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The Historical Illuminatus Chronicles #1
The Earth Will Shake: The History of the Early Illuminati
They have been with us all through history: The "Invisible College" of wisdom, and their adversaries—the destroyers—who rise from the flames to burn again. The history of the world is their story: a conspiracy as vast and all-encompassing as the riddle of time itself.
In Naples, Italy, in 1764, a young aristocrat is about to stumble onto one piece of the great pattern. Through a heartless murder and his passion for the beautiful daughter of his enemy, young Sigismundo Celine uncovers the mystery of the Rossi brigade, former M.A.F.I.A. assassins, and the secret agenda of the dreaded Inquisition.
In the wind of the raging social storm that will soon tear through Europe and America with the flame of revolution, Sigismundo begins his journey of discovery, joined by the boy Mozart, Dr. Frankenstein, Casanova the spy, lover and magician...and a mysterious violet-eyed assassin who calls him "brother." Join him. The journey has just begun.
In Naples, Italy, in 1764, a young aristocrat is about to stumble onto one piece of the great pattern. Through a heartless murder and his passion for the beautiful daughter of his enemy, young Sigismundo Celine uncovers the mystery of the Rossi brigade, former M.A.F.I.A. assassins, and the secret agenda of the dreaded Inquisition.
In the wind of the raging social storm that will soon tear through Europe and America with the flame of revolution, Sigismundo begins his journey of discovery, joined by the boy Mozart, Dr. Frankenstein, Casanova the spy, lover and magician...and a mysterious violet-eyed assassin who calls him "brother." Join him. The journey has just begun.
376 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
54 people are currently reading
1194 people want to read
About the author
Robert Anton Wilson
118 books1,694 followersRobert Anton Wilson was an American author, futurist, psychologist, and self-described agnostic mystic. Recognized within Discordianism as an Episkopos, pope and saint, Wilson helped publicize Discordianism through his writings and interviews. In 1999 he described his work as an "attempt to break down conditioned associations, to look at the world in a new way, with many models recognized as models or maps, and no one model elevated to the truth". Wilson's goal was "to try to get people into a state of generalized agnosticism, not agnosticism about God alone but agnosticism about everything."
In addition to writing several science-fiction novels, Wilson also wrote non-fiction books on extrasensory perception, mental telepathy, metaphysics, paranormal experiences, conspiracy theory, sex, drugs, and what Wilson called "quantum psychology".
Following a career in journalism and as an editor, notably for Playboy, Wilson emerged as a major countercultural figure in the mid-1970s, comparable to one of his coauthors, Timothy Leary, as well as Terence McKenna.
In addition to writing several science-fiction novels, Wilson also wrote non-fiction books on extrasensory perception, mental telepathy, metaphysics, paranormal experiences, conspiracy theory, sex, drugs, and what Wilson called "quantum psychology".
Following a career in journalism and as an editor, notably for Playboy, Wilson emerged as a major countercultural figure in the mid-1970s, comparable to one of his coauthors, Timothy Leary, as well as Terence McKenna.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
January 4, 2011
Suck on it, Dan Brown.
March 24, 2014
The first book of my favorite trilogy ever. I learn something new on almost every page. I just finished my second reading. In 1764, Sigismundo Celine, the 14 year old son of a wine merchant in Naples, Italy, is finding that everything he's been taught by the Catholic Church might be, shall we say, of questionable veracity? This book wins on almost every level. Searingly intelligent, unfailingly funny, unflinchingly brave in the face of danger. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Please find a way to get past the cover art (I know it's horrible) and into this book.
September 11, 2019
Ver strong, structured novel from RAW, definitely the most conventionally structured narrative of his that I've read. Heavily along the lines and themes he takes in his other novels and non-fiction. Some of the minor characters might have been a bit blandly constructed. However, still an engrossing story with consistent flashes of real intelligence, and occasional flourishing observation or descriptions of literary merit. Part of a trilogy, of which I will continue directly.
May 1, 2021
This was a fun ride ! The first Robert Anton Wilson (RAW) I’ve read in almost 2 decades. I almost completed the Illuminatus Trilogy when I first started reading “adult” books in my early teens but stopped right before the third book. Michael Crichton and RAW were my introductions to more ‘mature’ fiction, and they couldn’t have been different. Admittedly, I don’t think I fully understood Illuminatus when I read it, it was very incoherent, with the author making use of time-jumps (and reality jumps) in a leisurely manner, with a liberal use of 70s counter-culture references which I had no idea of at the time.
The book follows the son of a prominent Naples merchant family, Sigismundo Celine, who is the ancestor of one of the main characters in the Illuminatus Trilogy, Hagbard Celine (sorry Neal Stephenson, RAW did it first!), as he matures into adulthood (early teenage childhood in our era), and begins to learn about “the world”. Except the world he learns about is one of the “invisible college” and secret societies. Similar to Stephenson, RAW tends to research the background for his book extensively. So this one is full of interesting historical facts about both Naples and enlightenment Europe.
Where the book really shines is it’s portrayal of esoterica, and a plausible portrayal of how a group like the Illuminati may have operated (decentralized isolated cells/cadet groups/sects etc.). At no point was I bored with the text, and the book read fast. Similar to Illuminatus, there're a couple of trippy scenes in the book depicting “magic” or “visions”, and at least in this first book in the trilogy, you aren't ever sure if there’s anything truly occult happening, or if it’s just drug induced.
Overall, a great start to the adventures of Sigesmundo, will be following up with further readings in the trilogy and maybe a reread of Illuminatus. Recommended.
The book follows the son of a prominent Naples merchant family, Sigismundo Celine, who is the ancestor of one of the main characters in the Illuminatus Trilogy, Hagbard Celine (sorry Neal Stephenson, RAW did it first!), as he matures into adulthood (early teenage childhood in our era), and begins to learn about “the world”. Except the world he learns about is one of the “invisible college” and secret societies. Similar to Stephenson, RAW tends to research the background for his book extensively. So this one is full of interesting historical facts about both Naples and enlightenment Europe.
Where the book really shines is it’s portrayal of esoterica, and a plausible portrayal of how a group like the Illuminati may have operated (decentralized isolated cells/cadet groups/sects etc.). At no point was I bored with the text, and the book read fast. Similar to Illuminatus, there're a couple of trippy scenes in the book depicting “magic” or “visions”, and at least in this first book in the trilogy, you aren't ever sure if there’s anything truly occult happening, or if it’s just drug induced.
Overall, a great start to the adventures of Sigesmundo, will be following up with further readings in the trilogy and maybe a reread of Illuminatus. Recommended.
June 3, 2012
This was the first RAW book I read, at a time when I was perhaps an ideal “target audience” for it – a nerdy adolescent who was beginning to suspect that there was “more” to the world than had been presented to me by traditional authorities. I would still say that it is the best fiction (possibly the best writing) Wilson ever produced unaided - inferior to The Illuminatus! Trilogy: The Eye in the Pyramid/The Golden Apple/Leviathan, but that has to be partly credited to Shea. I think Wilson may have missed his calling by not focusing more specifically on the Young Adult market. Unfortunately, subsequent books in the series tried to be “experimental” and rapidly declined in value as a result. If only he had stuck with this style, he would have really had something to contend with his early breakthrough as a writer.
The basic story is that of a nerdy adolescent who is beginning to suspect that there is “more” to the world than had been presented to him by traditional authorities. In this case, our hero is Sigismundo Celine, who is a young Neapolitan living in the late 19th century and an aspiring composer. His uncle is assassinated by mysterious men in church during Easter Mass (a pretty serious blasphemy), and he begins to realize that his illustrious family has connections to masonry and other secret societies, and to discover psychic powers in himself and others. Wilson’s history is mixed – very good, actually, in terms of occult and masonic history, rather more cursory when it comes to political and social history. In fairness, it should be noted that Wilson deliberately mixed history with satire, so not all of the “facts” presented here were intended to be reliable. Still, the book is undeniably better than many works of historical fiction, and focuses on aspects of history that will appeal to its audience, and in my case stimulated a greater interest in history in general.
Wilson does shift the narrative at least twice, and describes a few scenes of euphoria or drugged-out confusion using “cut-up” style techniques, but in general the narrative is easy to follow. The character of Sigismundo matures and advances as the story proceeds. Perhaps his most important lesson is that “humility is endless,” which most teenagers learn to their consternation and can probably identify with. It has magic and adventure, moments of terror and insight, and I would recommend it highly. I wish I could say the same for the sequels.
The basic story is that of a nerdy adolescent who is beginning to suspect that there is “more” to the world than had been presented to him by traditional authorities. In this case, our hero is Sigismundo Celine, who is a young Neapolitan living in the late 19th century and an aspiring composer. His uncle is assassinated by mysterious men in church during Easter Mass (a pretty serious blasphemy), and he begins to realize that his illustrious family has connections to masonry and other secret societies, and to discover psychic powers in himself and others. Wilson’s history is mixed – very good, actually, in terms of occult and masonic history, rather more cursory when it comes to political and social history. In fairness, it should be noted that Wilson deliberately mixed history with satire, so not all of the “facts” presented here were intended to be reliable. Still, the book is undeniably better than many works of historical fiction, and focuses on aspects of history that will appeal to its audience, and in my case stimulated a greater interest in history in general.
Wilson does shift the narrative at least twice, and describes a few scenes of euphoria or drugged-out confusion using “cut-up” style techniques, but in general the narrative is easy to follow. The character of Sigismundo matures and advances as the story proceeds. Perhaps his most important lesson is that “humility is endless,” which most teenagers learn to their consternation and can probably identify with. It has magic and adventure, moments of terror and insight, and I would recommend it highly. I wish I could say the same for the sequels.
December 22, 2022
I can’t believe I had never read this before. The first of a trilogy (intended to be a “penthology” but never finished before RAW’s untimely death), this is much closer to a traditional narrative than most of RAW’s work. I enjoyed it immensely and am looking forward to the next volume.
June 13, 2020
I first read this in dead tree media many years ago, along w/other RAW works. Now that audiobooks are coming out, I figured I would revisit. It did not disappoint. Here the hero Sigismundo Celine follows a Zelig-like journey of discovery, joined by fanciful caricatures of a boy Mozart, Dr. Frankenstein, and Casanova. It is a rich alternative occult history for Wilson to riff off his knowledge.
January 3, 2019
A fun read, but nothing earthshaking (pun intended). Much less schizoid than the 'Illuminatus' trilogy, though with similar preoccupations, i.e. freemasonry, sex, and the search for enlightenment. Mostly what made this interesting for me was the historical context of 18th century Naples, and 18th century Europe more generally. There is also some decent character development, enough so that I intend to read the sequel.
July 25, 2011
Easier to read and not quite as over-the-top as the original Illuminatus! trilogy. An intriguing mix of some history, lots of consipracy theories, mysteries and a young composer growing-up. Not as good as Umberto Eco, but an interesting read.
November 13, 2021
while it shares a lot of the same subject matter with RAW's other work, it's much more subdued and linear.
January 12, 2023
Robert Anton Wilson, gestorben 2007, veröffentlichte diesen ersten Band seiner Trilogie „Illuminatus Chroniken“ bereits 1982. Trotzdem kommt die 5 Jahre jüngere, deutsche Übersetzung erstaunlich frisch daher. Wilson wurde gelegentlich auch als Philosoph, Anarchist, Drogenpapst oder Popkünstler bezeichnet. All das steckt auch in dem süffigen Cocktail, den er in „ Und die Erde wird beben“ anrührt. Einen gewissen roten Faden bilden die Erlebnisse eines jungen Neapolitaners im 18. Jh., aus einer Weinhändlerdynastie stammend, mit herrlichen, ironischen Anspielungen auf die bekannten süditalienischen Klischees. Es gibt jede Menge Geheimlogen und Geheimlogen in Geheimlogen und MAFIA bedeutet „Morte alla Francia, Italia anela“, was Wilson perfekt in den historischen Kontext einarbeitet. Ebenso wie die schottischen Jakobiten, spleenigen Engländer, insbesondere zum Thema Ale und Frühindustrialisierung, Casanova, Cagliostro, eine Reihe englischer und französischer Philosophen oder Nero. Überhaupt macht das Lesen noch mehr Spaß mit Google in Griffweite, um Personen, Zitate oder andere Hinweise erstens darauf zu checken, ob sie real sind (meistens) und zweitens welchen Hintergrund sie haben. Weitere Zutaten sind plötzliche, brutale Moves, deftige, augenzwinkernde (sofern das möglich ist) Erotik, ein bisschen Quantenphysik und griechische Paradoxa. Handwerklich erinnert mich das an die ebenso perfekten Romane von Umberto Eco (Name der Rose, Foucaulsches Pendel, Insel von …), nur weniger drogenaffin.
Das Lesen ist ein permanenter Wohlfühlprozess, auch wenn man dabei z.B. mehrere Seiten lang Bibelzitate (und deren ganz spezifische Auslegung) konsumiert. Die Handlung hat viele Spannungshöhepunkte, auch wenn sie - wie sollte das im Dickicht jahrhundertealter Verschwörungen auch anders sein - keinem eigentlichen Finale zustrebt. Dafür gibts ja noch 2 weitere Bände.
Das Lesen ist ein permanenter Wohlfühlprozess, auch wenn man dabei z.B. mehrere Seiten lang Bibelzitate (und deren ganz spezifische Auslegung) konsumiert. Die Handlung hat viele Spannungshöhepunkte, auch wenn sie - wie sollte das im Dickicht jahrhundertealter Verschwörungen auch anders sein - keinem eigentlichen Finale zustrebt. Dafür gibts ja noch 2 weitere Bände.
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Are you a Businessman, Politician, Musician, Student, Footballer, or employee and desire wealth, protection, knowledge, power, and fame?
Do you need your ex-partner back? Are you sick and wish to be cured of illnesses or problems? You can make your dreams come true by becoming a member of the great Illuminati empire and securing many benefits. I strongly recommend you join the Illuminati.
Joining the Illuminati brings many benefits, such as Cars, Houses, and two (2) million U.S dollars, which will enable you and your family to have a better life. Do you accept the offer? If so, please reply to me at: illuminati.brotherhood666@outlook.com
June 8, 2020
As good as the first time I remember reading it 10+ years ago. Read in 2 days as the pacing is good and the "out of body experience" soliloquies are kept to a minimum.
Mozart - Frankensetin - "Protrait of the Artist as a Young Man" moment - interesting "history" - Dr. Orfali, Uncle Pietro -
Mozart - Frankensetin - "Protrait of the Artist as a Young Man" moment - interesting "history" - Dr. Orfali, Uncle Pietro -
April 12, 2023
There is a lot to enjoy in this novel. It's a coming-of-age story about a composer who gets initiated into the Free Masons. But, some passages read a little too much like R.A.W.'s non-fiction. I often felt like some characters were just mouthpieces for the author.
July 10, 2023
This is my first RaW book and I was pleasantly surprised. Well written with lots of references to real persons and events.The book can be described as a Dan Brown novel, but good and with the easy to read setting disabled.
May 30, 2021
My dude
November 19, 2021
I cannot wait to see where this story goes. As usual, RAW doesn't disappoint. This has a different feel than some of his other stuff I've read, and I think I liked this more.
March 18, 2024
Definitely a lot less absurdist than the Illuminatus! Trilogy proper but that is no vice. Wilson weaves an elaborate and compelling tale here that I greatly enjoyed reading.
July 1, 2024
dnf’d at 4%— uh. the writing wasn’t what i was expecting.
March 19, 2025
Everything I had hoped Zanoni would be.
June 25, 2010
Some years ago, during my more impetuous youth, I discovered this fabulously subversive trilogy of novels that tied together my love of conspiracy, drugs and satire, with dashes of clever dry wit. This was The Illuminatus! Trilogy, by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson. They blew my mind, and still do to this day.
Recently while trolling the net I discovered that Robert Anton Wilson (RAW) had written prequels to the original trilogy, showing the origins of "The Conspiracy" and an ancestor of one of the main protagonists of the original trilogy.
I was pretty excited to get into the book, or more appropriately turn on the audio book, since that's the only format I have this book in.
