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Madame Lalaurie, Mistress of the Haunted House
“Like all of Carolyn Morrow Long’s work, Madame Lalaurie is scrupulously researched.It is difficult to envision anyone producing a more thorough account of Delphine Lalaurie, her family, and the home in which she lived.Fortunately for scholars and popular readers alike, the story of the woman and her misdeeds is a captivating one, and the horror of her crimes is shocking even today.This is Long’s best book.”� Jeffrey E. Anderson, author of Hoodoo, Voodoo, and A Handbook
“Explores a pivotal event in a city that drips legends from every pore. In the end, Long reminds us that history has just one indisputable ‘truth’—the past was a complex world whose deeds continue to haunt us.”—Elizabeth Shown Mills, author of Isle of Canes
“A page-turner. History, folklore, myth—this book has it all, like almost everything in New Orleans.”—Nathalie Dessens, author of From Saint-Domingue to New Orleans
The legend of Madame Delphine Lalaurie, a wealthy society matron and accused slave torturer, has haunted New Orleans for nearly two hundred years. Her macabre tale is frequently retold, and her French Quarter mansion has been referred to as “the most haunted house in the city.�
Rumors that Lalaurie abused her slaves were already in circulation when fire broke out in the kitchen and slave quarters of her home in 1834. Bystanders intent on rescuing anyone still inside forced their way past Lalaurie and her husband into the burning service wing. Once inside, they discovered seven “wretched negroes� starved, chained, and mutilated. The crowd’s temper quickly shifted from concern to outrage, assuming that the Lalauries had been willing to allow their slaves to perish in the flames rather than risk discovery of the horrific conditions in which they were kept.
Forced to flee the city, Delphine Lalaurie’s guilt went unquestioned during her lifetime, and tales of her actions have become increasingly fanciful and grotesque over the decades. Stories of perverted tortures, of burying slaves alive, of cutting off their limbs have continued to plague her legacy.
A meticulous researcher of New Orleans history, Carolyn Long disentangles the threads of fact and legend that have intertwined over the decades. Was Madame Lalaurie a sadistic abuser? Mentally ill? Or merely the victim of an unfair and sensationalist press? Using carefully documented eyewitness testimony, archival documents, and family letters, Long recounts Lalaurie’s life from legal troubles before the fire through the scandal of her exile to France to her death in Paris in 1849.
As she demonstrated in her biography of Marie Laveau, A New Orleans Voudou Priestess, Long’s ability to tease the truth from the knots of sensationalism is uncanny. Proving once again that history is more fascinating than elaborated fiction, she opens wide the door on the legend of Madame Lalaurie’s haunted house.
“Explores a pivotal event in a city that drips legends from every pore. In the end, Long reminds us that history has just one indisputable ‘truth’—the past was a complex world whose deeds continue to haunt us.”—Elizabeth Shown Mills, author of Isle of Canes
“A page-turner. History, folklore, myth—this book has it all, like almost everything in New Orleans.”—Nathalie Dessens, author of From Saint-Domingue to New Orleans
The legend of Madame Delphine Lalaurie, a wealthy society matron and accused slave torturer, has haunted New Orleans for nearly two hundred years. Her macabre tale is frequently retold, and her French Quarter mansion has been referred to as “the most haunted house in the city.�
Rumors that Lalaurie abused her slaves were already in circulation when fire broke out in the kitchen and slave quarters of her home in 1834. Bystanders intent on rescuing anyone still inside forced their way past Lalaurie and her husband into the burning service wing. Once inside, they discovered seven “wretched negroes� starved, chained, and mutilated. The crowd’s temper quickly shifted from concern to outrage, assuming that the Lalauries had been willing to allow their slaves to perish in the flames rather than risk discovery of the horrific conditions in which they were kept.
Forced to flee the city, Delphine Lalaurie’s guilt went unquestioned during her lifetime, and tales of her actions have become increasingly fanciful and grotesque over the decades. Stories of perverted tortures, of burying slaves alive, of cutting off their limbs have continued to plague her legacy.
A meticulous researcher of New Orleans history, Carolyn Long disentangles the threads of fact and legend that have intertwined over the decades. Was Madame Lalaurie a sadistic abuser? Mentally ill? Or merely the victim of an unfair and sensationalist press? Using carefully documented eyewitness testimony, archival documents, and family letters, Long recounts Lalaurie’s life from legal troubles before the fire through the scandal of her exile to France to her death in Paris in 1849.
