The Devils of Loudun (1986 Folio Society edition), illustrated by John Bratby, offers a visceral reinterpretation of Aldous Huxley’s 1952 account of the 1634 Loudun possessions, where accusations of demonic witchcraft masked a vicious political conspiracy. This edition stands apart from other illustrated versions through Bratby’s expressionist drawings— feverish, claustrophobic compositions that mirror the hysteria of the Ursuline nuns and the sadistic spectacle of priest Urbain Grandier’s torture.
The Folio Society’s production highlights the contrast between Huxley’s cool, analytical prose and Bratby’s emotional brutalit.
