Through a Glass, Darkly: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and The Quest to Solve The Greatest Mystery of All

by Stefan Bechtel, Laurence Roy Stains

Is it possible to make direct contact with the dead? Do the departed seek to make contact with us? The conviction that both things are true was the cornerstone of spiritualism, a kind of do-it-yourself religion that swept the Western world from the 1850s to the 1930s. Prominent artists and poets, prime ministers and scientists, all joined hands around the séance table. But the movement's most famous spokesman by far was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, whose public quarrels with Houdini over the truth of spiritualism made headlines across the country.

Known to the world as the creator of Sherlock Holmes, Conan Doyle had undergone what many considered an enigmatic transformation, turning his back on the hyper-rational Holmes and plunging into the supernatural. What was it that convinced a brilliant man, the creator of the great exemplar of cold, objective thought, that there was a reality beyond reality?

Though most modern sources make Conan Doyle out to be a kindly but credulous old fool, and though the spiritualist era was rife with fraud, Stefan Bechtel and Laurence Roy Stains take a closer look. They reexamine the old records of trance mediums and séances, and they discover that what Conan Doyle and his colleagues uncovered is as difficult to dismiss now as it was then.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Biography Memoir, Historical, Spirituality, American

318 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 13, 2017

Reviews

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a goodreads drawing.

This examination of the Spiritualism movement and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's part in it makes one grievous error. It makes the mistake that the spiritualism is dead. To be sure, the movement has changed quite a bit from the nineteenth century, but anybody who has ever heard Coast to Coast AM knows that spiritualism is alive and well.

Doyle tried to use a scientific approach to study what happens after death. People still do this today, but the author seems to think Doyle was batty. Sure, the whole episode with the fairies was weird, but mostly, Doyle seemed pretty sane to me.

Also of note, at least to me, was how similar early spiritualists sound to early UFO abductees. I don't know what that means, but it seems somewhat meaningful.

A good book, but the author's bias is too evident throughout.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arthur Conan Doyle is best known for Sherlock Holmes. that said, he was a fascinating man who wanted to believe in the paranormal. He was a leading figure in the Spiritualism movement. This book is about that as well as the movement's highs and Lows and his feud with Houdini over the whole thing. Excellent read

[Rennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini were frenemies, clashing over Conan Doyle's fervent embrace of the spiritualism fad and Houdini's healthy skepticism for the same. It is every bit as hilarious as you'd imagine, right down to the peer-reviewed journal ad calling someone (the future father of parapsychology, no less) an "ASS". That was Conan Doyle's work, by the way. Houdini was more likely to don a disguise and try to oust fraudulent mediums and seance-doers by spotting their sleight of hand (I mean, he would know) and ripping off his disguise to scream "I am Houdini and you are a FRAUD!" So Geraldo of him.

The frenemy storyline was my favorite bit. As well as just learning something about Arthur Conan Doyle, who had a fairly interesting life, an inexplicable passion for spiritualism (this succeeded in showing the what but not the why of that) and who ultimately didn't give a hoot about his most famous creation, Sherlock Holmes, considering his writings on spiritualism to be the greatest of his life's work.

Lots of interesting storytelling, very compellingly written, but no overall thesis and an oddly abrupt ending. The authors specify that it's meant to be a "jolly romp" instead of a scholarly work, which is fine, great actually, but aside from learning some interesting bits of history (with great due diligence done to debunk most of the woo-woo stories) it felt like something to tie it all together was missing. I liked it as a little portrait of Conan Doyle and his greatest passion, albeit a somewhat incomplete one.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably, since it's very well-written, a bit better than OK. The book operates almost as a simultaneous history of 19th and 20th Century Spiritualism (which I found to be fascinating), and a (short) bio on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (with an emphasis on his involvement with and defense of Spiritualism). Historically, talking with the Dead has always been with the human race, but, for a variety of reasons, it really took off as a cultural phenomena in 1848 in upstate New York with the story of the Fox sisters (Kate and Maggie) and the mysterious rappings heard in their house. The start date for these rappings (though there were would be claims that it started earlier), interestingly enough would be March 31. April Fools!?! It's a fact (in case I missed something) that the authors skip over. There are other facts that any casual Google search will reveal that this was all hoax or joke that gained traction as something else. The fact the potential hoax is largely ignored by the authors is extremely bothering since the authors insisted that history was meant to be neutral telling, without siding with siding with the defenders and skeptics of Spiritualism. Such "neutrality" damages the overall book (which is still fascinating).

Anyway, enter Sir Conan Doyle, the creator of the super rational Super Detective, and champion of Spiritualism. It's seems an unlikely pairing. Doyle, before becoming a full time writer, was a medical doctor. But he was also the son of a man who went insane and who saw fairies. Doyle himself was a skeptic, but became convinced, over time, that communication with the Dead was reality. Since Doyle, like many other accomplished people of the time, took a cautious approach, going to numerous séances and meeting with quite a few mediums. Not all of these encounters are easy to dismiss. By all accounts, Doyle was a gentle man, but he could be a stubborn one. Once he had reached a point of acceptance, he leaned in to the cause of Spiritualism with the zeal of the converted. Toss into the mix the enormous heartbreak from the First World War and the Spanish Flu, and you have a yearning everywhere for spiritual comfort. For a while Doyle's support probably helped the cause (as vapory and ill-defined as it was), but his prominence also made him a mark for every sharp spiritual grifter out there. In 1920 he would be taken in by a ridiculous belief in fairies. A couple of young girls would take pictures of little cutouts of fairies anchored (as it turned out) by hatpins. Even the father of one of the girls (who had loaned the girls the camera) thought the story was nonsense. But not Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (who was probably, in his way, thinking of his fairy seeing father). He would never retract his support. All of this kind of hooks back to the Fox sisters hoax and Doyle's ongoing support of that lie. It was also a disastrous dead end for the supporters of Spiritualism who also thought that believing in pictures of fairies was silly. Their biggest celebrity supporter now looked like a fool.

Anyway, the book is interesting but flawed. The authors suggest at the end that they were looking for a "rollicking" history. Well, it is that, though one wishes they had pushed a bit harder and been more forthcoming in some their recountings.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was not true, as many people...said of [Conan Doyle], that his interest in spiritualism began after the death of his son Kingsley, in 1918. It had in fact begun decades earlier, as a young man in his twenties, with General Drayson's table-tipping experiments, his own vast reading, and his own direct experience with mediums and seances.

Even though Arthur Conan Doyle started out as a rational man of science to someone open to the possibilities of psychic phenomena."For Doyle, the accumulation of evidence from multiple sources was so strong that it could now be considered proven. The phenomena had passed from the stage of being a "parlor game," was just now emerging from being "a debatable scientific novelty" and was beginning to take shape as the foundation of "a definite system of religious thought." Once Doyle reached this point, he was determined to share his beliefs no matter the personal cost, especially in terms of the ridicule.

I enjoyed reading this book, in large part because of my love for Sherlock Holmes. I enjoyed reading about the dawn of, the rise in popularity of, and the collapse of spiritualism. I liked reading about the key figures in spiritualism and would enjoy delving deeper into their stories.

A problem I had with the authors is that they sometimes framed these stories in terms of them being unreservedly true, which I had a problem with. Also, as a researched piece, this book should have had footnotes, or at least an extensive endnotes section. The fact that there was no facts but the authors' own words was concerning to me. That being said, this was still a compelling read.

[Joseph Hirsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very few subjects arouse as much strong feeling as parapsychic phenomena, specifically the idea of the living communicating with the dead. For believers, the nonbeliever is a heartless individual who would deny the living the right to talk to their departed loved ones merely to make a point about materialism. To the nonbeliever, the entire idea is a racket, a coldhearted con designed to part credulous and grieving people from their cash when they're at their most vulnerable and in need of reassurance.

"Through a Glass Darkly" examines the career of author Arthur Conan Doyle in his quest to conclusively establish whether the soul survives death and if contact is in fact possible between the material and spiritual planes. Do you need me to add the spoiler alert that Sir Arthur does not succeed in his quest?

And yet the author of Sherlock Holmes, the quintessential ratiocinator, did not entirely fail, if only in proving that he would not be swayed from his mission regardless of what hurdles or opprobrium came his way. He was willing to spend millions (adjusted for inflation) and endure nigh-unending ridicule in his effort to establish contact with the spirit world. Plenty of sober minded and even brilliant people joined him in his quest. Some skeptics were converted. Others remained steadfast that it was all bunk. Chief among these was probably the illusionist Harry Houdini.

The book examines Doyle's contentious relationship with the great escapologist, following the two men's fortunes as one takes upon himself the task of the ultimate debunker and the other assumes the mantle of unshakeable faith. It's a fascinating relationship and it's well-covered, but the focus in the middle of the book shifts a little too much from Doyle to Houdini for my liking.

That's a minor quibble, though. The book is good, filled with rich detail about another age, its characters, beliefs, and the struggle to arrive at some kind of ultimate knowledge about what kind of existence follows mortal death, if any. I consider myself an agnostic on the subject covered herein, but there are some moments where the inexplicable nature of the information produced by a séance left me with goosebumps. Recommended. With some photos and illustrations.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book as a Goodreads giveaway.

The book is well-written as whole, but as other reviewers have noted, it just doesn't contribute anything fresh. The author explores Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's rather naive adherence to spiritualism and its irony in the context of his day job as the author of the Sherlock Holmes series. Readers who enjoyed "The Witch of Lime Street", those interested in the spiritualism movement, and/or those who are interested in the life of Doyle will likely enjoy this title. Others may be left scratching their heads and asking themselves what the author's point was in writing this book. There is no real take away message that I was able to discern other than the need for people to have some ray of hope, no matter how shakily founded, when faced with devastating losses. I would have been interested to read about the decline of spiritualism following Doyle's death, but the author does not go down this path and the book ends rather abruptly. Not a bad read overall, but one that lacks a compelling thesis.

[Ronnie Cramer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating amalgam of history, biography, and ghost story that should appeal to skeptics and believers alike. The book 'aspires to be a jolly romp' (rather than a scholarly treatise) and succeeds.

[Meghan Davis strader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Religion, literature, seances, politics...it has it all!! The authors do a fantastic job in making a history book read like a thriller. Highly recommend!

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found "Through a Glass, Darkly" to be a fascinating, very well written, researched and an intriguing book that I really enjoyed and I would recommend to anyone. It was a real page turner and hard to put down. I won this great book on GoodReads and like I do with most my wins I will be paying it forward by giving my win either to a friend or library to enjoy.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was very well written. It flowed easily and did not have any back and forth story lines you had to go back and refer to. I read all but two chapters - the two chapters on the sisters who make tables thump, etc. would keep my active mind up at night. But it didn't hurt the understanding of the book and it continued to be a good read. And I'm living in Melbourne AU at the moment, there was mention of a Stanford brother who brought Singer sewing machines to the country in the mid 1800's - so I looked up his address in case the house was still here - as so many are, it was downtown, but is now a hospital. Nice to tie the world together! Recommended read.

[Connie Becerra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting take on the dead coming back to communicate with the living. Here's a man, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, a brilliant man by all rights, who believes this with all his heart and mind. In this book, the authors make a good case for his beliefs. It makes me think anything is possible. I wish my Mom would come back to talk to me!

[Hải Ruan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sự hấp dẫn của Chiếc phễu da

Dường như 2 tác phẩm gần đây (Tiếng chó tru trong đêm và Chiếc phễu da) là tác phẩm thành công nhất của Phúc Minh đến thời điểm hiện tại. Cả hai quyển sách đều tạo được hiệu ứng rất tốt từ đông đảo độc giả. Tiếng chó tru trong đêm hấp dẫn bởi những mảng miếng của nghề luật sư, sự lăn xả không giới hạn của chàng Perry và quan trọng nhất là những twist khủng trãi dài từ đầu đến dòng cuối cùng.
Trong khi đó, Chiếc phễu da khiêm tốn hơn. Đây là tác phẩm kinh điển với hai mươi hai câu chuyện ngắn, không chú trọng những cú twist liên tục cùng với kết thúc giản đơn, Chiếc Phễu Da vẫn sánh vai cùng với Tiếng Chó Tru Trong Đêm oanh tạc mạng xã hội.

Do đâu một tác phẩm xưa cũ như Chiếc phễu da vẫn gây sốt ở thời điểm hiện đại? Theo mình, Chiếc phễu da hấp dẫn bởi những yếu tố sau:
1. Danh tiếng của Arthur Conan Doyle. Hầu như nhắc đến ông, người ta nghĩ ngay đến vị thám tử lừng danh Sherlock Holmes. Những fan của vị thám tử đại tài hẳn sẽ rất tò mò với thể loại khác của vị cha đẻ Sherlock Holmes. Danh tiếng của tác giả hẳn là yếu tố quan trọng tạo nên thành công cho tác phẩm này.

2. Tầm nhìn xa của tác giả. Cũng như Doraemon ngày xưa, ít ai ngờ đến một tương lai không xa các bửu bối của Doraemon trở thành hiện thực. Những phát minh trong tập truyện Chiếc phễu da ở thời điểm hiện tại không phải là điều viễn vong, hoang đường. Cũng bởi là một bác sĩ, yêu thích khoa học nên các ý tưởng sáng tác của ông luôn dựa trên kiến thức khoa học. Dù hư cấu nhưng rất thuyết phục.

3. Thấu hiểu tâm lý độc giả. Tâm lý học là một ngành khoa học, hiểu rõ tâm lý đọc giả giúp các câu chuyện của ông tăng tính thuyết phục. Các tình huống dẫn dắt đến cốt lõi câu chuyện luôn được tác giả chú trọng. Thay vì bắt đầu bằng những lời đồn ma quái, tự nhiên những điều siêu nhiên xảy đến với người ta và đến với người này mà không đến với người kia, Conan Doyle luôn tạo dựng tình huống tài tình rồi từ đó dẫn nhập vào nội dung chính. Dù chỉ là truyện ngắn nhưng bối cảnh không hề hời hợt. Tác giả không hề vội vã muốn người đọc sợ hãi, ông để người đọc xuất phát từ con số không và dần dần đưa những yếu tố kỳ quái vào. Thường ở đầu truyện, nhân vật chính chẳng hề tin tưởng vào những điều hoang đường, một lòng tin tưởng khoa học và rồi tình huống khiến họ phải tin vào những điều khó lí giải. Khi đã gặp những chuyện khó lí giải, họ chẳng hề vội vàng muốn kể cho mọi người biết vì cân nhắc ai sẽ tin những gì họ nói. Sự việc dị thường xảy đến, không hẳn là điều gì quá ghê gớm, chỉ là một âm thanh dị thường trong bối cảnh đêm tối khi tầm nhìn bị hạn chế cũng làm người ta kinh hãi. Đến khi bình minh ló rạng, người ta lại cho rằng bản thân đã quá nhát gan và tự cười nhạo chính họ, sau một thời gian thì sự việc trên chỉ là một giấc mơ, mơ hồ.
Tác giả chẳng cần cố nhồi nhét những thứ ghê rợn, ông chỉ đơn giản gây ám ảnh bằng cách đánh thức những cảm xúc tâm lý đang ngủ trong mỗi người đọc. Tuy đơn giản mà hiệu quả bới nắm bắt được tâm lý đối tượng mà ông hướng tới.

4. Sự điều tiết mạch truyện tài tình. Tác giả luôn từ tốn, chẳng vội vàng đẩy nhanh cao trào. Những nhân vật của ông chẳng ai nhẹ dạ cả tin mà sớm tin vào những điều bất hợp lý, phải trãi qua cả quá trình để họ chứng thực những điều được đồn đại. Những người kể chuyện cũng chẳng hoạch toẹt mọi thứ, luôn hướng dẫn người nghe trãi nghiệm thực tế. Độc giả như được đồng hành cùng nhân vật chính đương đầu với những sự việc kỳ bí. Tuy thế không phải mạch truyện chậm rãi, ngài Doyle luôn giữ tốc độ vừa phải mà nhanh phần cần thiết để tạo hiệu ứng tốt nhất.
Tác giả chẳng cần luyên thuyên quá nhiều ví dụ ở phần truyện ngắn chiếc phễu da. Chiếc phễu da dùng để làm gì, tác giả không cần viết cụ thể mà chỉ cung cấp đủ dữ liệu để đọc giả ngầm hiểu mọi thứ. Nếu tác giả mà mô tả cụ thể truyện này e rằng sẽ khá thô thiển. Qua đó thấy được sự tinh tế của vị cha đẻ Sherlock Holmes.

5. Lượng truyện đồ sộ. Chất lượng truyện không phải bàn cãi nữa, đọc một truyện ngắn đã đủ đầy cảm xúc tuy nhiên tuyển tập Chiếc phễu da này tận 22 truyện. Độc giả tha hồ chìm đắm trong thế giới kỳ bí.

Những câu chuyện trong Chiếc Phễu Da tuy cũ nhưng bất hủ. Vì thế chẳng lạ gì khi quyển sách này gây sốt cộng đồng mọt sách. Bạn còn biết yếu tố nào khác dẫn đến thành công của Chiếc phễu da hãy cùng thảo luận nhé. Nếu bạn chưa đọc, hãy tìm đọc để biết công dụng của chiếc phễu da nhé. Bạn sẽ kinh hãi khi biết được công dụng thực sự của nó cùng với bí ẩn phía sau! 😈😈😈

[Kierstin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I feel like this book lacked a coherent through line it was super interesting. There’s a huge misconception about history proceeding along a progressive line and the Victorians are considered to be culturally somewhere between Puritans and our modern day but in reality as a group the Victorians were surprisingly open about some topics, the occult and spiritualism being one of them. Several seances have been held in the White House, which today would elicit a horrific response from just about every political corner.
It’s fascinating to see how very intelligent people fell in to the cult of spiritualism and how technological advances progressed at such a rate that even “scientifically minded” people were fooled by their own senses. It really brings to mind how easily today people are swayed by things like AI because to the untrained eye you cannot tell the difference between that and reality. Just the idea that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle could look at a photograph of clearly paper doll fairies and think “those are real!” Is proof of how easily all of our minds can be deceived by things we don’t understand.
I appreciate that the authors tell Doyle’s story as he experienced it, not through the incredulous lens of the modern person who may see Doyle as an old fool. It gives a great perspective of how historic events gave way to a world in which such things were seen as possible and a legitimate field of study.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Through a Glass Darkly: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the Quest to Solve the Greatest Mystery of All Time is an eventful walk through the life and times of the man who is best known for his character Sherlock Holmes. He is also a giant in the field of uncovering the mysteries of Spiritualism including facts and the conundrums. A centerpiece of the story is the strange an unlikely friendship between Harry Houdini and Arthur Conan Doyle. Houdini and Conan Doyle would come close to believing in the afterlife including spirits returning with messages to waging wars about opposing views. There are many seances presented one that deals with the R 101 dirigible which crashed and burned in 1930. and the séance of that brought to an assemblage the return of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle who came through during a séance 2 months after his death. Authors Bechtel and Stains have created both a history of spiritualism as seen through the eyes of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and a portrait of his character and relationships as he traversed the world in support of the authenticity of spiritualism. His works include "Into the Land of the Mist, "The Coming of the Fairies" and "The Complete Sherlock Holmes". A delightful read filled with both stories and facts.

[Kevin Findley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was actually an ARC I read, but it did not detract from the experience. Editing was quite good and the subject matter was interesting; for the most part.

There was quite a bit of detail on various Mediums prior to Doyle's involvement. It provided a needed history of the Spiritualist movement, but this did slow down the movement of the book, and I personally wanted Mr. Bechtel to hurry up and get to Sir Arthur. Once he did, there was a vast improvement.

Houdini showed up (of course), but what surprised me was the mention of the Government-built R101. This was supposed to be Britain's premiere dirigible and pave the way for military and commercial efforts. The airship was a disaster. Nevil Shute wrote a very good story of the program and his involvement in it. I encourage everyone to read his autobiography Slide Rule. Some of the most convincing evidence of life after death came from séances contacting members of its doomed flight to India.

This book should appeal to anyone who loves late 19th or early 20th century history, the Spiritualist movement, or is a fan of Doyle. I enjoyed it, just wish the first quarter had moved more quickly.

Find it! Read it!

[Britt · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s all a bunch of hocus pocus! A rather dull look at the spiritualist movement of the late 1800s and early 1900s. The era where seances were a regular thing, reputed individuals believed in mediums, and people were spitting out ectoplasm and having the dead take over their bodies on the regular. The book focuses on Arthur Conan Doyle who was more interested in hanging out with mediums than writing about his infamous character, Sherlock Holmes. And no book about spiritualism is complete without Harry Houdini saying it’s all a bunch of hocus pocus. I’m a Houdini in this argument but the book never takes a side. It just lays out the information from both sides of the spiritualist movement that are already well written about (see “the witch of lime street”).

[Samantha Chapnick · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! What is it about people who become famous and seem totally normal and then spend the rest of their lives devoting their sizable fortune to convincing everyone they are totally nuts? I don't doubt there are spirits and things beyond our ken. But, this guy. Well, lets be generous and say perhaps someone with a brilliant imagination can sometimes drink their own Kool-Aid. And leave it at that. Great read tho'.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely more of skeptic in this area but the author does an excellent job of pulling you in and really making you wonder. If you read this book do yourself a favor and don’t look up the mediums mentioned until later. Let yourself just go with it and then later you can get to the bottom of it. It’s more fun to kind of just believe it all for a little while.

Do I find myself a believer in spiritualism after reading this? No-but I had a fun time pretending.

[Cherylann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting to see what the author of Sherlock was up to after concluding the Canon. His response to the readers unquenchable demand for more Sherlock after the Detective's untimely death at Victoria Falls had echoes in Conan Doyle's own unquenchable thirst for more with the inexhaustible investigation for proof of life after death.

[Barbara White · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fascinating. It is a study of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his passion with the supernatural. It is a page-turner. Thanks to Goodreads First Reads for a copy of Through a Glass, Darkly. I highly recommend it.

[Brendan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Conan Doyle and Houdini and scantily clad mediums, how could you go wrong.

[Milt · Rating 3 out of 5]

spirited romp

[Carolyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

A decent treatment of the subject, but often wanders off-topic and becomes far too credulous towards the end.

[Janette · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe 2 1/2 stars. . .only half the book is about Doyle. The rest is about "spiritualism" and seances during his time period. It got tedious for me.

[Carlton Duff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was an enjoyable read, despite the authors giving way too much credence to mediums, seances, and theater of the supernatural.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interessante saggio sullo spiritismo, su Conan Doyle, sui vari personaggi dell'epoca e sui fenomeni più famosi. A tratti fuorviava dall'argomento principale del capitolo, ma le parti migliori sono sicuramente, almeno per me, quelle che riguardano Conan Doyle.

[Maureen]

If you're a Sherlock Holmes fan or Conan Doyle enthusiast, you will enjoy this. Nothing new in this book that I had not read before, but again... fans will want to digest everything out there on the topic they love. Fast read.

[T Michel]

Fascinating read ! Worth your time.

[Todd Free]

I normally don't feel obliged to write reviews for most of the books I read, mainly because of the time involved to create a review worth the undertaking, but for Through a Glass, Darkly, i feel I must speak up and out.

I am writing this review for two primary reasons — one, because I genuinely enjoyed reading this book, feel thankful it was written, and owe it to the authors who conveyed a rather interesting and unknown subject (unknown to me) with beautifully written prose, and two, because I am disheartened by a few of the criticisms, here below, most of which are not worth reading and I am kicking myself now for reading them, because they are a terrible drag, and now have prompted me to write...

I found it peculiar that several of the comments complained of not "learning anything new" about the subject. To these critics, I applaud your use of free speech and I will say "My, you all must be expert on the subject matters, Spiritualism and Conan Doyle, and that if I searched for other writings on this subject, I would certainly see your names listed as authors of related, esteemed works." My jest aside, as a novice of the subject of Spiritualism, I found the book to be incredibly informative, but that is not why I loved the book as much as I did.

Rather, it was the way in which the authors have presented this nonfiction piece utilizing a notable command of the English language and ability to properly tell a factual story. Through A Glass, Darkly is told using the voice of a likable character, smart but not too witty, clear. I cannot recommend this book enough. I typically gravitate toward the fiction genre but I have to say that I will be reading more nonfiction because of Bechtel and Stains. Lastly, if you wanna read a proper review of this book, see Michael Dirda's review in the Weekly Standard (http://www.weeklystandard.com/however...), which is what turned me toward this excellent "read" anyway.