The Demonologist: The Extraordinary Career of Ed and Lorraine Warren

I've read widely in many genres including the "ghost/spirit" genre. As a librarian, it has been my job to review non-fiction books of all varieties and judge them for quality. I also have a bit of an interest in the topic personally. So, when I say this book is most recommended, and is in fact in my Top Ten Non-Fiction List, I sincerely mean what I am saying.

I know that the subject seems a bit ... cheesy. Frankly, it's been done to death (no pun intended), but it has never been done RIGHT until Mr. Brittle's book came along. Conjecture, sensationalism, cornyness, New Age claptrap -- I wouldn't blame you if you thought this book was just another lame "Magic for Dummies" type offering. HOWEVER:

1. This book was meticulously researched and documented.
2. This book does not contain anything remotely cheesy. In fact, the cases in this book are explored with a brisk, no-nonsense tone.
3. The pictures included are worth seeing.
4. Ed and Lorraine Warren did not collect phat paychex for going into haunted houses. In fact, they did all of their work for free. Contrast that with many of the so-called "psychic researchers" we see on TV today.
5. This book reads more like a textbook than it does anything else.
6. This book does not try to push religion or in fact any viewpoint down the reader's throat. The facts are presented and you are left to make up your own mind.
7. Ed and Lorraine kick b*tt and make no apologies for their beliefs.

I was very happy to see this book available on Amazon, as it was out of print for years and the only copy I could find was on Alibris for $100.

I would say, buy this book while you can. You'll thank me -- and you'll thank Gerald Brittle, Ed, and Lorraine for being forthright about this much-maligned topic.


(A++) A Frightening Book About Real Documented Demons   October 31, 2003
OverTheMoon (overthemoonreview@hotmail.com)
45 out of 48 found this review helpful

This is extraordinarily terrifying non-fiction. First off all I can safely say that many would find themselves better off not reading this book if they are of a nervous disposition. It is extremely serious in tone and probably one of the most compelling dissertations on the phenomena of ghosts, spirits and demons that I have come across. This is not your casual, "I saw a ghost floating across a room in a haunted house" or "I felt a cold spot in my bedroom and watched a glowing orb" type ghost book. It is more along the lines of "This entity was ripping my living room to shreds, writing obscene messages on the walls and appearing behind me as a disfigured monk with no eyes who then proceeded to attack me while my family screamed in terror as they huddled together on the staircase."

I was really unsure of what I was getting myself into here. I heard that this book had a cult following and that Stephen King basically calls it his best book of reference. I was aware that this book was about two "ghost hunters" - Ed and Lorraine Warren and covers some of their research, spanning some 60 years, along with various case studies. What I did not know is that this book actually makes a valid statement on the entire issue of haunted houses, ghosts and demons and even goes into elaborate explanations for these phenomena. Truth be told I have read some highly professional books on this very topic before. Here is a word of advice. If you are seriously interested in learning more about the Occult then read "The Tibetan Book of the Dead" by W.Y.Evans-Wentz. It has forward by Jung. It is an ancient Tibetan Holy book that elaborates on and explains many different types of psychic phenomena but the book is not classed as such. It is a religious/psychological book about Tibetan Buddhism but it clarifies a lot about the supernatural. So I was well armed going into this one with at least a little more knowledge on the subject that your average reader.

The first thing that struck me was the authenticity of what I was reading. There are many books on this topic that would make me laugh or at least see another logical reason for what was going on. "The Demonologist" is having none of that. It is straightforward - here is another world, YOUR WORLD, where demons actually exist creating misery for peoples lives. Everything is explained in relentless detail without sparing the readers unease about such a topic. The book moves between cases of demonic disturbances (incorrectly referred to as Poltergeist activity according to the author) and the lives of the two researchers/demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren. Most of the book is done in an interview fashion with Ed and Lorraine answering many questions and telling several stories about their many encounters with the diabolical. One story, about a family called the Donovans, will blow your mind. The case is also illustrated with photographs of demonic activity in progress. There is also transcripts of conversations with ghosts and demons from tape recordings.

Ed and Lorraine Warren are not "ghost hunters" per se. Ed actually uses religious strategies and holy objects to establish and combat the very physical presence of an "inhuman" spirit that is usually violent and on the offensive. Lorraine uses her sixth sense to establish connections with "human" spirits that are passive and inoffensive and are just looking for resolution to their misery. The book mostly concentrates on the malevolent "inhuman" type.

There is also something tremendously otherworldly about the book itself as if it carries with it some sort of direct connection to the Warrens experiences. "Potent" would be the best word to describe it. I am telling you right now in an honest manner, do not go near this book if you think you will be uncomfortable about the subject matter. The mildest parts of this book are utterly mind shattering and the more disturbing elements will deliver instant insomnia with unfeigned paranoia by the truckload. Only for the hardened spiritual explorers who can deal with the "demon shock" - The Exorcist is kindergarten in comparison.

**As a note there is apparently a problem with the US edition which has been heavily edited and is missing pictures. The UNCUT edition is available from the UK. I went the extra mile and got the UNCUT version but I have not seen the US edition so I can not say with certainty that this is the case except that other reviewers too have pointed out that the US edition is cut. Get it from Amazon UK if you want the UNCUT version like I did.**

My only critic about this book is the pictures. Please reprint them as quality standard middle section pictures next time! The resolution was not the best - however, like the rest of the book, they certainly are unsettling.


The Benchmark....   January 14, 2006
Holt (MS USA)
22 out of 23 found this review helpful

I purchased my copy of this book over 20 years ago. I would assume it was from the first, un-cut printing.

I have always enjoyed reading about all things paranormal. At the time that I purchased this book, I had already read several Stephen King novels and many other books from the horror and paranormal genres (fictional and non-fictional), so I thought I was in for just another good read.

Little did I know that this book would become the measuring stick from which I would compare every other "scary" book or movie since. My reaction pretty much mirrors what other reviewers have said. Not only did it keep me awake at night, I really didn't want to be alone very much after reading it.

Sometimes, it seems that the motion picture industry and other media portrays the supernatural with special affects and plot lines that are "over-the-top", this book brought the supernatural to a grass-roots, "this could happen to me" level.

Although I'm naturally a skeptical sort and take most things with a grain of salt, I've never really been able to "move on" from this book.

I'm not a professional reviewer (I don't even qualify as a layman), I've just read a lot of books over the years. Not one of them affected me the way that "The Demonologist" did. Even now, after all this time, (25 years, give or take), the memory of some of the events portrayed in this book scares the crap out of me.

If you enjoy reading about the paranormal, pick this one up. You may, or may not, ever forget it.....


Worth The Money   October 13, 2006
S. Diana (Massachusetts)
15 out of 15 found this review helpful

For as long as I can remember, Ed and Lorraine Warren have been like a paranormal "institution." They were already famous, the world over, when I was just a kid. I don't believe there is anyone, not even the renowned Hans Holzer, that can claim the the track record that Ed and Lorraine Warren have had. Despite having attended a couple of their lectures in past years however, I hadn't really been following any of their activities for quite some time, so it was only after I had learned that Ed Warren had, sadly, passed away, that I went into their website for the first time in several years, and there saw the book, "The Demonlogist." The very first comment I'd like to make about the book itself, is that it is definitely worth the money. I'd like to follow that comment by stating that I have been drawn to the paranormal since early childhood. I have worked as and still do research as a paranormal investigator, and I have accumulated quite an extensive library of books on the paranormal. From a scientific investigating and research point of view, I feel this is an extremely important, and absolutely "must have" book. And although it is apparently used as a demonology "textbook" of sorts, by the Catholic Church, when training their own priests in the subject, it does not read like a textbook at all. It is, by turns, fascinating, terrifying, and extremely thought-provoking. There were a few things in the book that I did not agree with, the first being that the Goddess Diana is a demon. In Wiccan religion the Goddess Diana is the loving protectress of women and children, there is nothing demonic about her. And although it was very encouraging to read Lorraine's comments that Wicca is utilized for good and positive results, I disagree with her that any "grey" witchcraft, magic used to help oneself, to attract prosperity, love etc, is evil. However, intent, as they say is everything, and it is one's "intent" that determines if one's actions are good or evil. When magic is used against the free will of another, it doesn't matter what kind of spell is being cast, or magic being performed, the action is a negative one, and will, in the end, yield negative results. Having said that however, nothing in "The Demonologist" came across as fabricated, or exaggerated. On the contrary, it was all the more credible to see the pains the author took to state that only the information and cases that were witnessed and documented both by clergy and/or the principal individuals were included in the book. For anyone interested in the paranormal, or for any paranormal investigator, I would give this book a hundred percent endorsement as absolutely required reading. For those who scare easily, I would not recommend reading the book before bed (I did but only because that's the only time I had to read it).I think that if you're not sure where you stand in terms of religious or spiritual belief, this book will definitely help you make up your mind. If there is anything that comes across in the book, it is that Ed Warren was extremely knowledgable about the subject of demonology; extremely adept at helping people deal with and resolve the terrifying results of their encounters with inhuman spirits; and that both he and his wife Lorraine were being completely authentic and sincere in regards to everything that they claimed to have experienced over the years. This incredible book is most certainly worth the money, and you will not be disappointed if you buy it.