Descent into Hell

Facsimile of 1937 Edition. In this provocative, classic metaphysical thriller, a group of suburban amateur actors plagued by personal demons and terrors explore the pathways to heaven and hell. Certain inhabitants of Battle Hill, a small community on the outskirts of London, are preparing to mount a new play by the neighborhood's most illustrious resident, the writer Peter Stanhope.

The key to Williams' mystically oriented theological thought, Descent into Hell is a multidimensional story about human beings who shut themselves up in their own narcissistic projections, so that they are no longer able to love, to 'co-inhere.' The result is a veritable hell.

"Charles Williams took the form of the thriller and used it to create an extraordinary genre that has sometimes been called 'spiritual shockers.' His books are immensely worth reading, even if you consider yourself unspiritual and immune to shock."--Humphrey Carpenter.

"..satire, romance, thriller, morality and glimpses of eternity all rolled into one." New York Times.

"...one of the most gifted and influential Christian writers England has produced in this Century." Time

"Reading Charles Williams is an unforgettable experience." Saturday Review.