I'm sad to say that it was a let down, but I'm not sure if that's the books fault. You see my problem is the reader for the audiobook, Scott Crisp. And possibly the director of the audio is too blame as well. You see, Crisp's narration is so damn flat and dry that he ends up reading it like a yawn-inducing lecture on the historical growth rates of Canadian lawns. I grant you that there is a lot of history in the book, it's like a primer for historical conspiracy, but that shouldn't stop it from being entertaining. I've read other stuff by RAW, and he has a very distinctive dry wit that suffuses his books, and frequently there are some very unique characters that also bring the story to life. Scott Crisp apparently didn't get that memo. None of the characters have any life, and his comedic timing and presentation of sarcasm are, uh, lacking to say the least.
So don't bother with the audiobook. I really should have prefaced this whole review with that piece of advice, especially since I plan on tracking down this book and its' two sequels to see if they're any better than the sad reading vomited upon us in the audiobook.
If you've read the originals, and enjoyed them, then you may indeed enjoy this tale of conspiracy, intrigue, masons and the church and I encourage you to give it a try. Ditto if you are interested in historical conspiracy, or if you really, really dug The Holy Blood and The Hold Grail. If the word FNORD means nothing to you, and you hate weirdos with their weird theories, then avoid.
Recently while trolling the net I discovered that Robert Anton Wilson (RAW) had written prequels to the original trilogy, showing the origins of "The Conspiracy" and an ancestor of one of the main protagonists of the original trilogy.
I was pretty excited to get into the book, or more appropriately turn on the audio book, since that's the only format I have this book in.
I'm sad to say that it was a let down, but I'm not sure if that's the books fault. You see my problem is the reader for the audiobook, Scott Crisp. And possibly the director of the audio is too blame as well. You see, Crisp's narration is so damn flat and dry that he ends up reading it like a yawn-inducing lecture on the historical growth rates of Canadian lawns. I grant you that there is a lot of history in the book, it's like a primer for historical conspiracy, but that shouldn't stop it from being entertaining. I've read other stuff by RAW, and he has a very distinctive dry wit that suffuses his books, and frequently there are some very unique characters that also bring the story to life. Scott Crisp apparently didn't get that memo. None of the characters have any life, and his comedic timing and presentation of sarcasm are, uh, lacking to say the least.
So don't bother with the audiobook. I really should have prefaced this whole review with that piece of advice, especially since I plan on tracking down this book and its' two sequels to see if they're any better than the sad reading vomited upon us in the audiobook.
If you've read the originals, and enjoyed them, then you may indeed enjoy this tale of conspiracy, intrigue, masons and the church and I encourage you to give it a try. Ditto if you are interested in historical conspiracy, or if you really, really dug The Holy Blood and The Hold Grail. If the word FNORD means nothing to you, and you hate weirdos with their weird theories, then avoid.
December 30, 2014
Revisiting Robert Anton Wilson's Illuminatus series was interesting, but not entirely as expected. After reading the monstrous, seminal “Illuminatus Trilogy” (which Wilson co-wrote) in high school during a period of interest in conspiracy fiction, I was not entirely sure what to think about it (aside from being intrigued by the chaotic, sweeping conspiratorial world) invented by Wilson. How much is history? How much is fantasy? In “The Earth Will Shake,” the first part of Wilson's “Historical Illuminatus Trilogy,” Wilson continues with this, inventing a realistic, if not exactly historically accurate, eighteenth century Europe beset with secret societies and revolution as Europe struggles to come to terms with changing culture.
Focusing on the young Neapolitan Sigismundo Celine (an ancestor of a prominent character in the Illuminatus trilogy), who finds himself drawn into battles between different secret societies, encountering various historical events and figures while trying to figure out his own identity. Wilson writes much more conventionally in this work, with less of the surreal, psychedelic imagery used prominently in his other works where time, space, and character viewpoints shift wildly sentence by sentence, but he continues to deal with many questions of faith, truth, knowledge, and history, while still keeping the story rolling. I found the parallels being continually drawn in the story between late eighteenth century Italian society and the late twentieth century to be especially interesting, illustrating that people remain much the same through time. Still, throughout the book as Celine continues to evolve as a character, coming to form his own beliefs through the influence of other people, both friendly and villainous by the end I felt that remarkably little had happened in spite of the feeling that much conflict was occurring outside of the story; I am curious to see what happens in the later books of the trilogy.
