Theos-Talk Archives (May 2003 Message tt00139)

2 Classics on H.P. Blavatsky: Richard Hodgson and V.S. Solovyoff 
Paint Mme. Blavatsky as a Fraud

Serious students of Madame Blavatsky's life and work will want to 
carefully read and study the following two titles available from Ayer 
Company Publishers:

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The Society for Psychical Research Report on the Theosophical 
Society. Edited, with an introduction by James Webb.

The main part of this anthology is the "The Report of the Committee 
appointed to Investigate Phenomena Connected with the Theosophical 
Society." The SPR appointed this Committee after the publication of 
Sinnett's "Esoteric Buddhism" had drawn attention to Mme. Blavatsky 
and her alleged miracles. The Society decided that there was "a prima 
facie case" for detailed investigation, and dispatched Richard 
Hodgson to the Theosophical Headquarters at Adyar, near Madras, 
India. "The Hodgson Report" which makes up a substantial part of the 
SPR Report was a leading factor in discrediting Mme. Blavatsky; but 
the whole Report, and Hodgson's attitude in particular, have been 
criticized for showing unwarranted bias. 

Accordingly, the second part of the anthology is William 
Kingsland's "Was She A Charlatan? A Critical Analysis of the 1885 
Report of the Society for Psychical Research", a Theosophical reply 
to the Report. Also included in this anthology is Richard 
Hodgson's "The Defense of the Theosophists."
LC75-36920 New York, 1976
ISBN: 0405079753 foldouts $29.95 

To order this title directly from Ayer Company Publishers, go to:
http://www.ayerpub.com/Product.asp?ProductID=4400000016716
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A Modern Priestess of Isis by Vsevolod Sergyeevich Solovyoff.
Abridged and translated by Walter Leaf.

V.S. Solovyoff, or Solov'ev, was a Russian man of letters, a 
historical novelist and the brother of the philosopher Vladimir 
Solov'ev. Like many of the cosmopolitan Russian intelligentsia he 
became fascinated by Theosophy and Mme. Blavatsky, and for a time he 
was completely under her sway. Solovyoff's account of how he 
eventually broke away from the Theosophical Society is one of the 
classic pieces of literature of the occult revival, a leading source 
for the history of Theosophy, and a fascinating analysis of the 
character and psychology of Mme. Blavatsky herself. 
LC75-36921 London, 1895 
ISBN: 0405079761 $29.95 

To order this title directly from Ayer Company Publishers, go to:
http://www.ayerpub.com/Product.asp?ProductID=4400000016717

Daniel H. Caldwell
BLAVATSKY STUDY CENTER/BLAVATSKY ARCHIVES
http://blavatskyarchives.com