The Devil's Best Trick: How the Face of Evil Disappeared is a nonfiction book by Randall Sullivan that was first published by Grove Atlantic in May 2024. The book traces how the concept of the devil has changed throughout history and whether the devil is real. Topics explored by Sullivan include Christian theology, satanic cults, and human sacrifice by the Aztecs. The book also offers a personal account of Sullivan grappling with the nature of evil.
 | |
| Author | Randall Sullivan |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Existence of the devil |
| Genre | Nonfiction |
Publication date | May 2024 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 352 |
| ISBN | 978-0802119131 |
| 235/.47 | |
| LC Class | 2023056568 |
The book received mixed reviews, with praise for the compelling narrative but criticism for the frequent shifts between storylines. Some reviewers also found Sullivan's conclusions unsatisfying.
Contents
editThe book begins with Sullivan witnessing an exorcism in the Bosnian village of Međugorje. This event left a deep impression, and it prompted Sullivan to begin a quest to uncover if the devil exists, and if so, in what form. Sullivan next takes the reader to Catemaco, Mexico, where he attended a black mass in which participants pledged their souls to the devil. Following is a review of how the concept of the devil evolved in Christian theology, with perspectives from different thinkers, such as Thomas Aquinas. Interspersed throughout the historical review, Sullivan discusses the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Tate Rowland and Terrie Trosper in Childress, Texas. Rowland and Trosper died under mysterious circumstances, with possible connections to satanic cults. Sullivan also discusses human sacrifices and cannibalism by the Aztecs, positing that these acts support the existence of the devil. At the end of the book, Sullivan concludes that the devil is real in the sense of how people comprehend evil by personifying it.
Reception
editIn a positive review for The New York Times, Clancy Martin describes the book as a "master class in the difficult art of first-person, narrative nonfiction".[1] Martin praises Sullivan's ability to propel the story and to captivate the reader, even when delving into ecclesiastical history. The originality of the perspective also impressed Martin, who stated: "The writing is never clichéd, nor is the thinking". Micah Mattix of The Wall Street Journal gave a mostly positive review, writing: "Mr. Sullivan is a gifted storyteller, even if the shifts between recent events and intellectual history can be jarring." Mattix noted, however, that "not everyone will find [Sullivan's] concluding equivocation satisfying."[2]
A negative review from Carl Hoffman in The Washington Post criticized the book as "one big, sloppy mess that is written strictly from the perspective of the minority of humankind who call themselves Christians".[3] Hoffman viewed Sullivan's exploration of evil as myopic because it almost exclusively approaches the subject from the perspective of Christianity. He also thought that the book shifted unproductively between disparate storylines and that the discussions of the deaths in Childress, Texas lacked any compelling insights. Hoffman states: "There are hints along this crooked journey that Sullivan was as confused while writing his book as I was reading it".
References
edit- ^ Martin, Clancy (2024-05-29). "The Author Started as a Skeptic. He Came Out a Believer in Pure Evil". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
- ^ Mattix, Micah (2024-03-27). "'The Devil's Best Trick' Review: In Search of the Unseen Evil". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 2024-08-13. Retrieved 2024-08-16.
- ^ Hoffman, Carl (2024-05-21). "Can we think about evil without getting caught up in Christian mythology?". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2024-08-16.