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Post by franklinmarsh on Oct 19, 2007 20:09:36 GMT
Finished this morning (01/07/06) - and I enjoyed this gem so much. I've read it several times before - and it just gets better and better.It avoids the DW pitfalls and has a rare charm. The language is not too archaic and the rare instances provide a smile. The only soap boxing seems to be on occult subjects - the swastika as a holy symbol from the East, Numerology and the story of Osiris,Isis and Set. Boys Own adventure, occult thrills and even edjukashun - it's all here. My favourite aspect is The Idle Rich - the goodies and baddies don't do a hand's turn but all seem independently wealthy, having any number of servants, houses,cars, electric canoes and expensive grimoires. The book begins with relentless plugging of The Forbidden Territory - a previous DW novel which threw the main good guys together. Rex Van Ryn arrives from America to wine and dine with his good friends The Duke De Richleau and Simon Aron. The cad Simon has cried off as he needs to rest to prepare for a heavy bridge tournament. A likely story! The Duke tells Rex Simon has been hobnobbing with a ne'er-do-well (the former canon Damien Mocata), snubbing his friends and Shock! Horror! - has bought a house. That's all very well for married couples but Simon, like Rex and The Duke, is a bachelor gay and can rent,inherit or live at his club. The miffed duo proceed to Simon's new abode - the Duke taking note of the attached observatory. The joint is jumpin' (so much for the Bridge tournament) - Simon is entertaining around 12 guests and is none too happy to see his pals. Smoothie Rex makes a bee-line for gorgeous,pouting Tanith, a young lady he has bumped into in various corners of the world (traffic jam in New York, in the country ten miles outside Buenos Aires - as you do - uncanny coincidence!) The Duke doesn't like Mocata, dodgy occult granny The Countess D'Urfe and other oddballs,Johnny Foreigners, Men With One Arm etc so leads Simon to the observatory. A palpitating wicker basket reveals a black cock and white hen - Simon is up to his neck in Black Magic - Not The Chocolates! The Duke chins Simon and with Rex's assistance spirits the unconcious Simes back to his Curzon Street flat. A bit of hypnosis, a jewelled swastika around Simon's neck (Yowsah! Rex objects on the grounds that Simon's Jewish and the Duke explains about the swastika - Yo Dennis!) and Simon is sent off to bed. Unfortunately Max (the Duke's major domo) later encounters Simon apparently choking and removes the holy emblem - Simon then flees the coop). Thus thwarted Rex and De Richleau head back to Simon's to seek evidence of Devil worship. They get more than they bargained for in a genuinely creepy sequence and flee in terror - but have discovered enough Satanic jumble to convince them that something well evil is afoot. Rex's Lounge Lizarding at Simon's turns up trumps - he knows the lervely Tanith is ensconced at Claridges. The Duke goes nuts when Rex mentions that it's now the early hours of April 29th - next day is the mega Witches Sabbat. Appalled at his lapse, The Duke decides to bunk off to the British Museum to do some serious boning up on matters Occult, whilst Rex gets the easy gig of contacting Tanith to try and get a lead on Simon and/or Mocata. Rex (after an initial wind up involving the Countess D'Urfe) gets Tanith to accompany him to one of he Duke's other pads at Pangbourne (by the river). Max even provides a picnic hamper and the electric canoe. After full and frank discussions Tanith says she will allow Rex to take her to where the Satanists are meeting up prior to the Sabbat. They take off in the Duke's Roller (ah, those idle rich!). When Rex stops at an unvandalised (this was 1934) phone box to tip off De Richleau, Tanith slips behind the wheel and roars off, leaving Rex holding the 'phone and feeling an idiot. He manages yet again to seriously p*ss off the staff of the British Museum but gets advice from the Duke - to go to a pub in Newbury. He sprints cross country and forks out far too much to some bumpkin for use of a pushbike. The Duke is far more on the ball - being rich and aristocratic he manages to mobilise most of the Southern branch of Britain's police force to track down the stolen Rolls and act as a messenger service. He also has the foresight to employ Clutterbuck's Amazing Biker Detective Agency to keep tabs on the Countess D'Urfe (and casual visitor the Man With One Arm.) All this leads our heroes to a large house near Salisbury plain. With a handy deux et machina slightly collapsed wall they creep up on the Satanic gathering (trying not to crunch the gravel) and peer through a chink in the curtains - gasp! It's 30 chauffeurs enjoying a boffo buffet (These Satanists may be black-hearted but they treat their staff well). The 1934 equivalent of Jeremy Clarkson would be delighted to see that the drive of the house contained a Rolls Royce, a Bugatti, a supercharged Mercedes, an Isotta Fraschini, Alfa Romeos,Daimlers, Hispanos and Bentleys ( DW gives a low estimate of £100,000 worth of motor cars - the spark plugs'd cost that nowadays!). On to the next window - additional security measures of a smaller chink in the curtains and some fathead (with a mutilated ear) sitting in front of it fail to prevent our heroes spotting Simon and identifying some of the others - no mean feat when they're all masked and gowned as well. We then go on to the superb set piece of the Witches Sabbat. When I first read this I was genuinely shocked when the Duke suffered a crisis of courage just before he and Rex attempted to rescue Simon. Then we just go on to greater heights - Stonehenge,Mocata's visit to their safe house,the fantastic pentacle sequence, a Dracula-style chase across Europe (not only are Rex and their friend Richard superb pilots, Richard has his own plane - those idle rich!) and the inevitable showdown in an incredible ruined temple in Greece. Or is it?
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Post by wordswortheditions on Oct 27, 2008 15:59:03 GMT
 With an Introduction by Antony Lejeune The Devil Rides Out is the most famous work of a master storyteller, a classic of weird fiction which has been described as 'the best thing of its kind since Dracula' a genuinely frightening tale of devil-worship and sorcery in modern Britain. A group of old friends discover that one of them has been lured into a coven of Satanists. They determine to rescue him - and a beautiful girl employed as a medium. The head of the coven proves to be no charlatan but an Adept of the Dark Arts, able to infiltrate dreams and conjure up fearsome entities. De Richleau fights back with his own knowledge of occultism and ancient lore. A duel ensues between White and Black Magic, Good and Evil used as weapons. Whenever, subsequentley, Dennis Wheatley was asked what he really believed about the supernatural, he would just reply 'Don't meddle!' Few readers will need that warning repeated. |
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Post by franklinmarsh on Nov 12, 2008 10:27:47 GMT
Truly excellent. Thanks for reviving the old cover. We have a small Maher Bookshop in the town centre. Recently did a spot check. No horror section, Stephen King in modern fiction, no sign of James Herbert. In fact the only decent 'horror' books I spied were these wonderful Wordsworth editions in the Classics sections.
Keep up the good work, you're doing a great job!
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Post by dem on Aug 19, 2009 20:50:26 GMT
Got an email from Reuben in Belfast. I recently came across your website whilst researching horror rock and seen you and a few others were talking about the classic film "The Devil Rides Out". I am in a heavy rock band named Blackguard Smile which has an interest in horror and dark subject matter and recently recorded an extended "Rock The (Hammer) House" version of a self penned song "Devil Be Bound" that you guy's may enjoy that contains various samples from the said movie, we are currently recording in Resonate studio and will be releasing our E.P soon that features a few other horror related songs including one called Burke and Hare about Edinburgh's infamous resurrectionists that you my also like.Anyway's here's our myspace if you'd like to check it out: www.myspace.com/blackguardsmileCheers Reub aka "The Blackguard"
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Post by dem on Feb 13, 2010 11:07:37 GMT
if you haven't done so already, you might like to get hold of the three Wordsworth Wheatley's - The Devil Rides Out, To The Devil - A Daughter and The Haunting Of Toby Jugg - while you still can as they won't be reprinted now that Chorion has acquired the Dennis Wheatley estate.
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Post by dem on Oct 24, 2010 20:51:03 GMT
a man can't have enough paperback editions of Wheatley's black sorcery classics, and i'd been after this particular one (Arrow, 1965) for AGES. another from the 25p man! planning a long-postponed rematch once i've polished off the increasingly kinky (Dennis would've approved!) The Face Of Evil. |
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Post by franklinmarsh on Apr 25, 2012 13:43:05 GMT
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Post by David A. Riley on Apr 25, 2012 14:53:16 GMT
I've taken a look at that site and it's extremely interesting. His analysis of The Devil Rides Out is a fascinating piece of work, possibly the most in depth it's ever had, with some intriguing insights. Recommended. |
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Thana Niveau
Devils Coach Horse
We who walk here walk alone.
Posts: 109
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Post by Thana Niveau on Apr 25, 2012 19:36:32 GMT
You guys might enjoy this. Over on Facebook, John Forth posted this synopsis from the semi-illiterate "parents guide" on IMDb:
Satanism and the dark arts is a major theme thorughout the film and could upset or frighten some viwers.
A fialry normal looking man is summoned in one scene but his ability to hypnotise people may strike a cord with certain viewers, the main villain also has a smilar power.
Live Chickens are seen in a basket its implied that they were meant to be sacrified or used in some sort of black magic.
In one scene a group of devil worshippers are dancing wildly a goat's thoart is slit (offscreen but we see blood running down just after someone puts a knife close to his neck) a man then drinks the goats blood.
This film could be very frightening and distressing to anyone whose afraid of the concept of devil worship and black magic.
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Post by Jojo Lapin X on Apr 25, 2012 20:03:13 GMT
This film could be very frightening and distressing to anyone whose afraid of the concept of devil worship and black magic. I imagine lots of things could be frightening and distressing to those afraid of concepts. |
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Post by DemonSpawn on Apr 25, 2012 20:34:43 GMT
This film could be very frightening and distressing I know that you have quoted this because it is so silly BUT People who don't understand that horror is meant to be frightening really oughtn't to be watching or reading it. Complaining because a horror movie unsettles you is rather to miss the point, somewhat. |
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Post by andydecker on Apr 25, 2012 20:46:00 GMT
In one scene a group of devil worshippers are dancing wildly a goat's thoart is slit O my god, the orgy scene! This always cracks me up because it is so ridiculous. |
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Post by Craig Herbertson on Apr 25, 2012 21:14:47 GMT
In one scene a group of devil worshippers are dancing wildly a goat's thoart is slit O my god, the orgy scene! This always cracks me up because it is so ridiculous. Even in 1968 a British orgy was probably not up to continental standards Andy... |
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Post by jamesdoig on Apr 25, 2012 23:32:39 GMT
That's a fascinating analysis - the parallels with Dracula are nicely made, especially the plagiarisms. I'll have to read it again with these insights in mind. I'm reading Rebecca at the moment before making a start on Susan Hill's Mrs de Winter, a book that has sat on the shelves unread for years. |
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Post by pulphack on Apr 26, 2012 5:59:48 GMT
That is an excellent blog - the same chap does a splendid one called Carfax Abbey, which is well worth pursuing if you have a love of terrible old B-horrors (what am I saying? Look where I am!). I stumbled on that when trying to look up something on Monogram movies...
Anyone who has endured - nay, enjoyed! - a back-to-back marathon of George Zucco PRC pictures and Bela's entire Monogram horror catalogue is doing sterling work. And he writes on this and Hammer with great wit and charm.
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