This quasi-fictional account of a very famous "haunting," which is something of a misnomer, had quite a few contributors, and it shows. Although it's not a bad read overall, it's not terribly well--written, and the organization is very disjointed. As such, it suffers from a lack of cohesion. As the named author, Robert Curran, was a professional newspaper journalist, the puerile nature of the prose is also somewhat surprising.
Another frustration is that even at the outset, he states that the account is, well, to be blunt, less than truthful: in truth, it's a highly fictionalized account, which even the authors had to acknowledge. I appreciate the candor regarding the authenticity (or lack thereof) of the subject matter, specifically that some of it is indeed fabricated, but that doesn't seem a good way to start a book which purports to be a true account of a very disturbing episode affecting multiple members of the same family, including two parents, four children, and two grandparents (and the family dog) all of whom lived on the same property.
For example, Curran states specifically that "one character, David Wilson, is a composite of three people, who have worked with Ed and Lorraine Warren. The role of this fictional character, however, is unconnected to the supernatural events that have taken place on Chase Street." Well, then. That alone, for me, makes it a work of fiction rather than fact, even if one takes at face value that the events really did occur (and I don't, in this case).
In addition, it notes that "certain MINOR LIBERTIES (emph. mine) have been taken with the chronology of events, and some scenes and dialogue have been re-created in a dramatic faction." Almost enough said: it's also worth noting that this has been a major criticism of Ed Warren, in particular - that he sensationalized many of their most well-known cases, most famously the so-called Amityville haunting, and this one appears to have been no exception. His entire approach to "investigation" seems to have been, in fact, to never let the truth stand in the way of telling a good story.
Regarding the background of this rather famous paranormal case: the Smurl Haunting, which was, as noted, something of a misnomer, as it appears to have rather been a demonic incursion rather than a true haunting, involved Jack and Janet Smurl, of West Pittston, Pennsylvania. The events described occurred between 1974 and 1989, making it one of the longest-running "hauntings" in history. Over the course a decade and a half, the Smurls' claims were investigated by a series of members of the clergy, parapsychologists, demonolgists (like the Warrens) and even scientific investigators, many of whom at least to some degree conceded that there were some strange events going on at the property.
The Smurls, their children, and Jack's parents moved into a duplex property on Chase Street in August, 1973. All seemed well at first, but things quickly took a dark turn, when the residents of both properties began noticing and reporting hearing unusual noises, especially loud banging inside the walls of both properties, foul odors, things moving on their own, even flying around the room on occasion, and, eventually, visual disturbances, including the presence of a sinister "shadow figure," a humanoid apparition with no discernible features. Eventually, the Smurls, as devout Catholics, contacted a number of clergy asking for help, after they began to report being physically attacked.
After nearly a decade of these goings-on, the couple contacted Ed and Lorraine Warren, who then investigated the property and announced that a demon was infesting both residences, but that it was also using the "spirits" of other people to harass and attack the family, which included an assault on even the family dog. Ed Warren also alleged that he had made numerous audiotape recordings of the knocking noises made by the apparitions. Not surprisingly, however, most scientists concluded that the claims had little or no actual merit, as the Warrens weren't objective or impartial investigators. Most pronounced that the Smurls' claims were either a hoax or some kind of mass delusion. I disagree with the latter.
It's not that the reports went unaddressed. Although the book portrays the members of the Catholic church as either skeptical or uninterested, in reality, several did visit the property. None reported anything out of the ordinary. Janet Smurl claimed that an unidentified priest performed three exorcisms of the property, but according to the diocese, there is no documentation of anything, including the identity of the individual. In 1986, however, another priest from the local diocese did spend two nights at the residence, but reported that nothing unusual had occurred while he was present.
It was in that same year, 1986, that the Smurls co-authored this book, along with Scranton newspaper author Robert Curran. In addition, the family moved in 1987, to nearby Wilkes-Barre, whereupon another person took up occupancy in their reportedly dangerously haunted home. When interviewed in 1988, that resident told reporters that she had never encountered anything supernatural while living there, suggesting that if anything was amiss, it was targeting the family rather than the property.
This is somewhat in keeping with the claim that the "demon" followed the family on a camping vacation. It's also consistent with reports regarding the Amityville house itself - after the Lutzes reportedly fled the property, after just weeks, no subsequent owners ever reported any supernatural events at the property.
These are fun reads, especially around Halloween, but it's also somewhat frustrating that, as I believe, so much of it is fictionalized, and perhaps sensationalized. That accusation has followed Ed Warren throughout his entire "career" as a paranormal investigator, and this publication did nothing to dispel those likely legitimate criticisms. If you're a fan of the horror genre, it's an entertaining and indeed disturbing read, as long as you don't take too much stock in its authenticity or truthfulness.
