Two of Dennis Wheatley's dark tales of vengeance, lust and satanic forces featuring the Duke de Richleau. Wheatley's novels have been printed in 27 different languages and have sold over 50 million copies.
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33 of 34 people found the following review helpful
By Charles B
Format:Paperback
James Hilton (Goodbye Mr Chips, Lost Horizon) described "The Devil Rides Out" as "The best tale of its kind since Dracula" and I don't think he was far wrong. Many believe it to be Wheatley's finest work and it's a classic of its kind. I first read the book many years ago and on reading it again, it has lost none of its power to grip.
The book is the second, in published terms, to feature DW's hero the Duke de Richleau, and was his first ever black magic novel. It was a huge bestseller in the 1930s when it first came out, and continued to be a bestseller until he went out of fashion in the 1980s/1990s. Fortunately DW is now experiencing something of a resurgence, and well done Wordsworth for bringing this out in a cheap but elegant reprint (a good first edition would cost you several thousands of pounds !).
It's full of 1930s atmosphere, skilfully written and well researched too - although Wheatley never practiced magic himself, he met with many of the most famous occultists of his day (Aleister Crowley, Rollo Ahmed etc) in his endeavour to make the book as authentic as possible.
In The Devil Rides Out, the Duke and a friend find that one of their number (Simon) is missing from a reunion, and it turns out that he has fallen under the influence of a black magic sect. At first disbelieving the Duke, his friends soon discover that he is right when he says that magic still exists and that the powers of darkness are still alive and very real, as they fight a series of terrific earthly and occult battles to save their friend's soul.
The book was filmed in the 1960s with Christopher Lee taking the lead role as the Duke in one of his few appearances as a `goodie', and while Lee was first rate, for my money the book is superior to the film.
If you're grey haired and read it in your youth, it's worth reading again. If you're about to read it for the first time, I envy you. You're in for a treat !
The book is the second, in published terms, to feature DW's hero the Duke de Richleau, and was his first ever black magic novel. It was a huge bestseller in the 1930s when it first came out, and continued to be a bestseller until he went out of fashion in the 1980s/1990s. Fortunately DW is now experiencing something of a resurgence, and well done Wordsworth for bringing this out in a cheap but elegant reprint (a good first edition would cost you several thousands of pounds !).
It's full of 1930s atmosphere, skilfully written and well researched too - although Wheatley never practiced magic himself, he met with many of the most famous occultists of his day (Aleister Crowley, Rollo Ahmed etc) in his endeavour to make the book as authentic as possible.
In The Devil Rides Out, the Duke and a friend find that one of their number (Simon) is missing from a reunion, and it turns out that he has fallen under the influence of a black magic sect. At first disbelieving the Duke, his friends soon discover that he is right when he says that magic still exists and that the powers of darkness are still alive and very real, as they fight a series of terrific earthly and occult battles to save their friend's soul.
The book was filmed in the 1960s with Christopher Lee taking the lead role as the Duke in one of his few appearances as a `goodie', and while Lee was first rate, for my money the book is superior to the film.
If you're grey haired and read it in your youth, it's worth reading again. If you're about to read it for the first time, I envy you. You're in for a treat !
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
By Mr. D. A. Cure
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback
Widely regarded as one of the finest occult thrillers ever written, and almost certainly his most famous work, the Devil Rides Out is a rollercoaster of an adventure, set in post WW1 England, and chronologically the third in sequence to feature "Those Modern Musketeers", De Richleau, Simon, Richard and Rex.
Concerned with their friend's absence, The Duc and Rex pay a visit to Simon's house in North London, where they come across a bizarre gathering of strangers. Suspecting foul play, the Duc ignores Simon's claims that he has joined an astrological society, and quickly discovers that he has in fact, joined a satanic sect, led by the powerful Mocata. What follows is a game of cat and mouse as Simon is pulled between the powers of light and darkness in a battle of the astral plane. Dinner at the Ritz, fine wines, brandy, cigars and vintage sports cars are all part of a rich backdrop in what amounts to a phenomenally well researched and gripping thriller. Stand out scenes include the sacrifice to Satan on Salisbury Plain, the car chase, the mesmeric words of De Richleau and of course, the infamous night in the Pentangle, where the friends encounter the Angel of Death himself.
The book was to inspire the sixties Hammer version, and though the film was not quite up to the quality of the original, it did feature a great performance from Christopher Lee, and of course, the most chilling line captured on film by the powerful Charles Gray: "I won't be back, but something will."
Concerned with their friend's absence, The Duc and Rex pay a visit to Simon's house in North London, where they come across a bizarre gathering of strangers. Suspecting foul play, the Duc ignores Simon's claims that he has joined an astrological society, and quickly discovers that he has in fact, joined a satanic sect, led by the powerful Mocata. What follows is a game of cat and mouse as Simon is pulled between the powers of light and darkness in a battle of the astral plane. Dinner at the Ritz, fine wines, brandy, cigars and vintage sports cars are all part of a rich backdrop in what amounts to a phenomenally well researched and gripping thriller. Stand out scenes include the sacrifice to Satan on Salisbury Plain, the car chase, the mesmeric words of De Richleau and of course, the infamous night in the Pentangle, where the friends encounter the Angel of Death himself.
The book was to inspire the sixties Hammer version, and though the film was not quite up to the quality of the original, it did feature a great performance from Christopher Lee, and of course, the most chilling line captured on film by the powerful Charles Gray: "I won't be back, but something will."
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Pandy
Format:Paperback
I borrowed this book from a friend and I really didn't know what to expect, what with it being so old. I came across a website somewhere where they called Wheatley 'unreadable'. I have to say that I really enjoyed this. It isn't scary but it is a riveting story - a great big adventure of a plot with satanism thrown in. If you like this sort of thing I would recommend looking at this Diavolino which is by another British author but writing in 2011.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gripping occult thriller classic
This is a classy occult thriller from a writer who forged a new genre of thriller somewhere between Buchannan and Stoker. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Lou Knee
5.0 out of 5 stars
still a cracking yarn !
First read this when I was about 14 . I was on holiday with my family in Bournemouth and being England in June it rained most of the time ! Read more
Published 14 months ago by Alanziggy
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not to be re-read as an adult...
Enjoyed this immensely at sixteen, even found it quite scary. Now (many years later...) it seems very pedestrian, with wooden characters and dialogue. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Andrew B
4.0 out of 5 stars
Quality Hokum
Enjoyable, fast paced romp. It is not always consistent and the writing sometimes seems a bit rushed. The magic elements are done quite well and are not too silly. Read more
Published on 1 Dec 2010 by The Emperor
4.0 out of 5 stars
Still a Good Read
Wheatley, like Edgar Wallace, Dornford Yates and others before him, was an enormously popular author in his lifetime who almost overnight disappeared from the bookshelves. Read more
Published on 30 Jan 2010 by Sou'Wester
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not the best read I've had.
I first became acquainted with this book - oddly enough, when I was a child. I used to share a bedroom with my two older brothers - one of which was considerably older. Read more
Published on 16 Dec 2009 by FAMOUS NAME
2.0 out of 5 stars
Incredibly clichéd
I bought this book on the recommendation of another with similar reading tastes, but I was quite disappointed as I was expecting something much more. Read more
Published on 2 Sep 2009 by E. Stevens
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great story that is as good today as it's always been
An unusual story of black magic and the supernatural, brought to life by the author's research into the subject. Read more
Published on 9 Aug 2009 by Pathelo
4.0 out of 5 stars
One of Wheatley's best
It must be close to forty years since I last read one of Wheatley's novels and cannot now remember if this was one. Read more
Published on 14 July 2009 by G. D. Busby
5.0 out of 5 stars
A capital yarn of devilry...or esoteric allegory of the Kali Yuga?
Growing up in post-war Britain one inevitably encountered the ubiquitous paperbacks of the novels of Dennis Wheatley, which were read then and happily once again, with much... Read more
Published on 8 Dec 2008 by Nigel C. Jackson
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