the facts.
Not gonna give too much, if anything, away about this as I think, if you're that interested in the truth and myth behind the exorcism that you will pick this book up regardless and won't, really, listen to what I think.
I did get into a conversation with my mum after I'd read this but she still refuses to watch the film again. Mothers!.
Going to leave you with this quote from the author Steven A. LaChance;
"I cannot and will not tell you what you should believe. My place is to share ideas and theories for you to consider, and if somewhere within that self reflection you figure out what you actually believe, then I have done my job properly"
Wouldn't it be better if that's what everyone thought!?
*Huge thanks to Steven A. LaChance, Llewellyn Worldwide, LTD and NetGalley for this copy which I chose to read and all opinions are my own*
June 19, 2018
A very scary story, the true story behind the Exorcist book and movie. Well-researched by LaChance, if you enjoyed the book and movie, you will enjoy this book.
December 8, 2016
As the title implies, this book covers a lot about the 1949 possession case, that inspired the movie “The Exorcist”. Author Steven LaChance translates a thorough research of the events surrounding the case. His main focus is on the people that caused this to happen and the motivations behind why.
LaChance opens by dispelling myths connected with this case, then takes us on a journey where you'd be surprised to find that this ordeal took place in multiple locations and states. He describes the origin of certain popular items frequently used in occult circles, and those curious to have a 'fun night' investigating the supernatural (at their own risk). LaChance then gets into the thick of the 'what and why' of the case, where we get to know all those involved in helping perform the Catholic exorcism. Throughout his research, LaChance raises some interesting questions about the family's involvement behind the ordeal, with a particular concern and sympathy for the boy who experienced it all. During the last third of this book, LaChance maintains your interests by reviewing the sites involved in the case, many years later. He also makes a case, towards the end, that evil is working even the respectable halls of the Vatican, where there's demonic work at play to block or remove the practice of exorcism altogether.
A number of things don't jive well with me about this book. I'll start with LaChance's alluding to being a Christian. There are many denominations within the Christian faith, but the one he identify's with is never established. I was put off by some of his theories and reasoning behind certain incidents in the ordeal, which made me question more his particular faith. I'm not calling him a phony, but I will say that many of his ideas and answers directly conflict with what the Bible teaches and are not biblical conclusions. They seem more in line with hypotheses from his hybrid version of faith. I wasn't expecting to come across many references to the Christian faith, and it was curious to see how they missed their mark.
Moving on - 70% of the book is portrayed in an "actual accounts" type fashion, but then takes an odd turn, veering off into borderline fiction. In the last chapter, for example, he claims to have experienced a situation that could reveal the truth about how the 1949 case really ended. Again, this might work as a piece of fiction, but claiming this experience the way he does, chips away at its authenticity.
The scare factor is high and I did learn a good many interesting 'facts' about the case. So I would say, read it, if you want to find out what those are, because if you base what you know off the movie - you're not getting the whole story.
For the Christian crowd:
Nothing of value to learn, faith-wise, that you don’t already know from a healthy bible-preaching Church. For scare value – I would say that if you’re a mature reader, go for it.
LaChance opens by dispelling myths connected with this case, then takes us on a journey where you'd be surprised to find that this ordeal took place in multiple locations and states. He describes the origin of certain popular items frequently used in occult circles, and those curious to have a 'fun night' investigating the supernatural (at their own risk). LaChance then gets into the thick of the 'what and why' of the case, where we get to know all those involved in helping perform the Catholic exorcism. Throughout his research, LaChance raises some interesting questions about the family's involvement behind the ordeal, with a particular concern and sympathy for the boy who experienced it all. During the last third of this book, LaChance maintains your interests by reviewing the sites involved in the case, many years later. He also makes a case, towards the end, that evil is working even the respectable halls of the Vatican, where there's demonic work at play to block or remove the practice of exorcism altogether.
A number of things don't jive well with me about this book. I'll start with LaChance's alluding to being a Christian. There are many denominations within the Christian faith, but the one he identify's with is never established. I was put off by some of his theories and reasoning behind certain incidents in the ordeal, which made me question more his particular faith. I'm not calling him a phony, but I will say that many of his ideas and answers directly conflict with what the Bible teaches and are not biblical conclusions. They seem more in line with hypotheses from his hybrid version of faith. I wasn't expecting to come across many references to the Christian faith, and it was curious to see how they missed their mark.
Moving on - 70% of the book is portrayed in an "actual accounts" type fashion, but then takes an odd turn, veering off into borderline fiction. In the last chapter, for example, he claims to have experienced a situation that could reveal the truth about how the 1949 case really ended. Again, this might work as a piece of fiction, but claiming this experience the way he does, chips away at its authenticity.
The scare factor is high and I did learn a good many interesting 'facts' about the case. So I would say, read it, if you want to find out what those are, because if you base what you know off the movie - you're not getting the whole story.
For the Christian crowd:
Nothing of value to learn, faith-wise, that you don’t already know from a healthy bible-preaching Church. For scare value – I would say that if you’re a mature reader, go for it.
February 5, 2018
Chilling. I'm a big fan of the Exorcist movie and the TV show. When they are done well possession movies seriously freak me the ef out. And strangely, I like that feeling. This book, being non-fiction, really freaked me out. It details the backstory of the real life little boy who was possessed. It has journal excerpts from the priest who performed the exorcism, interviews, and a lot of research. It's not boring at all. I was fascinated and had goosebumps more than a few times while I read mostly during the day. It's a little too creepy for a nighttime read.
Netgalley ARC received for an unbiased review.
Netgalley ARC received for an unbiased review.
October 31, 2016
I ended up giving this a full five stars, simply for the interest factor. It kept me turning pages. I can't say that I fully accept everything about this case as fact, regardless of who has dissected it and reported on it, but the author's arguments were convincing, for his in-depth research and unique personal experiences.
Honestly, I found most of the value in the first half of the book. It was written from a new angle, spending more time focusing on the family and clergy and their poor decisions regarding the treatment of the boy in question, rather than blaming the entire event on the child himself.
You can come at this book from many different directions and probably form a million different opinions based on your faith and your own experiences, but one thing is for sure, something happened that no one will ever be able to completely explain.
The latter half of the book did not lose my interest, but I saw it as more speculation than proven fact. I would have liked to have seen more witness interviews included to back up the ideas of the author.
Still, this was a fascinating look at a case that still draws interest today. If you are interested in the case, you want to read this one.
This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Honestly, I found most of the value in the first half of the book. It was written from a new angle, spending more time focusing on the family and clergy and their poor decisions regarding the treatment of the boy in question, rather than blaming the entire event on the child himself.
