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The Sight of Hell
The Sight of Hell was written "for children and young persons" by the Reverend John Furniss in 1861, however this reprint is from an 1874 publication. The images of Hell within these pages have all been added-Furniss's original booklet left everything to his readers' imaginations. In 1914, The Month described the reverend as "a pious and devoted priest on the English mission, noted for his zeal in promoting religious education." Read any sentence this pious man wrote and you may find that more severe terms would be better suited in characterizing him. Watch your language though-you wouldn't want to find yourself burning in the middle of the earth until the red-hot fiery heat goes into your brain and melts it. Before you journey into the depths of Hell that reside between these covers, you'll have the opportunity to enjoy a few short reviews of Furniss's work. They're exclusive to this edition. Happy reading. And please, remember not to sin, or a devil may be striking you "every minute for ever and ever, without ever stopping."
58 pages, Paperback
First published September 27, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 26, 2021
(or **** stars)
OH MY DAYS!
This is an utterly bonkers and utterly scary book(let).
Originally published in 1874, this was, incredibly, a book intended to ‘educate’ children about the torments that await them for any misdemeanours they might commit. And what torments they are…
“There is a sound just like that of a kettle boiling. Is it really a kettle which is boiling? No; then what is it? Hear what it is. The blood is boiling in the scalded veins of that boy. The brain is boiling and bubbling in his head. The marrow is boiling in his bones!”…
“The little child is in this red-hot oven. Hear how it screams to come out. It beats its head against the roof of the oven. It stamps its little feet against the floor of the oven…God was very good to this child. Very likely God saw that this child would get worse and worse, that it would never repent, and so it would have to be punished much more in hell.”
Of course, this is the extreme end of fundamentalism that makes the ‘Jack Chick’ cartoon booklets seem like the model of sanity and it is of course laughable that anyone would take this seriously. Except one assumes, that for the author, it was a serious thing. This is why I found it a truly disturbing read; because the relishing and gloating manner with which the torments were described made me think that that this text is not so far removed from the relish of the witch-trials, the atrocities of war (Vietnam, ISIS/ISIL) or the cruelty of blood ‘sports’ such as bullfighting.
I have this idea that because one cannot ‘unsee’ what one has seen, the worst things cast a permanent mark or shadow over your inner ‘self’. As they cannot be erased/forgotten you either become inured/hardened to them or are weighed down and sunk by them. This book skirts very close to that territory by association and brings out my most misanthropic/suicidal tendencies neither of which I am proud of. Approach with caution.
OH MY DAYS!
This is an utterly bonkers and utterly scary book(let).
Originally published in 1874, this was, incredibly, a book intended to ‘educate’ children about the torments that await them for any misdemeanours they might commit. And what torments they are…
“There is a sound just like that of a kettle boiling. Is it really a kettle which is boiling? No; then what is it? Hear what it is. The blood is boiling in the scalded veins of that boy. The brain is boiling and bubbling in his head. The marrow is boiling in his bones!”…
“The little child is in this red-hot oven. Hear how it screams to come out. It beats its head against the roof of the oven. It stamps its little feet against the floor of the oven…God was very good to this child. Very likely God saw that this child would get worse and worse, that it would never repent, and so it would have to be punished much more in hell.”
Of course, this is the extreme end of fundamentalism that makes the ‘Jack Chick’ cartoon booklets seem like the model of sanity and it is of course laughable that anyone would take this seriously. Except one assumes, that for the author, it was a serious thing. This is why I found it a truly disturbing read; because the relishing and gloating manner with which the torments were described made me think that that this text is not so far removed from the relish of the witch-trials, the atrocities of war (Vietnam, ISIS/ISIL) or the cruelty of blood ‘sports’ such as bullfighting.
I have this idea that because one cannot ‘unsee’ what one has seen, the worst things cast a permanent mark or shadow over your inner ‘self’. As they cannot be erased/forgotten you either become inured/hardened to them or are weighed down and sunk by them. This book skirts very close to that territory by association and brings out my most misanthropic/suicidal tendencies neither of which I am proud of. Approach with caution.
December 6, 2021
Read aloud to my 6 year old during October for the month of Holy Souls. Terrifying. Detailed. Essential reading for children and adults.
November 28, 2016
"I will tell you, that from all eternity I was thinking how to save you, and my heart was thirsting to save you. I cared for your happiness more than for my own, for I left my own happiness in heaven and went down to the earth to be tormented for your sake. When my Father, who is in heaven, had seen what I had done for you, he said, 'Surely I will give that soul all the graces it needs, and a thousand times more than it needs, to save itself.
"Unhappy soul! You ask now for mercy; but it is too late. If you had asked for mercy when you were alive, how glad I should have been to be merciful to you. But now it is too late to ask for mercy. You must go back into everlasting punishment. "
"Unhappy soul! You ask now for mercy; but it is too late. If you had asked for mercy when you were alive, how glad I should have been to be merciful to you. But now it is too late to ask for mercy. You must go back into everlasting punishment. "
February 24, 2023
Don’t really know how I should rate this book, so I will remain neutral. This book was written for children to scare them into obeying God by describing the horrors of hell. It is sickening to think someone thought this was a good idea, and even more sickening that parents would read it to their children. However, through a historian’s lens, it is interesting to see earlier Christian’s perspectives on hell. Again, do not read this for real theology; do not read this to children.
January 29, 2023
It’s concerning this very real topic has been avoided to the point of nonchalance. Is it because no one tells us the truth anymore? Or is it because we refuse to hear it?
We are brave enough to tell children not to run out in front of traffic, are we smart enough and kind enough to tell them why? I hope so, and with a vivid picture they are sure to remember, because “I said so” isn’t always enough, especially when you’re no longer holding their hand. We should be even more vigilant regarding their (and our) souls. Eternity is a very real thing.
We are brave enough to tell children not to run out in front of traffic, are we smart enough and kind enough to tell them why? I hope so, and with a vivid picture they are sure to remember, because “I said so” isn’t always enough, especially when you’re no longer holding their hand. We should be even more vigilant regarding their (and our) souls. Eternity is a very real thing.
November 29, 2025
Outstanding children’s book to teach them about hell. I read this to my children together, aged 6-11 and all were engaged and asked questions throughout without being frightened, but concerned and curious.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews