Shrine was published by Hodder & Stoughton in 1983. Alice Pagett, an eleven-year-old deaf-mute in the village of Banfield, Sussex, experiences a vision of the Virgin Mary and begins to heal the sick. Thousands of pilgrims descend on the village. The local priest, Father Hagan, and a journalist, Fenn, investigate and discover that the “miracles” are real but their source is not divine — something ancient and malevolent is channeling power through the girl, using religious fervor as a cover for its own purposes.
The novel explored Herbert’s interest in the intersection of genuine spiritual phenomena and evil — the idea that supernatural power is morally neutral and can be hijacked by forces that exploit human faith.
The Marian Apparition
Herbert’s use of Marian apparitions — reported sightings of the Virgin Mary — as a horror premise was controversial. The novel draws on real phenomena (Lourdes, Fatima, Medjugorje) while suggesting that the supernatural forces behind apparent miracles may not be benign. The tension between genuine faith and malevolent exploitation gives the novel its distinctive unease.
Collecting Shrine
First edition (Hodder & Stoughton, London, 1983): Boards with dust jacket.
Approximate market values:
- Fine in dust jacket: $25–$60
- Very good: $10–$25
Projected values (2026–2036): Moderate appreciation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Shrine anti-religious? Not straightforwardly. Herbert was raised Catholic and the novel treats religious experience with genuine ambiguity — the miracles may be real, demonic, or psychic. The institutional Church is satirised, but individual faith is portrayed sympathetically. It is more an exploration of mass hysteria than an attack on belief.