You can come at this book from many different directions and probably form a million different opinions based on your faith and your own experiences, but one thing is for sure, something happened that no one will ever be able to completely explain.
The latter half of the book did not lose my interest, but I saw it as more speculation than proven fact. I would have liked to have seen more witness interviews included to back up the ideas of the author.
Still, this was a fascinating look at a case that still draws interest today. If you are interested in the case, you want to read this one.
This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
May 7, 2017
Confrontation with Evil is meant to give the true life story of the true life story behind the story that inspired The Exorcist. LaChance presents an interesting take on the story of the possession of Roland Doe, but if you haven't already read Allen's Possessed: True Story of An Exorcism or another account of Roland's story, you will be somewhat lost by LaChance's interpretation. It was unclear to me throughout Confrontation with Evil whether LaChance assumed readers should already know about Roland's case and thus be appreciative he was not boring us with all the details again or whether LaChance really just needs to study up on how to write a non-fiction book. Even if it is the former, there is still a bit of a problem here that unless you have committed all this to memory or otherwise are so deeply involved with this origin story that you remember every detail, it is really easy to get lost, but I think it is really the latter. LaChance wants to make an argument here, but he doesn't seem to know how to do that. The text is generally disorganized and the underlying argumentation is not coherent.
For example, LaChance places a lot of blame on the mother of Ronald, and when you understand the actual story, some of this seem warranted, but he gives a blow by blow blaming fest without the actual facts to support such a thing. I would have rather he decided to detail the story and overlay his opinions as most non-fiction writers do. Likewise, when he decides to go all gung-ho on blaming everyone for not acknowledging how St. Micheal the Archangel appeared to defend Roland it would be interesting to hear that this actually happened to begin with – or at least how it appeared to people.
The book itself is probably worth it however for the weird, almost appendix-like chapters, describing the places where Roland was treated (and exorcised) and where maybe, just maybe, a priest associated with the exorcism was kept .
Ultimate vote: Pass if you haven't read anything about this whole thing to begin with because you won't know what is happening; Read it for those who know something about the case because when he lays into the mom is kind of interesting – and that creepy shit about the hospital is sort of killer; Generally, petition the author to really write a book about his experiences on the weird time-stopped priest floor because wtf!
Thank you Lleweyllen Publishing, Stephen LaChance, and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this.
For example, LaChance places a lot of blame on the mother of Ronald, and when you understand the actual story, some of this seem warranted, but he gives a blow by blow blaming fest without the actual facts to support such a thing. I would have rather he decided to detail the story and overlay his opinions as most non-fiction writers do. Likewise, when he decides to go all gung-ho on blaming everyone for not acknowledging how St. Micheal the Archangel appeared to defend Roland it would be interesting to hear that this actually happened to begin with – or at least how it appeared to people.
The book itself is probably worth it however for the weird, almost appendix-like chapters, describing the places where Roland was treated (and exorcised) and where maybe, just maybe, a priest associated with the exorcism was kept .
Ultimate vote: Pass if you haven't read anything about this whole thing to begin with because you won't know what is happening; Read it for those who know something about the case because when he lays into the mom is kind of interesting – and that creepy shit about the hospital is sort of killer; Generally, petition the author to really write a book about his experiences on the weird time-stopped priest floor because wtf!
Thank you Lleweyllen Publishing, Stephen LaChance, and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this.
September 10, 2018
I found this book to be very interesting, especially the question posed near the beginning of the book. I agree with LaChance that I don't think I've heard anyone pose that question before. However, I don't feel that he really answered it, despite saying he believed he had the answer.
But, then again, maybe it went over my head. I borrowed this book from the library, but I think I'm going to go ahead and buy it at some point soon. I'd like to reread it, highlight and make notes in it.
I really don't know anything about Steven LaChance, and I haven't done any research into who he is or anything else surrounding him besides what I found out through reading this book where he mentions some of his own personal life struggles and ordeals, some of which sound truly harrowing. So, if there's anything surrounding him that is scandalous, or if people are calling him a charlatan, I'm sorry but I just don't know of it and I can't speak on it. As such, I also can't take that into consideration in this review of the book.
I thought he did a great job with this. I learned a lot of things I hadn't heard of before, and I feel as though I've been given a lot of good references to look at for further reading from the back of it where he cites his sources.
I also really appreciated the easy way this book flowed, with a conversational tone. I felt as though I could easily have been listening to him tell me all of this over a series of casual meetings over coffee at a cafe, and it seemed honest and sincere to me. Whether you agree with his stance on anything in the book or what happened to Roland Doe or not, I don't think it's out of turn to say that he isn't lying or misrepresenting his own interpretations, opinions and thoughts in this book.
One thing I noticed was that LaChance himself starts with the premise that Roland Doe was actually possessed, that LaChance is Christian and (I don't think he said it outright, but it seems heavily implied) Catholic and that his view of this case is informed heavily and, perhaps entirely, by these things. That's why I said earlier that a lot of this easily comes off as biased. However, I liked that he also made sure several times to mention the possibility that Roland was mentally ill, or that even when he was speaking about certain things he holds to be true about religion he leaves room for people who are not Catholic, or who are not Christian at all, and even when admonishing certain Spiritualist practices and behaviors you can find where he states clearly that it has a lot to do with intent and the way things are being done rather than the practices themselves being inherently and always bad.
I really appreciated the way that LaChance approached this, and because of these things I felt he was far more believable than a lot of other paranormal investigators and researchers. I never felt that he was being insincere, overdramatic, or sensationalistic. In fact, I found him to be not only sincere and straightforward (I am really sorry, but I can't stress this enough, this really impressed me, so I keep repeating it), but also very sensitive and self-aware. He didn't shy away from criticizing even himself when he knew he was guilty of contributing to something he complained about others doing.
Which brings me to something else. I really respected the fact that he didn't reveal Roland Doe's real name and I thought his reasons for that were well thought-out, sincere and sensitive, despite the fact that these days people have figured it out. I don't know Roland Doe's real name, myself, although if people have found him to know that he still claims not to remember anything about his exorcism, then clearly his identity is out there. I don't plan to look for it. And I like that, despite the fact that it isn't truly a secret anymore, LaChance chose to respect and protect Roland Doe's privacy as much as he could with the way he wrote this book. And I like that he was self-aware enough and honest enough to admit that by writing and publishing the book, and a bit with the way he did it, he was contributing in some ways to the very things he complained about with other paranormal investigators, researchers, and authors, who have dealt with this case.
Which brings me to one more thing. I liked that he was capable of criticizing not only other paranormal investigators and researchers, but also himself. It just helped me to trust him more while I was reading the book.
I do believe that Roland Doe went through something terrible, and I believe that the people around him, the adults, largely failed him even to the point of exploiting and victimizing him through his ordeal. I'm not going to speculate on whether I think he was possessed or mentally ill, because I think that's something the reader needs to decide for themselves as they make their way through the book. But, either way, it was certainly something and it was certainly horrific, and I feel a lot of sympathy for Roland Doe and for the fact that, as LaChance himself mentions in the book, society won't let him forget and move on completely because we're always throwing it in his face again in some way or another.
I thought the end of the book was definitely interesting, as well. It doesn't end simply when the possession ends, but rather continues on to reveal a few things I'd never heard of before and am very intrigued by. I was very glad that there were so many references at the end of the book, because I definitely want to read further about some of those things.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in this kind of subject, or specifically interested in this particular case.
But, then again, maybe it went over my head. I borrowed this book from the library, but I think I'm going to go ahead and buy it at some point soon. I'd like to reread it, highlight and make notes in it.
I really don't know anything about Steven LaChance, and I haven't done any research into who he is or anything else surrounding him besides what I found out through reading this book where he mentions some of his own personal life struggles and ordeals, some of which sound truly harrowing. So, if there's anything surrounding him that is scandalous, or if people are calling him a charlatan, I'm sorry but I just don't know of it and I can't speak on it. As such, I also can't take that into consideration in this review of the book.
I thought he did a great job with this. I learned a lot of things I hadn't heard of before, and I feel as though I've been given a lot of good references to look at for further reading from the back of it where he cites his sources.
I also really appreciated the easy way this book flowed, with a conversational tone. I felt as though I could easily have been listening to him tell me all of this over a series of casual meetings over coffee at a cafe, and it seemed honest and sincere to me. Whether you agree with his stance on anything in the book or what happened to Roland Doe or not, I don't think it's out of turn to say that he isn't lying or misrepresenting his own interpretations, opinions and thoughts in this book.
One thing I noticed was that LaChance himself starts with the premise that Roland Doe was actually possessed, that LaChance is Christian and (I don't think he said it outright, but it seems heavily implied) Catholic and that his view of this case is informed heavily and, perhaps entirely, by these things. That's why I said earlier that a lot of this easily comes off as biased. However, I liked that he also made sure several times to mention the possibility that Roland was mentally ill, or that even when he was speaking about certain things he holds to be true about religion he leaves room for people who are not Catholic, or who are not Christian at all, and even when admonishing certain Spiritualist practices and behaviors you can find where he states clearly that it has a lot to do with intent and the way things are being done rather than the practices themselves being inherently and always bad.
I really appreciated the way that LaChance approached this, and because of these things I felt he was far more believable than a lot of other paranormal investigators and researchers. I never felt that he was being insincere, overdramatic, or sensationalistic. In fact, I found him to be not only sincere and straightforward (I am really sorry, but I can't stress this enough, this really impressed me, so I keep repeating it), but also very sensitive and self-aware. He didn't shy away from criticizing even himself when he knew he was guilty of contributing to something he complained about others doing.
Which brings me to something else. I really respected the fact that he didn't reveal Roland Doe's real name and I thought his reasons for that were well thought-out, sincere and sensitive, despite the fact that these days people have figured it out. I don't know Roland Doe's real name, myself, although if people have found him to know that he still claims not to remember anything about his exorcism, then clearly his identity is out there. I don't plan to look for it. And I like that, despite the fact that it isn't truly a secret anymore, LaChance chose to respect and protect Roland Doe's privacy as much as he could with the way he wrote this book. And I like that he was self-aware enough and honest enough to admit that by writing and publishing the book, and a bit with the way he did it, he was contributing in some ways to the very things he complained about with other paranormal investigators, researchers, and authors, who have dealt with this case.
Which brings me to one more thing. I liked that he was capable of criticizing not only other paranormal investigators and researchers, but also himself. It just helped me to trust him more while I was reading the book.
I do believe that Roland Doe went through something terrible, and I believe that the people around him, the adults, largely failed him even to the point of exploiting and victimizing him through his ordeal. I'm not going to speculate on whether I think he was possessed or mentally ill, because I think that's something the reader needs to decide for themselves as they make their way through the book. But, either way, it was certainly something and it was certainly horrific, and I feel a lot of sympathy for Roland Doe and for the fact that, as LaChance himself mentions in the book, society won't let him forget and move on completely because we're always throwing it in his face again in some way or another.
I thought the end of the book was definitely interesting, as well. It doesn't end simply when the possession ends, but rather continues on to reveal a few things I'd never heard of before and am very intrigued by. I was very glad that there were so many references at the end of the book, because I definitely want to read further about some of those things.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in this kind of subject, or specifically interested in this particular case.
February 6, 2017
In the beginning there was THE EXORCIST, a book I couldn't finish but managed only to read few chapters of it: THE EXORCIST was too scary for me, I always related it to old stories of demonic possessions and exorcism and weird scary tales I heard while growing up. Therefore, When I saw the title of CONFRONTATION WITH EVIL on Net Galley, I was intrigued and curious! I never knew that THE EXORCIST of William Peter Blatty was based on a true story and felt compelled to read it and know better about the exorcism of Roland Doe(pseudonym) that took place in 1949 and which inspired Blatty to write his masterpiece.
In CONFRONTATION WITH EVIL the author approaches his “in-depth review of the case” from two angles: the infamous diary of Father Raymond Bishop, one of the priests who performed the exorcism, and the dissection of the many places affected in this ordeal before he reaches to the “shocking conclusion” about the case, the possession and where the evil still resides.
Starting with the diary that recounts in details the boy’s strange behaviour that kept degrading into violent tantrums, spitting, throwing things, spewing profanities and developing unexplained scratches on his body in addition to the weird things that were happening with the family like things moving, scratches sounds, bed shaking, levitating and other scary stuff. The diary tells thoroughly as well the rituals of the exorcism and the reactions of Roland’s family. Based on this diary, the author builds his interpretations, forms his accusations and stretches his interpretations of the cause of the possession, the odd behaviour of the parents, the origins of evil, all this accumulated with Bible scriptures, tedious information about the occult, the possession, the Ouija board, etc. I cultivated mixed feelings toward this part of the book, it definitely has its scares and frightening moments and to imagine the horrible ordeal the boy lived is unfathomable regardless a possession happened or not. What I didn’t like is the lack of cross- examination of the case, the doubt, the possibility of mental illness, a detailed background of the family, more research to be inducted and less speculations to give. I have an open mind when it comes to paranormal but I can never underestimate logical explanations, mental issues, having said that, I found that the author's ideas and interpretations are based on pure speculations without having any room for a different approach. And I should also add that a question annoys me with regards to the diary ending up in the public hand. How did that happen? Shouldn’t the diary be kept protected in the Roman Catholic Church that conducted the exorcism ?