Focusing on the young Neapolitan Sigismundo Celine (an ancestor of a prominent character in the Illuminatus trilogy), who finds himself drawn into battles between different secret societies, encountering various historical events and figures while trying to figure out his own identity. Wilson writes much more conventionally in this work, with less of the surreal, psychedelic imagery used prominently in his other works where time, space, and character viewpoints shift wildly sentence by sentence, but he continues to deal with many questions of faith, truth, knowledge, and history, while still keeping the story rolling. I found the parallels being continually drawn in the story between late eighteenth century Italian society and the late twentieth century to be especially interesting, illustrating that people remain much the same through time. Still, throughout the book as Celine continues to evolve as a character, coming to form his own beliefs through the influence of other people, both friendly and villainous by the end I felt that remarkably little had happened in spite of the feeling that much conflict was occurring outside of the story; I am curious to see what happens in the later books of the trilogy.
April 19, 2013
I read this series years ago and remembered really enjoying it. Reading The Earth Will Shake reminds me why. I think my favorite aspect of this tale of Sigismundo Celine is how Wilson weaves famous figures and events from history into the narrative. I adore when authors do this, perhaps because my grasp of the historical timeline has always been a bit shaky.
Celine, the protagonist, is a musician and I love the way Wilson talks about music. It's really a beautiful thing. The inclusion of Mozart as a character and J. S. Bach as an inspiration to Celine is awesome.
This series, by necessity, deals a lot with religion and the idea of God. Wilson does an incredible job of analyzing religion and humanity's ostensible relationship with God in that you almost don't realize he's doing it. His comparison of music, sex, healing, etc. with the feeling of being "close to God" is actually pretty fascinating.
The story is great, too. A young Italian finds himself the possessor of unusual powers and awareness and is courted/kidnapped/guided by various secret brotherhoods (Illuminati, Rosicrucians, etc.). There's action, passion, intrigue, romance, politics, philosophy and more. Wilson gives his characters a real sense of humanity, making it a simple thing for the reader to identify with the people he or she is reading about. Before you know it, you're in the story.
The narrative occasionally gets bogged down in lengthy, wordy passages, always those that seek to illustrate a point or examine an idea. It's not too distracting, but I did end up skipping a paragraph here and there when I felt like I got it and could move on.
Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed re-reading The Earth Will Shake and I'm definitely looking forward to reading the other two books.
Celine, the protagonist, is a musician and I love the way Wilson talks about music. It's really a beautiful thing. The inclusion of Mozart as a character and J. S. Bach as an inspiration to Celine is awesome.
This series, by necessity, deals a lot with religion and the idea of God. Wilson does an incredible job of analyzing religion and humanity's ostensible relationship with God in that you almost don't realize he's doing it. His comparison of music, sex, healing, etc. with the feeling of being "close to God" is actually pretty fascinating.
The story is great, too. A young Italian finds himself the possessor of unusual powers and awareness and is courted/kidnapped/guided by various secret brotherhoods (Illuminati, Rosicrucians, etc.). There's action, passion, intrigue, romance, politics, philosophy and more. Wilson gives his characters a real sense of humanity, making it a simple thing for the reader to identify with the people he or she is reading about. Before you know it, you're in the story.
The narrative occasionally gets bogged down in lengthy, wordy passages, always those that seek to illustrate a point or examine an idea. It's not too distracting, but I did end up skipping a paragraph here and there when I felt like I got it and could move on.
Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed re-reading The Earth Will Shake and I'm definitely looking forward to reading the other two books.
July 13, 2009
Martin introduced me to the history and mythology of the Illuminati shortly after high school, causing the two of us to look up every reference we could find and establishing a number of inside jokes cementing our friendship. Like UFOs, it was interesting to discover that many older acquaintances also had what they thought was some knowledge about the organization. It was amusing, for instance, to learn that the John Birch Society kept a two hundred year old book on the subject in print. Only years later, with the purchase of The Mythology of the Secret Societies, did I find a substantial academic study of the Illuminati (see review).