Another frustration is that even at the outset, he states that the account is, well, to be blunt, less than truthful: in truth, it's a highly fictionalized account, which even the authors had to acknowledge. I appreciate the candor regarding the authenticity (or lack thereof) of the subject matter, specifically that some of it is indeed fabricated, but that doesn't seem a good way to start a book which purports to be a true account of a very disturbing episode affecting multiple members of the same family, including two parents, four children, and two grandparents (and the family dog) all of whom lived on the same property.
For example, Curran states specifically that "one character, David Wilson, is a composite of three people, who have worked with Ed and Lorraine Warren. The role of this fictional character, however, is unconnected to the supernatural events that have taken place on Chase Street." Well, then. That alone, for me, makes it a work of fiction rather than fact, even if one takes at face value that the events really did occur (and I don't, in this case).
In addition, it notes that "certain MINOR LIBERTIES (emph. mine) have been taken with the chronology of events, and some scenes and dialogue have been re-created in a dramatic faction." Almost enough said: it's also worth noting that this has been a major criticism of Ed Warren, in particular - that he sensationalized many of their most well-known cases, most famously the so-called Amityville haunting, and this one appears to have been no exception. His entire approach to "investigation" seems to have been, in fact, to never let the truth stand in the way of telling a good story.
Regarding the background of this rather famous paranormal case: the Smurl Haunting, which was, as noted, something of a misnomer, as it appears to have rather been a demonic incursion rather than a true haunting, involved Jack and Janet Smurl, of West Pittston, Pennsylvania. The events described occurred between 1974 and 1989, making it one of the longest-running "hauntings" in history. Over the course a decade and a half, the Smurls' claims were investigated by a series of members of the clergy, parapsychologists, demonolgists (like the Warrens) and even scientific investigators, many of whom at least to some degree conceded that there were some strange events going on at the property.
The Smurls, their children, and Jack's parents moved into a duplex property on Chase Street in August, 1973. All seemed well at first, but things quickly took a dark turn, when the residents of both properties began noticing and reporting hearing unusual noises, especially loud banging inside the walls of both properties, foul odors, things moving on their own, even flying around the room on occasion, and, eventually, visual disturbances, including the presence of a sinister "shadow figure," a humanoid apparition with no discernible features. Eventually, the Smurls, as devout Catholics, contacted a number of clergy asking for help, after they began to report being physically attacked.
After nearly a decade of these goings-on, the couple contacted Ed and Lorraine Warren, who then investigated the property and announced that a demon was infesting both residences, but that it was also using the "spirits" of other people to harass and attack the family, which included an assault on even the family dog. Ed Warren also alleged that he had made numerous audiotape recordings of the knocking noises made by the apparitions. Not surprisingly, however, most scientists concluded that the claims had little or no actual merit, as the Warrens weren't objective or impartial investigators. Most pronounced that the Smurls' claims were either a hoax or some kind of mass delusion. I disagree with the latter.
It's not that the reports went unaddressed. Although the book portrays the members of the Catholic church as either skeptical or uninterested, in reality, several did visit the property. None reported anything out of the ordinary. Janet Smurl claimed that an unidentified priest performed three exorcisms of the property, but according to the diocese, there is no documentation of anything, including the identity of the individual. In 1986, however, another priest from the local diocese did spend two nights at the residence, but reported that nothing unusual had occurred while he was present.
It was in that same year, 1986, that the Smurls co-authored this book, along with Scranton newspaper author Robert Curran. In addition, the family moved in 1987, to nearby Wilkes-Barre, whereupon another person took up occupancy in their reportedly dangerously haunted home. When interviewed in 1988, that resident told reporters that she had never encountered anything supernatural while living there, suggesting that if anything was amiss, it was targeting the family rather than the property.
This is somewhat in keeping with the claim that the "demon" followed the family on a camping vacation. It's also consistent with reports regarding the Amityville house itself - after the Lutzes reportedly fled the property, after just weeks, no subsequent owners ever reported any supernatural events at the property.
These are fun reads, especially around Halloween, but it's also somewhat frustrating that, as I believe, so much of it is fictionalized, and perhaps sensationalized. That accusation has followed Ed Warren throughout his entire "career" as a paranormal investigator, and this publication did nothing to dispel those likely legitimate criticisms. If you're a fan of the horror genre, it's an entertaining and indeed disturbing read, as long as you don't take too much stock in its authenticity or truthfulness.