As she demonstrated in her biography of Marie Laveau, A New Orleans Voudou Priestess, Long’s ability to tease the truth from the knots of sensationalism is uncanny. Proving once again that history is more fascinating than elaborated fiction, she opens wide the door on the legend of Madame Lalaurie’s haunted house.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2012
70 people are currently reading
1,108 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
November 19, 2016
Madame Lalaurie, Mistress of the Haunted House
This was not the book I thought it was going to be. It read mostly like a history book. I was hoping it would be more about Delphine Lalaurie and her life in New Orleans but it was mostly about her family and it read like a family history. It wasn't a bad book but just not what I was wanting to read.
This was not the book I thought it was going to be. It read mostly like a history book. I was hoping it would be more about Delphine Lalaurie and her life in New Orleans but it was mostly about her family and it read like a family history. It wasn't a bad book but just not what I was wanting to read.
February 8, 2013
If you're at all interested in one of the most famous ghost stories in New Orleans, you need to pick up this book. Long does a phenomenal job of separating fact from fiction, which is not an easy task under any circumstances, but especially difficult when the event you're desribing took place in 1834. Her search for truth takes her from the heart of the French Quarter all the way to the suburbs of Paris, France. Learn the true story, the one that the tour guides mangle and other authors have failed to tell adequately.
At times it is a tad technical and dry, but it nonetheless does a wonderful job of dispelling the myths surrounding Madame Lalaurie, supposed murderess and quite possibly the most reviled New Orleanian in history.
At times it is a tad technical and dry, but it nonetheless does a wonderful job of dispelling the myths surrounding Madame Lalaurie, supposed murderess and quite possibly the most reviled New Orleanian in history.
March 10, 2013
The legend of Madame Delphine Macarty Lalaurie began when her French Quarter home caught fire in 1834. The flames exposed seven starved and tortured slaves chained in the service quarters. Public outrage resulted in further demolition of the property and insistence of criminal prosecution. Lalaurie fled to Paris and remained in exile for the rest of her life. The house on Royal was rebuilt and has gone through several owners since that fateful day. It is believed by many to be haunted or, at the very least, cursed because all successive inhabitants have met with physical or financial ruin including actor, Nicholas Cage.
Carolyn Morrow Long meticulously researched the history of this legend and separates fact from fiction in this fascinating work. Also, she has provided a neat and tidy history of New Orleans from the colonial through the antebellum periods giving context to Lalaurie's fall from Creole society elite to monster of enduring significance.
Carolyn Morrow Long meticulously researched the history of this legend and separates fact from fiction in this fascinating work. Also, she has provided a neat and tidy history of New Orleans from the colonial through the antebellum periods giving context to Lalaurie's fall from Creole society elite to monster of enduring significance.
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January 4, 2022I will not rate this as it would be unfair to the topic.
It is a good instructive read, I just wish it was longer and included more about the victims.
It is a good instructive read, I just wish it was longer and included more about the victims.
March 3, 2014
Well researched. A bit dry.
July 29, 2012
I have finished the book, and cannot praise it highly enough! What the author has accomplished is extraordinary, from a writer's standpoint, managing to maintain a scholarly meticulousness, while presenting it in a popular, compelling fashion. I have recently returned from Paris, where -- so detailed and thorough was Ms. Long's research -- I was able even to visit and view the cemetery in which Madame Lalaurie's body was temporarily interred before its removal back to New Orleans for burial. From an editor's standpoint, the layout and aesthetic production of the book are free from annoyance, as well, with nary a misplaced jot or tittle. Her biography on the New Orleans voodoo maven Marie Laveau will surely be the very next book I buy, and I will surely recommend the Lalaurie biography to any who will listen.
April 15, 2013
A scholarly yet fascinating account of the life, times and misdeeds of Delphine Lalaurie, the most infamous French-Creole lady in antebellum New Orleans. Meticulous historical research placed the subject firmly in her time period and milieu -- but without leaving out the gossipy scandals going on behind closed doors. The psychological insights into Delphine's character and motivation were particularly intriguing. I also appreciated the light cast on the accuracy, or otherwise, of previous versions of the Lalaurie affair given by prominent historians. To learn "the rest of the story," or what happened to Madame Lalurie and her family afterward, was an unexpected benefit. I definitely recommend this tale to any student of Louisiana history.
February 22, 2017
Dry. It was very well researched, but a stiff and boring read. Textbook-like.
September 19, 2018
Long and drawn out. It had TOO much information. It felt more like a school text book rather than a telling of her story. It took me a while to finish it.
May 29, 2023
I had hoped that in picking up this book I would gain an insight into Delphine Lalaurie's life. And while I learned the basic facts of her life, I didn't gain any insight into what drove her in her decision making. There were parish and municipal records that recorded basic facts about Delphine and her extended family but these were supplemented with storytellers whose reliability was sometimes questionable. This biography was a pretty dry read with the exception of descriptions of cruelty to slaves thrown in.
One thing I took umbrage with was when Long was trying to fit Lalaurie's actions into the cultural viewpoints regarding slaves at the time. She stated that "at the time, Delphine would have believed that correction of her slaves was entirely justified." I don't see how Long could have claimed that any of Lalaurie's actions could be seen as "correction." If she thought Laulaurie saw them that way, she should have stated that but reading her words made it sound like she was justifying Lalaurie's actions.
Another point of contention I had was when Long claimed that Lalaurie's actions were a result of her "madness." She tried to bolster this claim through the comments of people who both knew her intimately as well as those who had a passing acquaintance with her. I have a real problem with people trying to write off criminals as crazy or insane. It seems like a cheap way to get out of punishment and just because a person's actions are reprehensible and incomprehensible to the public, it does not mean that the perpetrator was out of their mind.
I don't think I'll read another book by Long. The lack of narrative linking dry facts together does not make for a very informative read.
One thing I took umbrage with was when Long was trying to fit Lalaurie's actions into the cultural viewpoints regarding slaves at the time. She stated that "at the time, Delphine would have believed that correction of her slaves was entirely justified." I don't see how Long could have claimed that any of Lalaurie's actions could be seen as "correction." If she thought Laulaurie saw them that way, she should have stated that but reading her words made it sound like she was justifying Lalaurie's actions.
Another point of contention I had was when Long claimed that Lalaurie's actions were a result of her "madness." She tried to bolster this claim through the comments of people who both knew her intimately as well as those who had a passing acquaintance with her. I have a real problem with people trying to write off criminals as crazy or insane. It seems like a cheap way to get out of punishment and just because a person's actions are reprehensible and incomprehensible to the public, it does not mean that the perpetrator was out of their mind.
I don't think I'll read another book by Long. The lack of narrative linking dry facts together does not make for a very informative read.
March 28, 2025
This an excellent FACTUAL presentation of the life of Delphine de La Laurie, famed slave murderer and torturer of the Vieux Carre. A well developed, researched and supported manuscript of how this one woman has become such a legend of New Orleans culture. I admit to only having known the “spooky� stories and ghost riddled tales of her life. I wanted to know truth, scientifically supported with fact and documentation. This book gave that and more. To think that the behaviors of this woman towards enslaved peoples could be so cruel is sickening and heartrending. But it is even more heinous that her behaviors were only slightly more awful than other slave owners of that time and place and were only addressed in public record because she was foolish enough, in that society’s eyes, to expose her actions publicly. Had there never been a fire in 1834, destroying her property and exposing her sadistic abuse, she would have continued to go on abusing her “property� as she saw fit and society would have continued to allow it. There is no greater atrocity than what one human can do to another. I respect this book for the willingness to see the situation from all sides, to determine the woman’s guilt and to determine a possible motive behind it. This is a history lesson I will not soon forget.
June 27, 2022
I picked-up this book at Faulkner House Books (in Pirate's Alley) in New Orleans after taking a walking tour that introduced me to the legends & lore of the Lalaurie Mansion and Madame Delphine Lalaurie.
The book is well researched and gives a very detailed history and account of Delphine's family the Macartys, it tells of her early life and previous marriages. The chapter on the slaves torture is disturbing but it's handled respectfully, it does not go into the gore & salacious details. On a side note many of the details our tour guide told us were exaggerated or not true. This book helped to clarify fact from fiction.
It tells of the fire, that precipitated the discovery of the deplorable crimes and her escape. It then reconstructs her life in Paris after her exile with her family and how her family lived out their lives in the backlash. It does offer some info. on the more modern inhabits of the building. The edition that I have is from 2015, the bit on the mansion destroying Nicolas Cages' career, marriage & finances is where the modern "haunting" ends.
It concludes with the authors theories on why Madame Lalaurie committed such atrocious and why they still have the power to haunt.
The book is well researched and gives a very detailed history and account of Delphine's family the Macartys, it tells of her early life and previous marriages. The chapter on the slaves torture is disturbing but it's handled respectfully, it does not go into the gore & salacious details. On a side note many of the details our tour guide told us were exaggerated or not true. This book helped to clarify fact from fiction.
It tells of the fire, that precipitated the discovery of the deplorable crimes and her escape. It then reconstructs her life in Paris after her exile with her family and how her family lived out their lives in the backlash. It does offer some info. on the more modern inhabits of the building. The edition that I have is from 2015, the bit on the mansion destroying Nicolas Cages' career, marriage & finances is where the modern "haunting" ends.
It concludes with the authors theories on why Madame Lalaurie committed such atrocious and why they still have the power to haunt.
March 21, 2018
I read this before a trip to New Orleans. This was an excellent historical biography. I don't know what people are talking about - being dry? It was completely interesting throughout. I suppose people wanted more ghoulishness but she can only write what there was evidence about. I'm thinking the family probably destroyed any documentation about her guilt or as the author says, maybe she did not think torturing slaves was bad since everyone abused them at least a little. I enjoyed the history of the city and its unique treatment of slavery, free blacks and also the acceptance of mixed-race relationships. I had no idea they still practiced Civil Law.
December 2, 2022
I purchased this during a New Orleans trip, as many a clichéd traveler has, I am sure. I absolutely LOVED it. I could not put it down. I do caution that some may find the authors desire to uphold facts and be honest about what we do and do not know may be boring to some, but it was exactly what I wanted. This book contains as factual recording as likely possible for the family tree and story of Madame LaLaurie. I appreciated the authors refusal to project hypothetical stories for entertainment and would strongly recommend this book and its author to interested readers.
August 25, 2020
this is one of my favorite books I've read recently. I love how it goes so much more in-depth into her life and the whole case, not just the fire. I was also very interesting because it explored how she might have been innocent and all the possibilities not just what everyone says. it was a little harder to understand and I had to reread a few parts but overall it was an amazing book that I would recommend to anyone who likes true crime or history
April 14, 2018
I was interested in this book after seeing the Lalaurie Mansion in New Orleans. This book had a lot of backstory about Madame Lalaurie and her various family members but I was more interested in just the house fire and what led up to it. Not quite what I was expecting in this book but the pictures and charts were nice!
July 8, 2019
Angela, Central patron, July 2019, 4 stars:
After traveling to New Orleans, this book (for me) was a fascinating look at controversial views of Madame Lalaurie, an infamous figure in New Orleans ghostlore. While the writing flow was lacking at times, historians will appreciate the depth of research.
After traveling to New Orleans, this book (for me) was a fascinating look at controversial views of Madame Lalaurie, an infamous figure in New Orleans ghostlore. While the writing flow was lacking at times, historians will appreciate the depth of research.
July 1, 2021
It started out promising, but then it became really repetitive and I felt like I had to push myself to read. It's really repetitive but it also was a drag to get to the point, a lot of the information was nice to have but I think it could have been better with a better presentation? It's probably just not for me.
December 10, 2018
No one of the better books on Madame LaLaurie
This book starts out as informative but ends being very repeat And by the end you are looking to another book that will be more entertaining
This book starts out as informative but ends being very repeat And by the end you are looking to another book that will be more entertaining
May 28, 2017
dry, dry, dry
July 16, 2017
Very well researched!
June 11, 2018
On every trip to New Orleans we go by the Lalaurie Manson. This book separates the facts and the myths about Madame! Very interesting read!
September 9, 2019
Not the best...
Well researched but really just a dry read. So much is not really known for sure. Had to force myself to finish.
Well researched but really just a dry read. So much is not really known for sure. Had to force myself to finish.
June 24, 2020
Too wordy
There is such a thing g Aston much information and this book, who very extremely well researched, becomes too wordy quickly and its loses it within a few chapters. Sorry
There is such a thing g Aston much information and this book, who very extremely well researched, becomes too wordy quickly and its loses it within a few chapters. Sorry
Want to read
October 27, 2021
March 20, 2023
Very well researched and written, but more than I wanted or needed to know about one woman's family. Probably more than anyone outside of said family needed to know.
April 13, 2023
Lots of information here. Very textbook. Fact after fact. Slightly boring but I'm better educated on this woman's life.
July 1, 2023
The Lalaurie (McCarty) family is far more important to New Orleans and American history than I thought. Very well researched book.
November 25, 2023
Excellent book. Couldn’t put it down. Very juicy and salacious. Very well researched as well. Can’t wait to read more from this author.
December 23, 2024
The author does her research! Such an informative and historically accurate book.
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