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The Devil Rocked Her Cradle
Her own father tried to rape her, then damned Mary Lawrence to hell. For three decades authorities of the Roman Catholic Church knew about the terrifying phenomena surrounding this small, pretty young woman. Physical acts of superhuman strength, voices that conversed in several languages, horrible blasphemies, obscene manifestations...and prophecies that could rock the world.
Then they sent famous exorcist Father Theophilus Reisinger to attempt a dangerous exorcism that could set Satan loose in a small midwestern town. Veteran journalist David St. Clair now gives us the whole harrowing truth about the possession of Mary Lawrence, and an exorcism that becomes a real-life warning about today's satanic cults...and the true power of the Devil in the world today!
Then they sent famous exorcist Father Theophilus Reisinger to attempt a dangerous exorcism that could set Satan loose in a small midwestern town. Veteran journalist David St. Clair now gives us the whole harrowing truth about the possession of Mary Lawrence, and an exorcism that becomes a real-life warning about today's satanic cults...and the true power of the Devil in the world today!
368 pages, Paperback
First published September 18, 1987
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 2, 2014
I finished this book a few weeks ago now and wanted to put a review up whilst it was fresh in my mind, for one reason or another though I didn't manage to get around to it.
WOW though, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, considering the events supposedly took place a hell of a long time before it was wrote the author has done a good job of turning it into a story.
The book could have been titled a conversation with the devil as a lot of the time rather than trying to drive out the 'devil' they seem happy to converse with it, actually it could have been called 'argument with the devil' as they have no qualms about shouting and quarreling with it.
it definitely had an eerie feel to it and at times when I was lying in bed reading it I had the feeling that if I was to lift my head up and tear my eyes away from the book then I would see a grotesque demon sitting at the bottom of my bed. After reading this I wish there were some along the lines of actual documentation that I could read to compare the two.
WOW though, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, considering the events supposedly took place a hell of a long time before it was wrote the author has done a good job of turning it into a story.
The book could have been titled a conversation with the devil as a lot of the time rather than trying to drive out the 'devil' they seem happy to converse with it, actually it could have been called 'argument with the devil' as they have no qualms about shouting and quarreling with it.
it definitely had an eerie feel to it and at times when I was lying in bed reading it I had the feeling that if I was to lift my head up and tear my eyes away from the book then I would see a grotesque demon sitting at the bottom of my bed. After reading this I wish there were some along the lines of actual documentation that I could read to compare the two.
April 17, 2010
If you have read books about exorcims before you might have heard of the popular little book titled Be Gone Satan. I had thought about ordering it before, but when I seen how small the book was I decided against it. I'm really glad I did as it was a very censored telling of this exorcism and not as detailed as this book.
This book is very scary and I don't recommend reading this if you sleep alone at night. David St. Clair wrote this book in the form of a story so don't let the fact that he is a journalist make up your mind about reading it. I was worried about that fact myself and I'm glad I didn't let that stop me.
I know that the book Possessed by Thomas B. Allen is suppose to be the real story behind the movie The Exorcist, but The Devil Rocked Her Cradle seems more in line with that movie than Possessed. There were many things that seem to be taken directly from this story and used in the movie and even the book of The Exorcist. The only connection with Allens book would have to be the use of the Ouija board, and that's it. In this book there were a number of similar happenings. I'm wondering if the authors of The Exorcist didn't read these two books and use some of the ideas in their story.
The preists and those present during the exorcism of Mary had converations with the demons. This was a bit odd becuase I have read books about this topic before and the one thing they always say is don't converse with the Devil. In this book the Devil makes some predictions that have since came true and one that is suppose to be starting now. It's a very scary prediction/prophecy. The Devil is the prince of deception so hopefully that last prophecy was a lie.
This book is very scary and I don't recommend reading this if you sleep alone at night. David St. Clair wrote this book in the form of a story so don't let the fact that he is a journalist make up your mind about reading it. I was worried about that fact myself and I'm glad I didn't let that stop me.
I know that the book Possessed by Thomas B. Allen is suppose to be the real story behind the movie The Exorcist, but The Devil Rocked Her Cradle seems more in line with that movie than Possessed. There were many things that seem to be taken directly from this story and used in the movie and even the book of The Exorcist. The only connection with Allens book would have to be the use of the Ouija board, and that's it. In this book there were a number of similar happenings. I'm wondering if the authors of The Exorcist didn't read these two books and use some of the ideas in their story.
The preists and those present during the exorcism of Mary had converations with the demons. This was a bit odd becuase I have read books about this topic before and the one thing they always say is don't converse with the Devil. In this book the Devil makes some predictions that have since came true and one that is suppose to be starting now. It's a very scary prediction/prophecy. The Devil is the prince of deception so hopefully that last prophecy was a lie.
December 9, 2015
This book is definitely 'read in the daylight while surrounded by lots of people' eerie, but once you get over the initial horror shock coma St. Clair will definitely put you into, you'll find that it has a good pace and the story is told so well you just need to know what happens next.
It's scary... Very scary.
I don't recommend this to anyone who is not a fan of horror/demons/supernatural. Many of the paranormal elements in this story are extremely detailed and portrayed so vividly that I literally took a hiatus from reading it because it got me so worked up... took me a while but I did eventually complete it.
Exorcism story lines are difficult enough when you encounter them as standalone events - with no/minimal prior information of the victim - but the author takes you back generations before Mary's possession.
He takes you through decades of the events that led to the eventual selling of her soul to the evil side.
He makes you like and root for the victim through her heartbreaking upbringing and possession of demons (and - wait for it - the devil).
More importantly, he makes you look under your own bed for demons every night. If you sleep alone, reconsider.
It's scary... Very scary.
I don't recommend this to anyone who is not a fan of horror/demons/supernatural. Many of the paranormal elements in this story are extremely detailed and portrayed so vividly that I literally took a hiatus from reading it because it got me so worked up... took me a while but I did eventually complete it.
Exorcism story lines are difficult enough when you encounter them as standalone events - with no/minimal prior information of the victim - but the author takes you back generations before Mary's possession.
He takes you through decades of the events that led to the eventual selling of her soul to the evil side.
He makes you like and root for the victim through her heartbreaking upbringing and possession of demons (and - wait for it - the devil).
More importantly, he makes you look under your own bed for demons every night. If you sleep alone, reconsider.
April 24, 2010
A great book. I read it when I was a kid, and it scared the hell out of me.
March 13, 2019
I read this in the van while moving down to Wales, for reasons i won't discuss, I ended up burning it. Years later i bought the book again, however, I have always been "uneasy" having the book in the house.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews