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The Devil Rides Out & Gateway to Hell
This exclusive omnibus brings together two of Dennis Wheatley's most famous Black Magic tales, featuring the formidable Duke de Richleau. Wheatley's profound knowledge of the occult creates an atmosphere of startling realism, with terror lurking round every corner.
"The Devil Rides Out": The most important work of its kind since Dracula, this compelling tale sees the Duke de Richleau, Rex Van Ryn and Marie Lou battle the evil yet charismatic Satanist Mr. Mocata for the souls of their friend Simon Aron and the beautiful, mysterious Tanith. Simon has been driven to the brink of insanity through his dabbling with the powers of evil, while Tanith has become caught in Mocata's Satanic web. De Richleau and his friends are desperate to prevent Mocata initiating Simon and Tanith into his Satanic coven on the unholy sabbath of Walpurgis Night and damning them forever.
"Gateway to Hell": De Richleau, Simon Aron and Marie Lou have for years faced many dangers in Russia, Spain and Nazi Germany, and now a new menace confronts them. Their close friend Rex Van Ryn has vanished in South America, taking over a million dollars from his family's Buenos Aires bank. While searching for the missing Rex, the trio again pit themselves against the powers of darkness and discover that behind the conventional courtesy of Argentine high society lies a conspiracy that leads to the Devil himself...
"The Devil Rides Out": The most important work of its kind since Dracula, this compelling tale sees the Duke de Richleau, Rex Van Ryn and Marie Lou battle the evil yet charismatic Satanist Mr. Mocata for the souls of their friend Simon Aron and the beautiful, mysterious Tanith. Simon has been driven to the brink of insanity through his dabbling with the powers of evil, while Tanith has become caught in Mocata's Satanic web. De Richleau and his friends are desperate to prevent Mocata initiating Simon and Tanith into his Satanic coven on the unholy sabbath of Walpurgis Night and damning them forever.
"Gateway to Hell": De Richleau, Simon Aron and Marie Lou have for years faced many dangers in Russia, Spain and Nazi Germany, and now a new menace confronts them. Their close friend Rex Van Ryn has vanished in South America, taking over a million dollars from his family's Buenos Aires bank. While searching for the missing Rex, the trio again pit themselves against the powers of darkness and discover that behind the conventional courtesy of Argentine high society lies a conspiracy that leads to the Devil himself...
400 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
2 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
About the author
Dennis Wheatley
385 books248 followersDennis Yates Wheatley (8 January 1897 – 10 November 1977) [Born: Dennis Yeats Wheatley] was an English author. His prolific output of stylish thrillers and occult novels made him one of the world's best-selling authors in the 1950s and 1960s.
His first book, Three Inquisitive People, was not immediately published; but his first published novel, The Forbidden Territory, was an immediate success when published in 1933, being reprinted seven times in seven weeks.
He wrote adventure stories, with many books in a series of linked works. His plots covered the French Revolution (Roger Brook Series), Satanism (Duc de Richleau), World War II (Gregory Sallust) and espionage (Julian Day).
In the thirties, he conceived a series of whodunit mysteries, presented as case files, with testimonies, letters, pieces of evidence such as hairs or pills. The reader had to go through the evidence to solve the mystery before unsealing the last pages of the file, which gave the answer. Four of these 'Crime Dossiers' were published: Murder Off Miami, Who Killed Robert Prentice, The Malinsay Massacre, and Herewith The Clues.
In the 1960s his publishers were selling a million copies of his books per year. A small number of his books were made into films by Hammer, of which the best known is The Devil Rides Out (book 1934, film 1968). His writing is very descriptive and in many works he manages to introduce his characters into real events while meeting real people. For example, in the Roger Brook series the main character involves himself with Napoleon, and Joséphine whilst being a spy for the Prime Minister William Pitt. Similarly, in the Gregory Sallust series, Sallust shares an evening meal with Hermann Göring.
He also wrote non-fiction works, including accounts of the Russian Revolution and King Charles II, and his autobiography. He was considered an authority on the supernatural, satanism, the practice of exorcism, and black magic, to all of which he was hostile. During his study of the paranormal, though, he joined the Ghost Club.
From 1974 through 1977 he edited a series of 45 paperback reprints for the British publisher Sphere under the heading "The Dennis Wheatley Library of the Occult", selecting the titles and writing short introductions for each book. This series included both occult-themed novels by the likes of Bram Stoker and Aleister Crowley and non-fiction works on magic, occultism, and divination by authors such as the Theosophist H. P. Blavatsky, the historian Maurice Magre, the magician Isaac Bonewits, and the palm-reader Cheiro.
Two weeks before his death in November 1977, Wheatley received conditional absolution from his old friend Cyril ‘Bobby’ Eastaugh, the Bishop of Peterborough.