As for the second part of the book, well, that was a hard thing for me to follow. Although, I liked the way the author dissects the places that witnessed the act of exorcism, but Person X and a location kept unknown and all this secrecy surrounding the climatic shocking conclusion fit more in the fiction land than reality. As a non-fiction book about such controversial story, withholding key information means that those information are not reliable. And what is a ghost box and that recorded message, does it really exist and what is the proof?
Honestly, I expected this book to be more interesting and original but unfortunately failed to live up to my expectations, it was rather speculating, tedious, repetitive more than informing. It failed to deliver the” in depth examination” of the case and left me more doubtful than believer, it only educated me bits about the Exorcism rituals, the origins of Ouija board, that the Exorcist was based on true story and how notable are the differences between the actual facts surrounding Roland’s case and the cinematic frights produced in the book and the movie.
I take the chance here to express my thanks to Net Galley and Llewellyn Publishing for giving me an advanced copy of the book to read and review.
In CONFRONTATION WITH EVIL the author approaches his “in-depth review of the case” from two angles: the infamous diary of Father Raymond Bishop, one of the priests who performed the exorcism, and the dissection of the many places affected in this ordeal before he reaches to the “shocking conclusion” about the case, the possession and where the evil still resides.
Starting with the diary that recounts in details the boy’s strange behaviour that kept degrading into violent tantrums, spitting, throwing things, spewing profanities and developing unexplained scratches on his body in addition to the weird things that were happening with the family like things moving, scratches sounds, bed shaking, levitating and other scary stuff. The diary tells thoroughly as well the rituals of the exorcism and the reactions of Roland’s family. Based on this diary, the author builds his interpretations, forms his accusations and stretches his interpretations of the cause of the possession, the odd behaviour of the parents, the origins of evil, all this accumulated with Bible scriptures, tedious information about the occult, the possession, the Ouija board, etc. I cultivated mixed feelings toward this part of the book, it definitely has its scares and frightening moments and to imagine the horrible ordeal the boy lived is unfathomable regardless a possession happened or not. What I didn’t like is the lack of cross- examination of the case, the doubt, the possibility of mental illness, a detailed background of the family, more research to be inducted and less speculations to give. I have an open mind when it comes to paranormal but I can never underestimate logical explanations, mental issues, having said that, I found that the author's ideas and interpretations are based on pure speculations without having any room for a different approach. And I should also add that a question annoys me with regards to the diary ending up in the public hand. How did that happen? Shouldn’t the diary be kept protected in the Roman Catholic Church that conducted the exorcism ?
As for the second part of the book, well, that was a hard thing for me to follow. Although, I liked the way the author dissects the places that witnessed the act of exorcism, but Person X and a location kept unknown and all this secrecy surrounding the climatic shocking conclusion fit more in the fiction land than reality. As a non-fiction book about such controversial story, withholding key information means that those information are not reliable. And what is a ghost box and that recorded message, does it really exist and what is the proof?
Honestly, I expected this book to be more interesting and original but unfortunately failed to live up to my expectations, it was rather speculating, tedious, repetitive more than informing. It failed to deliver the” in depth examination” of the case and left me more doubtful than believer, it only educated me bits about the Exorcism rituals, the origins of Ouija board, that the Exorcist was based on true story and how notable are the differences between the actual facts surrounding Roland’s case and the cinematic frights produced in the book and the movie.
I take the chance here to express my thanks to Net Galley and Llewellyn Publishing for giving me an advanced copy of the book to read and review.
May 21, 2017
Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/reviews/...
In Confrontation with Evil, Steven A. LaChance investigates the 1949 exorcism on Ronald Doe (pseudonym), a young boy who suffered terrible fits, and was seemingly under demonic possessoin. This case inspired the 1973 movie, The Exorcist. LaChance researches the people involved in the case, their motivations (from the boy’s mother, who seemingly deliberately contacted spirits or demons, to the priests putting their own souls on the line to help the boy). One of the priests left a diary of the events, and through that diary, LaChance discusses what happened to the boy.
The last third of the book is spent on a rundown of the places involved in the exorcism, which the author visits now decades later. He even manages to find some paranormal evidence in some of the places, and communicates with a spirit who he believes to be Father Bowdern, one of the priests involved in the case who passed away.
Now, while sometimes bordering on being entertaining, overall the book is kind of dry. It doesn’t really offer a lot of new info, especially to people who’ve read or investigated anything related to exorcisms before. It’s just a feeling of ‘same old, same old’. There’s no real emotion behind it. First that happened, then that happened, but the author never really manages to make any of the people involved sound realistic in his writing. I know it’s nonfiction, but I can’t sympathize with people if I just hear a rundown of what they did. “The boy had a seizure, the boy had a fit, the boy cussed”, and so on, doesn’t really make me sympathize with the boy. The writing just wasn’t on par, and didn’t make me feel involved in the case.
The author also comes up with some wild – really, really wild- theories, starting with how the mother invited the demon into their house (which I was somewhat willing to believe) to the Vatican willingly allowing the devil to possess a priest so they could do research, to the devil infiltrating in the Vatican itself, which was just waaaay too far-fetched for me.
Also, repetition. Some parts of the book were really drawn out, and repetitive. If you don’t know anything about the exorcism case, this is a good place to start, but if you’re already quite aware of what happened in 1949, you won’t learn a lot of new things.
In Confrontation with Evil, Steven A. LaChance investigates the 1949 exorcism on Ronald Doe (pseudonym), a young boy who suffered terrible fits, and was seemingly under demonic possessoin. This case inspired the 1973 movie, The Exorcist. LaChance researches the people involved in the case, their motivations (from the boy’s mother, who seemingly deliberately contacted spirits or demons, to the priests putting their own souls on the line to help the boy). One of the priests left a diary of the events, and through that diary, LaChance discusses what happened to the boy.
The last third of the book is spent on a rundown of the places involved in the exorcism, which the author visits now decades later. He even manages to find some paranormal evidence in some of the places, and communicates with a spirit who he believes to be Father Bowdern, one of the priests involved in the case who passed away.
Now, while sometimes bordering on being entertaining, overall the book is kind of dry. It doesn’t really offer a lot of new info, especially to people who’ve read or investigated anything related to exorcisms before. It’s just a feeling of ‘same old, same old’. There’s no real emotion behind it. First that happened, then that happened, but the author never really manages to make any of the people involved sound realistic in his writing. I know it’s nonfiction, but I can’t sympathize with people if I just hear a rundown of what they did. “The boy had a seizure, the boy had a fit, the boy cussed”, and so on, doesn’t really make me sympathize with the boy. The writing just wasn’t on par, and didn’t make me feel involved in the case.
The author also comes up with some wild – really, really wild- theories, starting with how the mother invited the demon into their house (which I was somewhat willing to believe) to the Vatican willingly allowing the devil to possess a priest so they could do research, to the devil infiltrating in the Vatican itself, which was just waaaay too far-fetched for me.
Also, repetition. Some parts of the book were really drawn out, and repetitive. If you don’t know anything about the exorcism case, this is a good place to start, but if you’re already quite aware of what happened in 1949, you won’t learn a lot of new things.
February 26, 2017
Just theories that change from one sentence to the next with no new insights or proof. The author seems to want to talk about himself much more than the case at hand, leading me to wonder why he doesn't just write a book about his own possession. Not that I don't agree with some of what he says, but then he contradicts himself over and over just to make it fit his theories.
February 15, 2017
Confrontation with Evil by Steven A. LaChance is a horror and non fiction read.
Known as the 1949 St. Louis Exorcism, the story of possessed child Roland Doe was immortalized in the groundbreaking novel and film The Exorcist. Much has been written about the case, but the truth has been shrouded in secrecy...until now.
Join Steven A. LaChance, as he shares the shocking evidence for how a family's grief over the death of an aunt progressed into a full-blown demonic possession. While the conventional story is that Roland Doe brought the demonic infestation upon himself, LaChance convincingly suggests an alternative interpretation, and provides new insights into the nature of possession itself.
The events of 1949 culminated in grueling exorcism rites, but the story doesn't end there as LaChance guides readers through the stunning aftermath that forever changed the Catholic church and the city of St. Louis.
A very good read. Wasn't what I expected but still a good read. 3*. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book from netgalley.
Known as the 1949 St. Louis Exorcism, the story of possessed child Roland Doe was immortalized in the groundbreaking novel and film The Exorcist. Much has been written about the case, but the truth has been shrouded in secrecy...until now.
Join Steven A. LaChance, as he shares the shocking evidence for how a family's grief over the death of an aunt progressed into a full-blown demonic possession. While the conventional story is that Roland Doe brought the demonic infestation upon himself, LaChance convincingly suggests an alternative interpretation, and provides new insights into the nature of possession itself.
The events of 1949 culminated in grueling exorcism rites, but the story doesn't end there as LaChance guides readers through the stunning aftermath that forever changed the Catholic church and the city of St. Louis.
A very good read. Wasn't what I expected but still a good read. 3*. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book from netgalley.
February 8, 2017
Confrontation with Evil by Steven A. LaChance is a horror and non fiction read.
Known as the 1949 St. Louis Exorcism, the story of possessed child Roland Doe was immortalized in the groundbreaking novel and film The Exorcist. Much has been written about the case, but the truth has been shrouded in secrecy...until now.
Join Steven A. LaChance, as he shares the shocking evidence for how a family's grief over the death of an aunt progressed into a full-blown demonic possession. While the conventional story is that Roland Doe brought the demonic infestation upon himself, LaChance convincingly suggests an alternative interpretation, and provides new insights into the nature of possession itself.
The events of 1949 culminated in grueling exorcism rites, but the story doesn't end there as LaChance guides readers through the stunning aftermath that forever changed the Catholic church and the city of St. Louis.
A very good read. Wasn't what I expected but still a good read. 3*. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book from netgalley.
Known as the 1949 St. Louis Exorcism, the story of possessed child Roland Doe was immortalized in the groundbreaking novel and film The Exorcist. Much has been written about the case, but the truth has been shrouded in secrecy...until now.
Join Steven A. LaChance, as he shares the shocking evidence for how a family's grief over the death of an aunt progressed into a full-blown demonic possession. While the conventional story is that Roland Doe brought the demonic infestation upon himself, LaChance convincingly suggests an alternative interpretation, and provides new insights into the nature of possession itself.
The events of 1949 culminated in grueling exorcism rites, but the story doesn't end there as LaChance guides readers through the stunning aftermath that forever changed the Catholic church and the city of St. Louis.
A very good read. Wasn't what I expected but still a good read. 3*. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book from netgalley.
December 30, 2016
Any long-term horror worth their salt has probably had at some point a passing interest in the 1949 ‘true’ story which inspired both William Peter Blatty’s “The Exorcist” (1971) novel and the hugely successful film which followed two years later. Although it has copied, cloned and ripped-off countless times since, the story is once again in the media spotlight with the new “Exorcist: the TV Series” currently doing the rounds. Considering both the family involved and the priests involved never publically spoke to the media, it’s pretty incredible that it seems to run and run…
So this is well trodden territory and you could easily argue there is very little point in any further investigations into the ‘true’ events which inspired the Exorcist franchise. There are a number of books on this subject already, so Steven LaChance’s “Confrontation with Evil” is another to add to the ever growing pile. So does this work of non-fiction have anything new to say? And who is the book actually aimed at? Hopefully this review will answer these important questions.
In this review I intend to keep my own opinions on the occult, demon possession and exorcisms out of it, as your own personal feelings on this subject will play a big part on what you think of this book. Steven LaChance clearly believes that supernatural possessions do occur and so the book is probably aimed at readers who have a similar mind-set and belief to him. Lachance has written a number of books on the supernatural and is a popular speaker on the subject on the USA, appearing on many TV shows which deal with ghost hunting, haunted houses and the like. Indeed, much of his experience which he calls upon is from a period where his family were demonically attacked a few years earlier. This subject is covered in two of his previous books. He has also witnessed exorcisms in the past. So according to Steven all this sort of detail qualifies him as an ‘expert’ on this difficult and controversial subject. Perhaps it does? Only the reader can decide for themselves.
It’s well known that the events which inspired the book and film occurred in 1949 to a 14 year old boy who became known as ‘Roland Doe’ and a good chunk of the book is Steven LaChance’s ‘expert’ or personal interpretation of the diary written by Father Raymond Bishop. The diary was written for church records and has obviously ended up in the public domain at some point, whether William Peter Blatty used it also, I do not know. LaChance goes through the diary blow by blow and discusses what went wrong, picks holes in the events, gives many of his own interpretations of what went on, identifies contradictions, and makes comparisons with the books and films.
All this is interesting enough, if not exactly inspiring. There is way too much of “I think…..” with the author oooing and aaahing on what might have happened. Much is made of the death of an aunt not long before the possession began. She was a spiritualist and was close to the boy and may well have introduced him to Ouija boards which provided an entrance to the spirit world and his supposed possession. The family were Lutheran, and the author points it out to be odd that they approached the Catholic Church for help. The exorcism itself took some time and the boy was moved to several different locations, several exorcists were involved and the LaChance felt the family behaved oddly at various times, especially the mother who obviously had problems of her own. It’s all conjecture and supposition, with LaChance tapping into his wide experience on the subject.
Although LaChance makes a point of stating how difference the book and film were to reality, it seemed to me they just exaggerated a lot of stuff for the book/film. Obviously there was no levitating or head spinning, but the diary does claim Ronald showed great strength and spoke Latin. However, it has also argued he just mimicked what he had already heard. Interestingly, the diary also claimed a desk swivelled around when he was at school, but witnesses were not followed up. A shame, as it might have given some much needed independent verification of the supernatural at work. LaChance felt that this was a demon trying to isolate the boy and that it started in the same way as most possessions did, with the “infestation” and the noises the family heard under the bed after the death of the Spiritualist aunt.
Believe it or not, it’s obvious why this diary/account was great source material for a top notch book and film. The book has a lot of padding to go along with it, including lots of Bible scripture and even bits on what the likes of Alistair Crowley thought of Ouija boards and their uses. So although the book is non-fiction, neither is it an academic study of the paranormal, more of a self-proclaimed ‘expert’ thoughts and interpretation on the subjects. But in the end of the day, what qualifications do you require to be an expert on this subject which often does defy science and logic?
Once LaChance is finished with Father Bishop’s diary he then hunts down the locations involved in the original exorcism. At this point it got very hard to swallow, not prepared to reveal his sources, the author meets up with “Mr X” who shows his places where the boy was originally held and, of course, La Chance can still feel some presence at the location….. The author then introduces his use of the ‘ghost box’ (used to contact spirits) to contact the dead involved in the case to try and find out who the demon in the possession really was. At this point any surviving academic elements went right out the window and we headed deeply into the world of freaky paranormal research. I didn’t have a problem with this, but felt the ending of the book was a bit rushed and could have spent more time here. But as I said earlier this book was probably aimed at those who knew quite a lot about ‘ghost boxes’ and this sort of stuff, something I did not beyond horror films.
A final pretty outlandish suggestion made is that the demon may have jumped into one of the priests from the boy, similar to the film and book. The author visited this location and that the Catholic Church had kept the location where this pries had lived hidden for decades. Pretty amazing if true….. But who knows, you’ll have to make up your own mind on that one.
So in conclusion I’m sitting on the fence, with a gigantic “who knows!” The book relied too heavily on the diary, but seen as all the priests involved are now dead and there was scant information in the first place then he does give as thorough a look as he possibly could. Academically speaking I thought the bibliography and referencing was pretty weak and there should been more detailed referencing. Obviously without the book and film this case would have been long forgotten. I did have a quite chuckle at the passage that states that two of the exorcists involved went to see the film on the cinema, and were almost chucked out of the cinema for chatting and slagging it off! You’ve got to laugh…..
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review from Net Galley.
So this is well trodden territory and you could easily argue there is very little point in any further investigations into the ‘true’ events which inspired the Exorcist franchise. There are a number of books on this subject already, so Steven LaChance’s “Confrontation with Evil” is another to add to the ever growing pile. So does this work of non-fiction have anything new to say? And who is the book actually aimed at? Hopefully this review will answer these important questions.
In this review I intend to keep my own opinions on the occult, demon possession and exorcisms out of it, as your own personal feelings on this subject will play a big part on what you think of this book. Steven LaChance clearly believes that supernatural possessions do occur and so the book is probably aimed at readers who have a similar mind-set and belief to him. Lachance has written a number of books on the supernatural and is a popular speaker on the subject on the USA, appearing on many TV shows which deal with ghost hunting, haunted houses and the like. Indeed, much of his experience which he calls upon is from a period where his family were demonically attacked a few years earlier. This subject is covered in two of his previous books. He has also witnessed exorcisms in the past. So according to Steven all this sort of detail qualifies him as an ‘expert’ on this difficult and controversial subject. Perhaps it does? Only the reader can decide for themselves.
It’s well known that the events which inspired the book and film occurred in 1949 to a 14 year old boy who became known as ‘Roland Doe’ and a good chunk of the book is Steven LaChance’s ‘expert’ or personal interpretation of the diary written by Father Raymond Bishop. The diary was written for church records and has obviously ended up in the public domain at some point, whether William Peter Blatty used it also, I do not know. LaChance goes through the diary blow by blow and discusses what went wrong, picks holes in the events, gives many of his own interpretations of what went on, identifies contradictions, and makes comparisons with the books and films.
All this is interesting enough, if not exactly inspiring. There is way too much of “I think…..” with the author oooing and aaahing on what might have happened. Much is made of the death of an aunt not long before the possession began. She was a spiritualist and was close to the boy and may well have introduced him to Ouija boards which provided an entrance to the spirit world and his supposed possession. The family were Lutheran, and the author points it out to be odd that they approached the Catholic Church for help. The exorcism itself took some time and the boy was moved to several different locations, several exorcists were involved and the LaChance felt the family behaved oddly at various times, especially the mother who obviously had problems of her own. It’s all conjecture and supposition, with LaChance tapping into his wide experience on the subject.
Although LaChance makes a point of stating how difference the book and film were to reality, it seemed to me they just exaggerated a lot of stuff for the book/film. Obviously there was no levitating or head spinning, but the diary does claim Ronald showed great strength and spoke Latin. However, it has also argued he just mimicked what he had already heard. Interestingly, the diary also claimed a desk swivelled around when he was at school, but witnesses were not followed up. A shame, as it might have given some much needed independent verification of the supernatural at work. LaChance felt that this was a demon trying to isolate the boy and that it started in the same way as most possessions did, with the “infestation” and the noises the family heard under the bed after the death of the Spiritualist aunt.
Believe it or not, it’s obvious why this diary/account was great source material for a top notch book and film. The book has a lot of padding to go along with it, including lots of Bible scripture and even bits on what the likes of Alistair Crowley thought of Ouija boards and their uses. So although the book is non-fiction, neither is it an academic study of the paranormal, more of a self-proclaimed ‘expert’ thoughts and interpretation on the subjects. But in the end of the day, what qualifications do you require to be an expert on this subject which often does defy science and logic?
Once LaChance is finished with Father Bishop’s diary he then hunts down the locations involved in the original exorcism. At this point it got very hard to swallow, not prepared to reveal his sources, the author meets up with “Mr X” who shows his places where the boy was originally held and, of course, La Chance can still feel some presence at the location….. The author then introduces his use of the ‘ghost box’ (used to contact spirits) to contact the dead involved in the case to try and find out who the demon in the possession really was. At this point any surviving academic elements went right out the window and we headed deeply into the world of freaky paranormal research. I didn’t have a problem with this, but felt the ending of the book was a bit rushed and could have spent more time here. But as I said earlier this book was probably aimed at those who knew quite a lot about ‘ghost boxes’ and this sort of stuff, something I did not beyond horror films.
A final pretty outlandish suggestion made is that the demon may have jumped into one of the priests from the boy, similar to the film and book. The author visited this location and that the Catholic Church had kept the location where this pries had lived hidden for decades. Pretty amazing if true….. But who knows, you’ll have to make up your own mind on that one.
So in conclusion I’m sitting on the fence, with a gigantic “who knows!” The book relied too heavily on the diary, but seen as all the priests involved are now dead and there was scant information in the first place then he does give as thorough a look as he possibly could. Academically speaking I thought the bibliography and referencing was pretty weak and there should been more detailed referencing. Obviously without the book and film this case would have been long forgotten. I did have a quite chuckle at the passage that states that two of the exorcists involved went to see the film on the cinema, and were almost chucked out of the cinema for chatting and slagging it off! You’ve got to laugh…..
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review from Net Galley.
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April 18, 2021Anyone with curiosity about exorcism and is familiar with the movie, "The Exorcist," would definitely want to read this book. The 1949 exorcism case upon which the movie was based is the central topic here and from which other cases of demon possession are discussed. How true are any of these cases? What is the reality behind demonic possession? You won't get the answers to any of your questions. But what you will come away with is a fascinating, historical account of the paranormal and more questions and a greater curiosity about diabolic phenomenon and the whole realm of spiritualism and it's dangers. As the author states in his Introduction, turn on the lights and make sure you have called upon your guardian angel while you read this book.
May 16, 2017
I purchased this book because I've been a huge fan of The Exorcist book and movie for years. When I first took a look at it, I was a little disappointed because it seemed like it might be cheesy (the author has done the talk show circuit) but the book proved me wrong. It's really well researched, the author is a competent writer and the ending is downright scary! I was raised Catholic, even went to a Catholic high school, but I now consider myself agnostic. The book raised a lot of questions for me.
August 20, 2019
This book scared the bejesus out of me. I never read books or watch movies concerning the occult, but I wanted to do some research on the boy who was portrayed in the Exorcist movie. My curiosity was peaked.
The book is well written and very hard to put down, hence it being an easy read. Intriguing, but definitly scarey enough to not read it at night. When I did I imagined all kinds of things sharing the room with me. I even ran up the cellar stairs when I thought about the story down there.
The book is well written and very hard to put down, hence it being an easy read. Intriguing, but definitly scarey enough to not read it at night. When I did I imagined all kinds of things sharing the room with me. I even ran up the cellar stairs when I thought about the story down there.
May 2, 2021
This book was very informative and shocked the holy hell out of me with the conspiracies surrounding the real Exorcist case that inspired "The Exorcist" franchise. This book was altogether disturbing and frightening in that it covers the very real-life experience that no one should ever want to witness. I loved learning more details about the real case and how it inspired one of my favorite books of all time..."The Exorcist."
September 3, 2017
I won't give too much away, but I will say that it goes from fairly straightforward narrative to tin foil hat brigade very quickly and on a flimsy pretext with very little evidence cited to support it. For someone who fancies himself a great reasearcher, the end "swerve" seemed like something out of a WB melodrama. I expected better.
June 25, 2020
I had high hopes for this book. It was interesting at times, it gives some good insight and some knowledge people may not have known. However wasn’t a fan of the authors writing style, seemed it was based more on opinion with not so much evidence other than articles which sometimes aren’t all that reliable to begin with. There’s a lot more speculation and town talk rather than hardcore facts.
December 1, 2016
I found out so much about the case that I didn't know and it was a very fascinating read, but it went a bit ranty at times. Towards the end I lost attention as I felt certain aspects were put into this book purely to bulk it up. This book could definitely have been shortened down.
August 12, 2017
The diary is key
Book reveals the diary. The diary, however used the alias Robbie not Roland. St Louis U. did symposium on 1949 exorcism. Check YouTube. The Ghostbox is malarkey like séance and Ouija board. What IS true is don't duck with the fevil.
Book reveals the diary. The diary, however used the alias Robbie not Roland. St Louis U. did symposium on 1949 exorcism. Check YouTube. The Ghostbox is malarkey like séance and Ouija board. What IS true is don't duck with the fevil.
February 12, 2017
Wow!
Amazing revelations. Couldn't put it down. Very scary, not for the faint at heart. Thank you for sharing your hard work and research, Steven.
Amazing revelations. Couldn't put it down. Very scary, not for the faint at heart. Thank you for sharing your hard work and research, Steven.
May 18, 2018
phenomenally written. i thought i knew all there was to know about this case. Mr. LaChance showed me how wrong i could be. :)
January 23, 2019
Great Book
I have always been very interested in the true story of the exorcism and this book reveals things that I was never aware of before. I loved it.
I have always been very interested in the true story of the exorcism and this book reveals things that I was never aware of before. I loved it.
July 29, 2023
Excellent job of pointing out a different perspective
December 3, 2023
3.5 due to repetition.
March 12, 2017
What an excellent read, an in-depth examination of the infamous possession in 1949 of "Roland Doe".This was the basis of William Peter Blattys book The Exorcist and the subsequent film. The book uses the diary of one of the exorcists (Father Raymond Bishop) as it's basis. In parts, the book is both harrowing and extremely sad, as we are told of the greed of Roland's mother using her son as a conduit during the use of an ouija board to find her sister's fortune. Mr LaChance has certainly put in some research and does indeed know his subject and tells his story with aplomb.I must say the Catholic church does not come out of this tale without deserved criticism, as Roland is moved from pillar to post and the fallout after the exorcisms paints a dark picture of the church at the very top. Certainly a recommended read.
February 25, 2017
The nonfiction detailed study of the 1949 possession is a curious book. While I did read the story of "The Exorcist," I had no idea at that time it was based on a true story. I didn't see the film at the movie theater when it came out. I saw it for the first time on tv. When I discovered it was based on a true story I was surprised. After learning that, I did try to find out about the case but couldn't find anything. It has only been the last few years that I discovered it was a boy and not a girl.
The author was able to read the diary of the priest who did the exerocism and discovered that it was vague in its descriptions. In this book, you will follow the author's research of this case. I found it quite a learning experience for me. Most of the time, I felt that the book could had used some photographs of places he visited. I would had like to have seen the inside of the church with the twelve stations. I am giving this book 5 stars as near the end of the book the author discusses how one can strengthen themselves from becoming possessed. I am glad that I had the chance to read it. It does give you an nsight to this possession that I have not had before.
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book free from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I was not obliged to write a favorable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
The author was able to read the diary of the priest who did the exerocism and discovered that it was vague in its descriptions. In this book, you will follow the author's research of this case. I found it quite a learning experience for me. Most of the time, I felt that the book could had used some photographs of places he visited. I would had like to have seen the inside of the church with the twelve stations. I am giving this book 5 stars as near the end of the book the author discusses how one can strengthen themselves from becoming possessed. I am glad that I had the chance to read it. It does give you an nsight to this possession that I have not had before.
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book free from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I was not obliged to write a favorable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
November 25, 2016
First of all I want to thank NetGalley and Llewellyn Publishing for giving me this Advanced Reader Copy (ARC). This won't influence my review whatsoever.
I have to say that my favorite book is Blatty's "The Exorcist" so when I saw this book I was surprised. Since my copy of "The Exorcist" doesn't mention that it's based on true story and I never saw the movie I didn't know about the exorcism Case that happened in 1949 until I saw this book on NetGalley. When I saw it I smiled believing that this will be another work of fiction based on the book or movie or both. When I started reading I was still skeptical about how "real" this book is and I actually spent about an hour googling about the Exorcism Case before continuing to read about it. I left it to this book to impress me and to tell me details about this particular historical event without diving into conspiracy theories on my own.
So the book starts with a piece of diary from this actual exorcism that happened in 1949. A bit further the story opens with a description of a pretty usual scene from many horror movies. It really sets the mood as author starts from himself, talking about where he came from why this particular exorcism is important to him.
At the end of introduction author tries a little bit too hard to scare the readers. I think it wasn't necessary considering the topic of the book and that at least cornerstone facts are true.
Not only author retells what happened in 1949 to Roland (not real name) but he also tells what he thinks, his own theories about events and signs. At some point LaChance come on strongly with his beliefs and it's really off-putting. One can be a huge believer without shoving your opinion down reader's throats considering that this book is not marketed as religious, but horror instead.
Author also proudly retells an event where he acts disrespectful towards a priest. It made me look at LaChance not as a journalist anymore, but a fanatic who's opinion is more important than anything or anyone. Yet this radical thinking gets toned down afterwards and it really helped me to finish this book.
I won't go into detail how author takes every single detail and stretches it out to prove a point. Everyone has an opinion and it was his. I respect it, but I don't agree on most things that he tries to prove with numerology.
The most interesting thing where given to us (readers) when the original story was told. It were testimonies of people who worked in places that Roland was kept, where he experienced exorcisms. They really made my skin scrawl and I'm a hardened horror fan.
I also have to mention one thing before I wrap up this review. At the end LaChance tells about his personal experiences while trying to figure out the details of this story and without revealing anything important I must say that this book lacked explanations. Author talks about Ghost Box (for example) but doesn't explain what it does and how it works. For people who for the first time encounter such topics it should be explained. Even a footnote would work.
So to wrap up this review I must say I loved this book. I read it in barely two evenings and it was a great experience. I learned a lot. How much of it was true? I don't know. Did I enjoyed reading this book? Definitely.
I give this book my highest rating - 5 stars AND a place on my "Good Horror" shelf. And I recommend this book not only to religious people, but to those who are fans of "The Exorcism" or just want to learn more about the paranormal in general.
I have to say that my favorite book is Blatty's "The Exorcist" so when I saw this book I was surprised. Since my copy of "The Exorcist" doesn't mention that it's based on true story and I never saw the movie I didn't know about the exorcism Case that happened in 1949 until I saw this book on NetGalley. When I saw it I smiled believing that this will be another work of fiction based on the book or movie or both. When I started reading I was still skeptical about how "real" this book is and I actually spent about an hour googling about the Exorcism Case before continuing to read about it. I left it to this book to impress me and to tell me details about this particular historical event without diving into conspiracy theories on my own.
So the book starts with a piece of diary from this actual exorcism that happened in 1949. A bit further the story opens with a description of a pretty usual scene from many horror movies. It really sets the mood as author starts from himself, talking about where he came from why this particular exorcism is important to him.
At the end of introduction author tries a little bit too hard to scare the readers. I think it wasn't necessary considering the topic of the book and that at least cornerstone facts are true.
Not only author retells what happened in 1949 to Roland (not real name) but he also tells what he thinks, his own theories about events and signs. At some point LaChance come on strongly with his beliefs and it's really off-putting. One can be a huge believer without shoving your opinion down reader's throats considering that this book is not marketed as religious, but horror instead.
Author also proudly retells an event where he acts disrespectful towards a priest. It made me look at LaChance not as a journalist anymore, but a fanatic who's opinion is more important than anything or anyone. Yet this radical thinking gets toned down afterwards and it really helped me to finish this book.
I won't go into detail how author takes every single detail and stretches it out to prove a point. Everyone has an opinion and it was his. I respect it, but I don't agree on most things that he tries to prove with numerology.
The most interesting thing where given to us (readers) when the original story was told. It were testimonies of people who worked in places that Roland was kept, where he experienced exorcisms. They really made my skin scrawl and I'm a hardened horror fan.
I also have to mention one thing before I wrap up this review. At the end LaChance tells about his personal experiences while trying to figure out the details of this story and without revealing anything important I must say that this book lacked explanations. Author talks about Ghost Box (for example) but doesn't explain what it does and how it works. For people who for the first time encounter such topics it should be explained. Even a footnote would work.
So to wrap up this review I must say I loved this book. I read it in barely two evenings and it was a great experience. I learned a lot. How much of it was true? I don't know. Did I enjoyed reading this book? Definitely.
I give this book my highest rating - 5 stars AND a place on my "Good Horror" shelf. And I recommend this book not only to religious people, but to those who are fans of "The Exorcism" or just want to learn more about the paranormal in general.
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