This book heads off a series of supposedly historical accounts of the formation and activities of the Illuminati. Presumably, Wilson was inspired to write it after the success of his Illuminatus! trilogy. In any case, my roommate had a copy and lent it to me.
In fact the book only very loosely regards the historical facts.
This book heads off a series of supposedly historical accounts of the formation and activities of the Illuminati. Presumably, Wilson was inspired to write it after the success of his Illuminatus! trilogy. In any case, my roommate had a copy and lent it to me.
In fact the book only very loosely regards the historical facts.
January 21, 2015
The first book of a trilogy (good to know; I found this out as I finished the last page!) The book traces the origins of modern liberal democracy to a small group of secret societies in Naples.
It was good reading. Obviously well-researched, it was difficult to tell what was fiction, what was history, and what was conspiracy bullshit. The characters are very well-drawn, particularly the growth of the innocent, but impetuous adolescent genius Sigismundo Celine.
The Earth doesn't exactly shake in the novel, but it is certainly getting ready to. The book ends on the eve of the American and French revolutions, amid the last desperate inquisitions of a moribund European theocracy.
Our young protagonist witnesses the turmoil, and also feels it personally; He throws off the stifling fetters of his own mind, and turns toward liberty, just as Europe itself dangerously comes of age. We are left to wonder whether the boy, and mankind, are sending their souls to hell.
It was good reading. Obviously well-researched, it was difficult to tell what was fiction, what was history, and what was conspiracy bullshit. The characters are very well-drawn, particularly the growth of the innocent, but impetuous adolescent genius Sigismundo Celine.
The Earth doesn't exactly shake in the novel, but it is certainly getting ready to. The book ends on the eve of the American and French revolutions, amid the last desperate inquisitions of a moribund European theocracy.
Our young protagonist witnesses the turmoil, and also feels it personally; He throws off the stifling fetters of his own mind, and turns toward liberty, just as Europe itself dangerously comes of age. We are left to wonder whether the boy, and mankind, are sending their souls to hell.
March 5, 2015
This story is set in 18th century Napoli, Italy. It is focused on an adolesant Sigismundo Celine, a good and faithful Catholic. One Easter Sunday during mass, the priests called on God and got the Devil in reply. All that Sigimundo has ever known true about God is put to the test. He travels deep, deep down into the fiery pits of Dante's selva oscura. His fragile little mind is warped by drugs and mind control. The ones closest to him reveal the history of conspiracy and so-called heresy their family has been involved in for ages. They let him in on the big secret because he posses "the power sometimes." This is more than he can handle and he gets lost in a tangled web of "philosophical spagetti." Will young and vunerable Sigi get trapped in Chapel Perilous or will he come out the other side embracing the eternal light? I don't know, I haven't finished the book yet. I finished, I conquered, it's good.
June 5, 2014
This was a very interesting book and a very easy read, a real page-turner. Wilson explores and analyzes religion and secret societies while we grow very close to certain characters as we follow their life stories. Robert Anton Wilson is definitely a precursor to such authors as Dan Brown, but in my opinion Wilson takes his topics very seriously and seems to cover the intricacies of secret societies in much more detail than Brown. I can't wait to read the next two books in this trilogy!
December 1, 2011
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I actually thought I would and I read it a lot faster than I thought I would. I really liked the setting and the historical kind of fantasy story throughout. I liked the characters and I liked the underlying ideas I managed to understand from this book. All in all a speedy engrossing read. Looking forward to the next book in the trilogy.
February 16, 2009
This trilogy was the first to make me passionate about american history. It follows with great characters the birth of america. All of the research on the secret societies and power struggles are noted unlike the DaVinci Code which recycled research without givng credit to the real scholars.
January 17, 2016
I wanted to like this book. I found it to be written in a way that made it very hard for me to connect with the charaters. I got about halfway through and realized that I didn't really care about them, the story, or what the outcome would be and decided to move on. Very easy to put down.
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