His estate library was sold in a catalogue sale by Basil Blackwell's in the 1970s, indicating a thoroughly well-read individual with wide-ranging interests particularly in historical fiction and Europe. His influence has declined, partly due to difficulties in reprinting his works owing to copyright problems.
Fifty-two of Wheatley's novels were published posthumously in a set by Heron Books UK. More recently, in April 2008 Dennis Wheatley's literary estate was acquired by media company Chorion.
He invented a number of board games including Invasion.
-Wikipedia
His first book, Three Inquisitive People, was not immediately published; but his first published novel, The Forbidden Territory, was an immediate success when published in 1933, being reprinted seven times in seven weeks.
He wrote adventure stories, with many books in a series of linked works. His plots covered the French Revolution (Roger Brook Series), Satanism (Duc de Richleau), World War II (Gregory Sallust) and espionage (Julian Day).
In the thirties, he conceived a series of whodunit mysteries, presented as case files, with testimonies, letters, pieces of evidence such as hairs or pills. The reader had to go through the evidence to solve the mystery before unsealing the last pages of the file, which gave the answer. Four of these 'Crime Dossiers' were published: Murder Off Miami, Who Killed Robert Prentice, The Malinsay Massacre, and Herewith The Clues.
In the 1960s his publishers were selling a million copies of his books per year. A small number of his books were made into films by Hammer, of which the best known is The Devil Rides Out (book 1934, film 1968). His writing is very descriptive and in many works he manages to introduce his characters into real events while meeting real people. For example, in the Roger Brook series the main character involves himself with Napoleon, and Joséphine whilst being a spy for the Prime Minister William Pitt. Similarly, in the Gregory Sallust series, Sallust shares an evening meal with Hermann Göring.
He also wrote non-fiction works, including accounts of the Russian Revolution and King Charles II, and his autobiography. He was considered an authority on the supernatural, satanism, the practice of exorcism, and black magic, to all of which he was hostile. During his study of the paranormal, though, he joined the Ghost Club.
From 1974 through 1977 he edited a series of 45 paperback reprints for the British publisher Sphere under the heading "The Dennis Wheatley Library of the Occult", selecting the titles and writing short introductions for each book. This series included both occult-themed novels by the likes of Bram Stoker and Aleister Crowley and non-fiction works on magic, occultism, and divination by authors such as the Theosophist H. P. Blavatsky, the historian Maurice Magre, the magician Isaac Bonewits, and the palm-reader Cheiro.
Two weeks before his death in November 1977, Wheatley received conditional absolution from his old friend Cyril ‘Bobby’ Eastaugh, the Bishop of Peterborough.
His estate library was sold in a catalogue sale by Basil Blackwell's in the 1970s, indicating a thoroughly well-read individual with wide-ranging interests particularly in historical fiction and Europe. His influence has declined, partly due to difficulties in reprinting his works owing to copyright problems.
Fifty-two of Wheatley's novels were published posthumously in a set by Heron Books UK. More recently, in April 2008 Dennis Wheatley's literary estate was acquired by media company Chorion.
He invented a number of board games including Invasion.
-Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 28, 2015
I was very familiar with the Hammer film of 'The Devil Rides Out' before reading this two-in-one volume and was surprised and pleased to discover what a faithful adaptation it is.
Wheatley is a workmanlike writer who tells a good story but in a manner more akin to a reporter than a novelist. The facts are all there, but the reader has to try hard to pump some life into them at times.
I guess it doesn't help that it is very difficult to empathise with Wheatley's heroes, who are without exception multi-millionaires with several homes and a grand collection of motor cars and private planes. Towards the end of 'Gateway to Hell', they are even tortured by being fed peasants' fare.
Despite this, 'The Devil Rides Out' is a cracking good story and a gripping read, though (rare though such an event is) the film is much better than the book.
I was completely unfamiliar with 'Gateway to Hell', which picks up with the same characters many years later. One of the companions has disappeared, after robbing a million pounds from his own family's bank, and two of the others set out to find him.
Their detective work is intriguing, and the novel's setting is interesting, taking place largely in Argentina and Chile. The investigation soon leads to another cult of diabolists, a plot to unleash havoc on the world, and our intrepid investigators being framed for murder.
Here comes the first major stumbling block in the novel. I won't spoil it. In any case, it really has to be read to be believed. The manner in which they have the murder case against them dismissed is so asinine that it really is utterly unbelievable. Never in a million years could such a defence ever be admissable in reality. No, Dennis. Just no. I actually howled with derisive laughter when I read this part and I challenge you not to do the same.
The rest of the novel is an interminable cycle of being captured and escaping only to be recaptured and escape once again so that they can be captured once more ... oh, you get the picture. There's a LOT of padding here.
The main villain, the Prince, is an interesting and charismatic fellow, and if such persons were real instead of fiction, he would probably be a more powerful threat than 'The Devil Rides Out's Mocata. But somehow, Mocata made a far more interesting adversary.
The next stumbling block is the ending, which literally just suddenly happens in the final two pages and left me completely dissatisfied. It's as if Wheatley suddenly got bored with the book and thought, "I don't want to write any more, oh that'll do."
In spite of these glaring faults, I can't say that I didn't enjoy reading it. In fact, I rather enjoyed it on the whole. So it's a shrug of the shoulders, three stars and no accounting for taste.
Wheatley is a workmanlike writer who tells a good story but in a manner more akin to a reporter than a novelist. The facts are all there, but the reader has to try hard to pump some life into them at times.
I guess it doesn't help that it is very difficult to empathise with Wheatley's heroes, who are without exception multi-millionaires with several homes and a grand collection of motor cars and private planes. Towards the end of 'Gateway to Hell', they are even tortured by being fed peasants' fare.
Despite this, 'The Devil Rides Out' is a cracking good story and a gripping read, though (rare though such an event is) the film is much better than the book.
I was completely unfamiliar with 'Gateway to Hell', which picks up with the same characters many years later. One of the companions has disappeared, after robbing a million pounds from his own family's bank, and two of the others set out to find him.
Their detective work is intriguing, and the novel's setting is interesting, taking place largely in Argentina and Chile. The investigation soon leads to another cult of diabolists, a plot to unleash havoc on the world, and our intrepid investigators being framed for murder.
Here comes the first major stumbling block in the novel. I won't spoil it. In any case, it really has to be read to be believed. The manner in which they have the murder case against them dismissed is so asinine that it really is utterly unbelievable. Never in a million years could such a defence ever be admissable in reality. No, Dennis. Just no. I actually howled with derisive laughter when I read this part and I challenge you not to do the same.
The rest of the novel is an interminable cycle of being captured and escaping only to be recaptured and escape once again so that they can be captured once more ... oh, you get the picture. There's a LOT of padding here.
The main villain, the Prince, is an interesting and charismatic fellow, and if such persons were real instead of fiction, he would probably be a more powerful threat than 'The Devil Rides Out's Mocata. But somehow, Mocata made a far more interesting adversary.
The next stumbling block is the ending, which literally just suddenly happens in the final two pages and left me completely dissatisfied. It's as if Wheatley suddenly got bored with the book and thought, "I don't want to write any more, oh that'll do."
In spite of these glaring faults, I can't say that I didn't enjoy reading it. In fact, I rather enjoyed it on the whole. So it's a shrug of the shoulders, three stars and no accounting for taste.
April 20, 2008
I read this book for two reasons: First, a number of people had mentioned it in an "Eyes Wide Shut"-like way (as in, the secret, occult life of the rich and powerful); second, even more people said it is one of the most terrifying books they ever read. It didn't go far on either count, in my opinion.
Sure, it was about rich people and Satanic rituals, but despite the author's note, it didn't seem like that aspect came from firsthand knowledge at all. As for terrifying... I would offer the excuse that it might have terrified people in the 1930s (when it was released), but the people who gave it that review read it much more recently (i.e., last year). I didn't find it scary in the least -- or even suspenseful. The biggest bugaboo -- the Goat of Mendes -- only appeared twice, and was dispatched in less than a paragraph each time. So much for the ultimate, unconquerable evil the Goat had been portrayed as, until those scenes.
All-in-all, if you want an entertaining book about the rich and their occult practices, The Three Investigators and the Mystery of the Magic Circle gave me more bang for my buck. If you want the suspense, too, stick to Eyes Wide Shut. Unfortunately, The Devil Rides Out is just an archaic story by a so-so writer. Of course, it could be that the book was built up too much in my mind and could do nothing but disappoint -- let's hope you find it at least a little better than what I did.
Sure, it was about rich people and Satanic rituals, but despite the author's note, it didn't seem like that aspect came from firsthand knowledge at all. As for terrifying... I would offer the excuse that it might have terrified people in the 1930s (when it was released), but the people who gave it that review read it much more recently (i.e., last year). I didn't find it scary in the least -- or even suspenseful. The biggest bugaboo -- the Goat of Mendes -- only appeared twice, and was dispatched in less than a paragraph each time. So much for the ultimate, unconquerable evil the Goat had been portrayed as, until those scenes.
All-in-all, if you want an entertaining book about the rich and their occult practices, The Three Investigators and the Mystery of the Magic Circle gave me more bang for my buck. If you want the suspense, too, stick to Eyes Wide Shut. Unfortunately, The Devil Rides Out is just an archaic story by a so-so writer. Of course, it could be that the book was built up too much in my mind and could do nothing but disappoint -- let's hope you find it at least a little better than what I did.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews