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The Drug and Other Stories
This revised and expanded second edition brings together the uncollected short fiction of the poet, writer and religious philosopher Aleister Crowley (1875-1947). Of the fifty-four stories in the present volume, only thirty-five were published in his lifetime. Most of the rest appear in this collection for the first time.
Crowley was a successful critic, editor and author of fiction from 1908 to 1922. Like their author, his stories are fun, smart, witty, thought-provoking and sometimes unsettling. They are set in places in which he had lived, and knew well: Belle Epoque Paris, Edwardian London, pre-revolutionary Russia and America during the First World War.
The title story The Drug stands as one of the first accounts — if not the first — of a psychedelic experience. His Black and Silver is a knowing early noir discovery that anticipates an entire genre. Atlantis is a masterpiece of occult fantasy that can stand with Samuel Butler’s Erewhon. Frank Harris considered The Testament of Magdalen Blair the most terrifying tale ever written. This second edition adds several additional stories, including the Qabalistic allegory Ambrosii Magi Hortus Rosarum, featuring the author’s previously unpublished annotations.
Extensive editorial end-notes give full details about the stories.
Crowley was a successful critic, editor and author of fiction from 1908 to 1922. Like their author, his stories are fun, smart, witty, thought-provoking and sometimes unsettling. They are set in places in which he had lived, and knew well: Belle Epoque Paris, Edwardian London, pre-revolutionary Russia and America during the First World War.
The title story The Drug stands as one of the first accounts — if not the first — of a psychedelic experience. His Black and Silver is a knowing early noir discovery that anticipates an entire genre. Atlantis is a masterpiece of occult fantasy that can stand with Samuel Butler’s Erewhon. Frank Harris considered The Testament of Magdalen Blair the most terrifying tale ever written. This second edition adds several additional stories, including the Qabalistic allegory Ambrosii Magi Hortus Rosarum, featuring the author’s previously unpublished annotations.
Extensive editorial end-notes give full details about the stories.
672 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
68 people are currently reading
1058 people want to read
About the author
Aleister Crowley
872 books1,881 followersAleister Crowley was an English occultist, ceremonial magician, poet, novelist, mountaineer, and painter. He founded the religion of Thelema, proclaiming himself as the prophet destined to guide humanity into the Æon of Horus in the early 20th century. A prolific writer, Crowley published extensively throughout his life.
Born Edward Alexander Crowley in Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, he was raised in a wealthy family adhering to the fundamentalist Christian Plymouth Brethren faith. Crowley rejected his religious upbringing, developing an interest in Western esotericism. He attended Trinity College, Cambridge, focusing on mountaineering and poetry, and published several works during this period. In 1898, he joined the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, receiving training in ceremonial magic from Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers and Allan Bennett. His travels took him to Mexico for mountaineering with Oscar Eckenstein and to India, where he studied Hindu and Buddhist practices.
In 1904, during a honeymoon in Cairo with his wife Rose Edith Kelly, Crowley claimed to have received "The Book of the Law" from a supernatural entity named Aiwass. This text became the foundation of Thelema, announcing the onset of the Æon of Horus and introducing the central tenet: "Do what thou wilt." Crowley emphasized that individuals should align with their True Will through ceremonial magic.
After an unsuccessful expedition to Kanchenjunga in 1905 and further travels in India and China, Crowley returned to Britain. There, he co-founded the esoteric order A∴A∴ with George Cecil Jones in 1907 to promote Thelema. In 1912, he joined the Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.), eventually leading its British branch and reformulating it according to Thelemic principles. Crowley spent World War I in the United States, engaging in painting and writing pro-German propaganda, which biographers later suggested was a cover for British intelligence activities.
In 1920, Crowley established the Abbey of Thelema, a religious commune in Cefalù, Sicily. His libertine lifestyle attracted negative attention from the British press, leading to his expulsion by the Italian government in 1923. He spent subsequent years in France, Germany, and England, continuing to promote Thelema until his death in 1947.
Crowley's notoriety stemmed from his recreational drug use, bisexuality, and criticism of societal norms. Despite controversy, he significantly influenced Western esotericism and the 1960s counterculture, and remains a central figure in Thelema.
Born Edward Alexander Crowley in Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, he was raised in a wealthy family adhering to the fundamentalist Christian Plymouth Brethren faith. Crowley rejected his religious upbringing, developing an interest in Western esotericism. He attended Trinity College, Cambridge, focusing on mountaineering and poetry, and published several works during this period. In 1898, he joined the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, receiving training in ceremonial magic from Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers and Allan Bennett. His travels took him to Mexico for mountaineering with Oscar Eckenstein and to India, where he studied Hindu and Buddhist practices.
In 1904, during a honeymoon in Cairo with his wife Rose Edith Kelly, Crowley claimed to have received "The Book of the Law" from a supernatural entity named Aiwass. This text became the foundation of Thelema, announcing the onset of the Æon of Horus and introducing the central tenet: "Do what thou wilt." Crowley emphasized that individuals should align with their True Will through ceremonial magic.
After an unsuccessful expedition to Kanchenjunga in 1905 and further travels in India and China, Crowley returned to Britain. There, he co-founded the esoteric order A∴A∴ with George Cecil Jones in 1907 to promote Thelema. In 1912, he joined the Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.), eventually leading its British branch and reformulating it according to Thelemic principles. Crowley spent World War I in the United States, engaging in painting and writing pro-German propaganda, which biographers later suggested was a cover for British intelligence activities.
In 1920, Crowley established the Abbey of Thelema, a religious commune in Cefalù, Sicily. His libertine lifestyle attracted negative attention from the British press, leading to his expulsion by the Italian government in 1923. He spent subsequent years in France, Germany, and England, continuing to promote Thelema until his death in 1947.
Crowley's notoriety stemmed from his recreational drug use, bisexuality, and criticism of societal norms. Despite controversy, he significantly influenced Western esotericism and the 1960s counterculture, and remains a central figure in Thelema.
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October 15, 2018
Forty-nine short stories make up this wonderful yet obscure collection of Aleister Crowley's writing. It is in turns solemn, amusing, dark and light as any collection should indeed be.
Crowley is a wonderful writer, but often he does not put so much effort in to some rather than others and as a result the collection can feel as if it is written, not necessarily by two different people, but certainly at different stages of life. They are also some fairly "normal" stories in here, which if you know anything about Crowley you will understand what I mean by that. I have never been a fan of short stories but I must admit I enjoyed the process of reading this collection a lot more than I ever thought I would.
'The Three Characteristics': literally no idea what this is about. One of the more weirder ones that might make sense when I've learnt more.
'The Wake World': Possibly the worst-written piece of writing ever to exist, but the grotesque imagination is captivating. A type of dark fairytale with a fairyland like no other, blending the boundaries between being awake and dreaming.
'T'ien Tao: or, the Synagogue of Satan': We meet Crowley's alter-ego Tao here, a strong swimmer for one thing, though not at all shark-proof. He reforms Japan with undiluted words in the most magnanimous and pompous manner. Oddly written well when compared to the previous one.
'The Stone of the Philosophers': Most excellent. A society of men, or philosophers, meet in Holbien House and share stories and poetry about Gods and religion, debating them along the lines of philosophy. Well-written and thought-provoking. Favourite thus far.
'The Drug': Short but impressive. The odd difference in ability of these stories so far is rather confounding, but this was a drug-induced delight. The pain and the painful delight, metaphors and metaphysical meanings.
'Cancer? A study in Nerves': The story of a severe hypochondriac who believes he has every type of cancer imaginable. The first glimpse of a true horrific story thus far. A great ending.
'At the Fork of the Roads': A young woman must make the choice between a Dark Master and another who is just about lighter than him. Shorter than most, with a great insight in to the deprivation of men and women alike.
'The Dream Circean': A curious mix between Rapunzel and some Wildean, Romanticised opium-fueled moral tale. Very well written, very early Victorian-style. Short but sweet.
'Illusion d'Amoureux': ('Illusion of Love') Mild Gothic erotica (sexless, but about sex and all that surrounds it). Vivid and colourful imagery of an occultist's fantasy. It's got Aleister Crowley written all over it.
'The Soul-Hunter': A curious cross between 'Dracula' and 'Frankenstein', a vampire dissects a living man to try and find his soul. Madness rages in the both of them. Finely written, and very witty.
'The Daughter of the Horseleech': This one made no sense as a whole, despite being written well. Felt anti-biblical but who the daughter or indeed the horseleech were I am at a loss. One to be researched at a later date.
'The Violinist': Very short, but captivating and intriguing; the one that has stirred my imagination the most.
'The Vixen': Lustful rituals and a curious ending. Similar themes are popping up.
'The Ordeal of Ida Pendragon': More similar themes and places (Paris-a magick playground?) and it felt as though Crowley was taking the piss out of the very people and things he was and did. Perhaps not wholly, but those he felt were below him and what he himself did.
'Apollo Bestows the Violin': He was a big fan of the violin, don't you know. A mythical fairytale with esoteric roots.
'Across the Gulf': The most boring, and the most self-indulgent thus far. Hard to tell whether the protagonist was male or female (unsure, but I think it is important) and it was just basically drivel in the most profound of ways. Egyptian Gods abound, with a journey of some not inconsiderable consequence, yet still dire to the extreme. He is a better writer than this, though it feels as if his sheer passion for magick took over him. Much longer than his others, too, which might explain it.
'His Secret Sin': In a time of fervid religious governing, a greengrocer is ashamed at his daughter's want to study art and be independent, though each night he looks at a nudey photo he bought on a whim in Paris. A most excellent short story.
'The Woodcutter': Dare I say it? Of course. Much better than any Grimm could come up with. A tale of the unexpected, no doubt, with a nice dollop of philosophy thrown in.
Professor Zircon': A simple tale of jealous love with a darker, alchemic twist. Good as is, no more.
'The Vitriol-Thrower': a Tale of one man and his whore, whom through loss of beauty learns the true meaning of something or other, probably. One of the more strange ones with metaphors strewn throughout, not to good effect this time.
'The Testament of Magdalen Blair': One more of lengthier prose, Magdalen Blair is a student who soon becomes aware of her psychic nature, entering both a physical and academic relationship with her teacher as they experiment in the boundaries of her "talent". Insanity, science, demons and the heavens above all vye for her attention as her husband moves from love to death.
'Ercildoune': A lengthy short story of a deep family history, a plot to murder and unrequited love (times infinity). Reminded me slightly of a Holmsian story of worldly remarks and a lot of running to and fro. Enjoyable, though occasionally confusing with the amount of characters and their numerous iterations.
'The Stratagem': Every collection of short stories has one of these: a story that ends in a cliffhanger and makes you infuriated with it. It was a good story, a wonderful story until the end. Nicely written but I'll never enjoy this kind.
'Lieutenant Finn's Promotion': Jungle-fevered adventure story of one man's desire to claim parts of Africa for France and those who are trying to find him. Drifts off towards the end in to nonsense. Not the best (but indeed, not the worst).
'The Chute': Segmented for greater impact, this follows the life of a non-prosperous painter and a childish ballet dancer in a parable-esque form connecting to those Deadly Sins. Falls apart toward the end, but enjoyable nevertheless.
'A Death Bed Repentance': Rather dull story of a barrister's dying religious father. Repentance, though not as you know it. Some good moments but a little too Roiscrucian indulgent.
'Felo de Se': A nice sentiment with views on why, or indeed why not, too commit suicide with some great notions to think upon, but it was written rather badly which made the whole story cumbersome to read.
'The Argument that Took the Wrong Turning': The shortest story of only one page, short but rather good. An inditement on the goodness of finding no fault in alcohol.
'Robbing Miss Horniman': A most enjoyable tale, one of those tale-within-a-tale stories that all collections appear to, and should, contain. Short be sweet, a story of robbery, deceit and South African diamonds.
'Face': Unapologetically brutal. A Chinese surgeon in Scotland is denied an interracial marriage, thus he wreaks his vengeance on the family. Very witty and stark.
'Which Things are an Allegory': Complete load of tosh. I suppose it held meaning somewhere but I'll be damned if I know where.
'The Crime of the Impasse de l'Enfant Jésus': Hmm. A story no doubt, though not particularly enjoyable except in the way that all spy stories are vaguely enjoyable. Written well though the plot was rather wobbly.
'Atlantis': I'm really not sure what it was I just read... A "history" of the lost world of Atlantis, or as he calls it, Atlas. Very thorough, actually, but often just a tangent. Rather self-indulgent, but I think a decent account of a little lengthy. Very imaginative.
'The Mysterious Malady': "Last night she made desperate love to me - an obvious trick." Oh, I like this one. He's insane. Despite its simplicity, this story of a deluded doctor is sublime, though it is a tale told often.
'The Bald Man': Very descriptive and very evocative tale of a group of soldiers in WWI. Held my attention so much I didn't want it to end.
'Black and Silver': Short, and rather simple, but quite of its time, too. Not really anything to shout about, but not terrible, either.
'The Humour of Pauline Pepper': Short and rather parablesque in the most esoteric manner. Enjoyable but nothing special.
'A Nativity': Well that escalated quickly.
'Every Precaution': Kind of an anti-moral morality tale via The Green Fairy.
'God's Journey': Rather long and more that great, but with a good message and quite humorous in an archaic kind of way.
'The Colour of my Eyes': A very delicate and charming myth-like tale of how colour came in to the eyes.
'Dedit!': Beautiful descriptive text with a story within the story of morality and immortality.
'Colonel Pacton's Brother': The longest story in the collection, though probably the worst. Very droll with an uninteresting plot and too many characters for such a short tale.
'The Vampire of Vespuccia': The ravings of Mad Maggie and her nonsense life. Not particularly good but the idea was enjoyable. Needed more: more edge, more explanation.
'As You Were': Completely didn't understand the point or the plot of this story.
'Only a Dog': A charming tale of a dog, who is Only a Dog. A take on the English, their feelings, their fondness for animals. Our perhaps not. Perhaps it was just a story.
'The Virgin': Absolutely no idea, again. Would have been laborious had it not been ideally short in length.
'A Masque': Gothic Horror with sumptuous description of storms and pain. Frankenstein and Dracula combined.
'The Escape': Reminds me of those Monty Python Yorkshire men trying to put Poor each other. Odd little take of adventure and danger, but obscure enough to not be of much worth.
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Crowley is a wonderful writer, but often he does not put so much effort in to some rather than others and as a result the collection can feel as if it is written, not necessarily by two different people, but certainly at different stages of life. They are also some fairly "normal" stories in here, which if you know anything about Crowley you will understand what I mean by that. I have never been a fan of short stories but I must admit I enjoyed the process of reading this collection a lot more than I ever thought I would.
'The Three Characteristics': literally no idea what this is about. One of the more weirder ones that might make sense when I've learnt more.
'The Wake World': Possibly the worst-written piece of writing ever to exist, but the grotesque imagination is captivating. A type of dark fairytale with a fairyland like no other, blending the boundaries between being awake and dreaming.
'T'ien Tao: or, the Synagogue of Satan': We meet Crowley's alter-ego Tao here, a strong swimmer for one thing, though not at all shark-proof. He reforms Japan with undiluted words in the most magnanimous and pompous manner. Oddly written well when compared to the previous one.
'The Stone of the Philosophers': Most excellent. A society of men, or philosophers, meet in Holbien House and share stories and poetry about Gods and religion, debating them along the lines of philosophy. Well-written and thought-provoking. Favourite thus far.
'The Drug': Short but impressive. The odd difference in ability of these stories so far is rather confounding, but this was a drug-induced delight. The pain and the painful delight, metaphors and metaphysical meanings.
'Cancer? A study in Nerves': The story of a severe hypochondriac who believes he has every type of cancer imaginable. The first glimpse of a true horrific story thus far. A great ending.
'At the Fork of the Roads': A young woman must make the choice between a Dark Master and another who is just about lighter than him. Shorter than most, with a great insight in to the deprivation of men and women alike.
'The Dream Circean': A curious mix between Rapunzel and some Wildean, Romanticised opium-fueled moral tale. Very well written, very early Victorian-style. Short but sweet.
'Illusion d'Amoureux': ('Illusion of Love') Mild Gothic erotica (sexless, but about sex and all that surrounds it). Vivid and colourful imagery of an occultist's fantasy. It's got Aleister Crowley written all over it.
'The Soul-Hunter': A curious cross between 'Dracula' and 'Frankenstein', a vampire dissects a living man to try and find his soul. Madness rages in the both of them. Finely written, and very witty.
'The Daughter of the Horseleech': This one made no sense as a whole, despite being written well. Felt anti-biblical but who the daughter or indeed the horseleech were I am at a loss. One to be researched at a later date.
'The Violinist': Very short, but captivating and intriguing; the one that has stirred my imagination the most.
'The Vixen': Lustful rituals and a curious ending. Similar themes are popping up.
'The Ordeal of Ida Pendragon': More similar themes and places (Paris-a magick playground?) and it felt as though Crowley was taking the piss out of the very people and things he was and did. Perhaps not wholly, but those he felt were below him and what he himself did.
'Apollo Bestows the Violin': He was a big fan of the violin, don't you know. A mythical fairytale with esoteric roots.
'Across the Gulf': The most boring, and the most self-indulgent thus far. Hard to tell whether the protagonist was male or female (unsure, but I think it is important) and it was just basically drivel in the most profound of ways. Egyptian Gods abound, with a journey of some not inconsiderable consequence, yet still dire to the extreme. He is a better writer than this, though it feels as if his sheer passion for magick took over him. Much longer than his others, too, which might explain it.
'His Secret Sin': In a time of fervid religious governing, a greengrocer is ashamed at his daughter's want to study art and be independent, though each night he looks at a nudey photo he bought on a whim in Paris. A most excellent short story.
'The Woodcutter': Dare I say it? Of course. Much better than any Grimm could come up with. A tale of the unexpected, no doubt, with a nice dollop of philosophy thrown in.
Professor Zircon': A simple tale of jealous love with a darker, alchemic twist. Good as is, no more.
'The Vitriol-Thrower': a Tale of one man and his whore, whom through loss of beauty learns the true meaning of something or other, probably. One of the more strange ones with metaphors strewn throughout, not to good effect this time.
'The Testament of Magdalen Blair': One more of lengthier prose, Magdalen Blair is a student who soon becomes aware of her psychic nature, entering both a physical and academic relationship with her teacher as they experiment in the boundaries of her "talent". Insanity, science, demons and the heavens above all vye for her attention as her husband moves from love to death.
'Ercildoune': A lengthy short story of a deep family history, a plot to murder and unrequited love (times infinity). Reminded me slightly of a Holmsian story of worldly remarks and a lot of running to and fro. Enjoyable, though occasionally confusing with the amount of characters and their numerous iterations.
'The Stratagem': Every collection of short stories has one of these: a story that ends in a cliffhanger and makes you infuriated with it. It was a good story, a wonderful story until the end. Nicely written but I'll never enjoy this kind.
'Lieutenant Finn's Promotion': Jungle-fevered adventure story of one man's desire to claim parts of Africa for France and those who are trying to find him. Drifts off towards the end in to nonsense. Not the best (but indeed, not the worst).
'The Chute': Segmented for greater impact, this follows the life of a non-prosperous painter and a childish ballet dancer in a parable-esque form connecting to those Deadly Sins. Falls apart toward the end, but enjoyable nevertheless.
'A Death Bed Repentance': Rather dull story of a barrister's dying religious father. Repentance, though not as you know it. Some good moments but a little too Roiscrucian indulgent.
'Felo de Se': A nice sentiment with views on why, or indeed why not, too commit suicide with some great notions to think upon, but it was written rather badly which made the whole story cumbersome to read.
'The Argument that Took the Wrong Turning': The shortest story of only one page, short but rather good. An inditement on the goodness of finding no fault in alcohol.
'Robbing Miss Horniman': A most enjoyable tale, one of those tale-within-a-tale stories that all collections appear to, and should, contain. Short be sweet, a story of robbery, deceit and South African diamonds.
'Face': Unapologetically brutal. A Chinese surgeon in Scotland is denied an interracial marriage, thus he wreaks his vengeance on the family. Very witty and stark.
'Which Things are an Allegory': Complete load of tosh. I suppose it held meaning somewhere but I'll be damned if I know where.
'The Crime of the Impasse de l'Enfant Jésus': Hmm. A story no doubt, though not particularly enjoyable except in the way that all spy stories are vaguely enjoyable. Written well though the plot was rather wobbly.
'Atlantis': I'm really not sure what it was I just read... A "history" of the lost world of Atlantis, or as he calls it, Atlas. Very thorough, actually, but often just a tangent. Rather self-indulgent, but I think a decent account of a little lengthy. Very imaginative.
'The Mysterious Malady': "Last night she made desperate love to me - an obvious trick." Oh, I like this one. He's insane. Despite its simplicity, this story of a deluded doctor is sublime, though it is a tale told often.
'The Bald Man': Very descriptive and very evocative tale of a group of soldiers in WWI. Held my attention so much I didn't want it to end.
'Black and Silver': Short, and rather simple, but quite of its time, too. Not really anything to shout about, but not terrible, either.
'The Humour of Pauline Pepper': Short and rather parablesque in the most esoteric manner. Enjoyable but nothing special.
'A Nativity': Well that escalated quickly.
'Every Precaution': Kind of an anti-moral morality tale via The Green Fairy.
'God's Journey': Rather long and more that great, but with a good message and quite humorous in an archaic kind of way.
'The Colour of my Eyes': A very delicate and charming myth-like tale of how colour came in to the eyes.
'Dedit!': Beautiful descriptive text with a story within the story of morality and immortality.
'Colonel Pacton's Brother': The longest story in the collection, though probably the worst. Very droll with an uninteresting plot and too many characters for such a short tale.
'The Vampire of Vespuccia': The ravings of Mad Maggie and her nonsense life. Not particularly good but the idea was enjoyable. Needed more: more edge, more explanation.
'As You Were': Completely didn't understand the point or the plot of this story.
'Only a Dog': A charming tale of a dog, who is Only a Dog. A take on the English, their feelings, their fondness for animals. Our perhaps not. Perhaps it was just a story.
'The Virgin': Absolutely no idea, again. Would have been laborious had it not been ideally short in length.
'A Masque': Gothic Horror with sumptuous description of storms and pain. Frankenstein and Dracula combined.
'The Escape': Reminds me of those Monty Python Yorkshire men trying to put Poor each other. Odd little take of adventure and danger, but obscure enough to not be of much worth.
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June 19, 2013
Right then, I think I've read just about enough of this. I still have some 90 odd pages left to go and I may dip back in again at some point should the fancy take me but that's enough for now.
As it is, it's taken me around six months to get this far. It's something I often find with these Wordsworth editions, you have to dip in and out of the collection, not attempt to read them all at once. And this one is no exception, there's a huge number of stories in here featuring a wide range of themes. It certainly serves to demonstrate Crowley's versatility as a writer. Personally though, I would have prefered a far more condensed and carefully selected collection.
One has to wonder just who this collection is aimed at. I can't imagine who else would pick up one of these editions if it wasn't merely to try the author, to sample their wares as it were. That's certainly why I picked it up at least. I was expecting more of a focus on his supernatural/weird fiction and many of the stories left me wondering why they were even in this collection.
That said, there are some wonderfully effecting and terrifying stories in here. "The Testament of Magdalen Blair" being one of the finest examples of these. The trouble is, they were lost, like needles in a haystack. I would find maybe one story in five of the kind I was interested in. The others weren't necessarily bad, just not of interest to me.
So, I'm not sure I would recommend this collection in particular to anyone but I definitely feel that Crowley as a writer has a lot to offer the fan of classic horror. Certainly there are gems in this collection but you will have to read through a lot else besides.
As it is, it's taken me around six months to get this far. It's something I often find with these Wordsworth editions, you have to dip in and out of the collection, not attempt to read them all at once. And this one is no exception, there's a huge number of stories in here featuring a wide range of themes. It certainly serves to demonstrate Crowley's versatility as a writer. Personally though, I would have prefered a far more condensed and carefully selected collection.
One has to wonder just who this collection is aimed at. I can't imagine who else would pick up one of these editions if it wasn't merely to try the author, to sample their wares as it were. That's certainly why I picked it up at least. I was expecting more of a focus on his supernatural/weird fiction and many of the stories left me wondering why they were even in this collection.
That said, there are some wonderfully effecting and terrifying stories in here. "The Testament of Magdalen Blair" being one of the finest examples of these. The trouble is, they were lost, like needles in a haystack. I would find maybe one story in five of the kind I was interested in. The others weren't necessarily bad, just not of interest to me.
So, I'm not sure I would recommend this collection in particular to anyone but I definitely feel that Crowley as a writer has a lot to offer the fan of classic horror. Certainly there are gems in this collection but you will have to read through a lot else besides.
July 18, 2023
Having come across the disreputable, controversial Aleister Crowley in my 20-volume collection on the Supernatural when I was fourteen or fifteen, I began reading this book with both eyebrows raised. Midway through, only one eyebrow remained raised. By the time I finished the book, I had come to the conclusion that Crowley, despite his occasional attempts at injecting his ideas and beliefs into some stories, was no mediocre writer. Given his enfant terrible image and his veddy British English prose (he's "rum," Aleister is), I think his books would have done well today. Below are my thoughts on some of the stories I fancied from this collection, sorted in chronological order. I can describe them best by comparing them to other writers I'm already familiar with.
1) The Drug - Obviously inspired by a strong, recreational drug-induced trip down the twilight zone. Worth the read for the curious, or for comparative purposes.
2) Cancer? - Hypochondria on steroids. Progresses ridiculously, but most readers will be able to relate to the some of the protagonist's sentiments of doom.
3) The Dream Circean - One of the best stories in this collection, and the first story that made me take the writer seriously.
4) The Violinist - I don't know what to make out of this passionate piece of flash fiction, but I liked it.
5) The Vixen - The story unfolds and ends like a Sheridan Le Fanu or Lafcadio Hearn gothic yarn. Short and satisfying.
6) The Woodcutter - Isak Dinesen meets Stephen King.
7) Professor Zircon - This vignette starts out with the bonhomie of a Colette short story, with a girl straight out of an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, and ends with Lovecraftian flair. An end you'll have seen coming, if you're a Lovecraft fan like me.
8) The Testament of Magdalen Blair - If I had been asked to read this ghastly narrative and guess the writer, I would have sworn by H.P. Lovecraft. It reads very much like his stories (The Case of Charles Dexter Ward comes to mind).
9) The Stratagem - This struck me as Kafkaesque, but it's the funniest story here. The end is guaranteed to elicit a guffaw (or a groan). I ended with the former.
10) The Chute - This makes me wonder if Crowley was channeling Somerset Maugham when he wrote this fascinating vignette. (Actually, Maugham despised Crowley, and supposedly wrote The Magician with Crowley in mind. The feeling was mutual, and Crowley attempted to sue Maugham for libel).
11) Felo De Se - Worth a mention if only because I learned a new, impressive word for suicide, aka felon of himself.
12) Robbing Miss Horniman - Naughty piece of wordplay at work? Perhaps. This is a story within a story. The narrative starts out like an F. Scott Fitzgerald story, with a plot typical of Maugham; filing this one under Maugham-light.
13) Face - A spine-chilling tale of lovers "thwarted by a malign star." A star that went by the name of race.
14) Atlantis - A travelogue on the fabled Atlantis, this is the longest story here, and I vacillated between interest and boredom. It sounds like a mishmash of H.G. Wells's The Time Machine and The Country of the Blind. And it sounds like Crowley wasn't going science fiction on us here, I think he really believed this stuff. Oh, and it ends somewhat like A Canticle for Leibowitz.
15) The Mysterious Malady - A story so predictable, you'll know how it unfolds by the second page. Which of course, only makes you keep going...
16) Black and Silver - Another tidy tale that seems filched from Maugham--Maugham-light.
17) The Humour of Pauline Pepper - Funny! This would have made an ideal Chaplin silent movie.
18) A Nativity - The end leaves a disturbing visual. Especially since the probability of this occurring in families of the same demographic is high.
19) Every Precaution - A cautionary tale on absinthe. And then some.
20) God's Journey - Reads like an unabridged, unsanitized Grimm's fairy tale, spliced with the gothic touch of Isak Dinesen.
21) Colonel Pacton's Brother - Crowley writes Kipling fare. Or so it looks to me.
22) As You Were - Again, this reads like a Kipling tale.
23) Only a Dog - Now here we have what sounds like a melancholic short story, from his earlier selections, by Anton Chekhov!
24) The Escape - Exasperating read, with an ending I didn't expect, and which made the read worthwhile. Again, it felt like Crowley was in Kipling territory here.
1) The Drug - Obviously inspired by a strong, recreational drug-induced trip down the twilight zone. Worth the read for the curious, or for comparative purposes.
2) Cancer? - Hypochondria on steroids. Progresses ridiculously, but most readers will be able to relate to the some of the protagonist's sentiments of doom.
3) The Dream Circean - One of the best stories in this collection, and the first story that made me take the writer seriously.
4) The Violinist - I don't know what to make out of this passionate piece of flash fiction, but I liked it.
5) The Vixen - The story unfolds and ends like a Sheridan Le Fanu or Lafcadio Hearn gothic yarn. Short and satisfying.
6) The Woodcutter - Isak Dinesen meets Stephen King.
7) Professor Zircon - This vignette starts out with the bonhomie of a Colette short story, with a girl straight out of an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, and ends with Lovecraftian flair. An end you'll have seen coming, if you're a Lovecraft fan like me.
8) The Testament of Magdalen Blair - If I had been asked to read this ghastly narrative and guess the writer, I would have sworn by H.P. Lovecraft. It reads very much like his stories (The Case of Charles Dexter Ward comes to mind).
9) The Stratagem - This struck me as Kafkaesque, but it's the funniest story here. The end is guaranteed to elicit a guffaw (or a groan). I ended with the former.
10) The Chute - This makes me wonder if Crowley was channeling Somerset Maugham when he wrote this fascinating vignette. (Actually, Maugham despised Crowley, and supposedly wrote The Magician with Crowley in mind. The feeling was mutual, and Crowley attempted to sue Maugham for libel).
11) Felo De Se - Worth a mention if only because I learned a new, impressive word for suicide, aka felon of himself.
12) Robbing Miss Horniman - Naughty piece of wordplay at work? Perhaps. This is a story within a story. The narrative starts out like an F. Scott Fitzgerald story, with a plot typical of Maugham; filing this one under Maugham-light.
13) Face - A spine-chilling tale of lovers "thwarted by a malign star." A star that went by the name of race.
14) Atlantis - A travelogue on the fabled Atlantis, this is the longest story here, and I vacillated between interest and boredom. It sounds like a mishmash of H.G. Wells's The Time Machine and The Country of the Blind. And it sounds like Crowley wasn't going science fiction on us here, I think he really believed this stuff. Oh, and it ends somewhat like A Canticle for Leibowitz.
15) The Mysterious Malady - A story so predictable, you'll know how it unfolds by the second page. Which of course, only makes you keep going...
16) Black and Silver - Another tidy tale that seems filched from Maugham--Maugham-light.
17) The Humour of Pauline Pepper - Funny! This would have made an ideal Chaplin silent movie.
18) A Nativity - The end leaves a disturbing visual. Especially since the probability of this occurring in families of the same demographic is high.
19) Every Precaution - A cautionary tale on absinthe. And then some.
20) God's Journey - Reads like an unabridged, unsanitized Grimm's fairy tale, spliced with the gothic touch of Isak Dinesen.
21) Colonel Pacton's Brother - Crowley writes Kipling fare. Or so it looks to me.
22) As You Were - Again, this reads like a Kipling tale.
23) Only a Dog - Now here we have what sounds like a melancholic short story, from his earlier selections, by Anton Chekhov!
24) The Escape - Exasperating read, with an ending I didn't expect, and which made the read worthwhile. Again, it felt like Crowley was in Kipling territory here.
September 11, 2022
Finally finished this 600 page plus monster. 49 short stories. It was hard to get through at times with the amount of stories and pages because Crowley is a strange guy and a strange writer. Some of the longest stories are completely boring which wasn't good and others are just there, overall it's a mess of hit and miss. Highlights ~ "The Wake World" "The Drug" " The Dream Circean" "Illusion d'Amoureux" "The Electric Silence" "The Ordeal of Ida Pendragon" "His Secret Sin" "The Testament of Magdalen Blair" "The Stratagem" "The Chute" "Face" "The Bald Man" "God's Journey" and "A Masque".
September 22, 2017
Unlike Crowley's other writings, the stories collected here are mostly tediously boring; it was only with great effort that I even managed to finish reading this book. Perhaps they were all meant to be read on a symbolical level. Taken at face value, it's a total snoozefest.
February 23, 2013
I haven't actually finished, but life's too short to carry on reading bad books.
May 18, 2022
Like Max Rockatansky, who was only there for the gasoline, I was only here for the sensational stuff. I wanted the fantastic and the shocking, the proselytising for his -admittedly entertaining- religion of Thelema, the examples of 'Do what though wilt', the Satanic. All the Out There Shit. I wanted the reasons for Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum!
Which, in this 600+ page collection of the man's stories, meant for quite a bit of skimming... where I didn't outright skip. Because there is a lot of material here that is none of those things, being -nowadays- fairly clichéd Tales of the Unexpected... um... tales, 'comedy' murder mysteries, or just Mysteries full stop - and almost all of them told in variations of an authorial voice that can sometimes be irritatingly smug and Holier Than Though (not surprising from a man who founded his own faith).
But there are nuggets of interest to shallow souls such as I: Ambrosii Magi Hortus Rosarum (bonkers Rosicrucian symbolism); The Wake World (very Vathek); The Stone of the Philosophers (an excuse for free-thinking poetry); the eponymous The Drug (the detailing of a bad trip... or is it a vision?); The Ordeal of Ida Pendragon (a likely acolyte stumbles when the wrong type of love becomes a feature); Across the Gulf (more Vathek-a-like); The Testament of Magdalen Blair (the truly horrific and disgusting visions encapsulated in a near death experience - probably the best thing here and a story that Lovecraft himself would surely have lauded); Felo de Se (the logical condoning of suicide); and Atlantis (interesting world building that, today, would provide the background notes for an epic Fantasy).
So, as a whole, only recommended for the scholar of such turn-of-the-century tales, or for those fascinated by Crowley himself. Otherwise, seek out the above on their own to save on wading.
Which, in this 600+ page collection of the man's stories, meant for quite a bit of skimming... where I didn't outright skip. Because there is a lot of material here that is none of those things, being -nowadays- fairly clichéd Tales of the Unexpected... um... tales, 'comedy' murder mysteries, or just Mysteries full stop - and almost all of them told in variations of an authorial voice that can sometimes be irritatingly smug and Holier Than Though (not surprising from a man who founded his own faith).
But there are nuggets of interest to shallow souls such as I: Ambrosii Magi Hortus Rosarum (bonkers Rosicrucian symbolism); The Wake World (very Vathek); The Stone of the Philosophers (an excuse for free-thinking poetry); the eponymous The Drug (the detailing of a bad trip... or is it a vision?); The Ordeal of Ida Pendragon (a likely acolyte stumbles when the wrong type of love becomes a feature); Across the Gulf (more Vathek-a-like); The Testament of Magdalen Blair (the truly horrific and disgusting visions encapsulated in a near death experience - probably the best thing here and a story that Lovecraft himself would surely have lauded); Felo de Se (the logical condoning of suicide); and Atlantis (interesting world building that, today, would provide the background notes for an epic Fantasy).
So, as a whole, only recommended for the scholar of such turn-of-the-century tales, or for those fascinated by Crowley himself. Otherwise, seek out the above on their own to save on wading.
May 18, 2018
So this may be a low rating, but "it's ok", just like goodreads describes the 2-stars. It is a short story collection, which is not my favourite thing to read, mainly because it jumps around so quickly in content and quality.
First of all, Crowley's writing is beautiful, definitely made me want to read some passages out loud. He is also quite funny, snarky and creative with his story-telling, trying a few different things in this over-40 story book. However, his writing can also be a bit confusing at times. The fact that some of the stories also meander made me lose track and focus quite frequently, especially in the second half of the book.
My favourite stories although, and the ones I think I will reread often are:
- The Three Characteristics;
- The Wake World;
- T'ien Tao;
- The Stone of the Philosophers (the poetry in this story was so beautiful!);
- The Soul-Hunter;
- The Testament of Magdalen Blair;
- Felo de Se;
- Face;
- The Bald Man;
- God's Journey;
- The Colour of My Eyes;
- Dedit.
Please be aware that there's a LOT of sensitive topics discussed in this book... And I hope that whomever picks up a Crowley book is well prepared for it. Suicide, paedophilia, violence, murder, rape... He can also be quite sexist. He is mostly unconventional though, going against certain societal norms and institutions, like the Church. He speaks in a lot of symbolism, so probably someone who knows more of the Kabbalah, Egyptian mythos, Masonic symbolism, etc, will follow him better. The stories more heavy on that are nonetheless interesting, and they really give you chills and a certain pound in your heart. At least they did for me! They are weird though, there's no escaping that. Crowley was the weirdest. He even got expelled from his order for being too out there.
I would recommend this to whomever likes beautiful, symbolic and witty writing! I would especially advise you to read some of those stories I mentioned above, to get a taste. I don't think this book needed so many, personally.
First of all, Crowley's writing is beautiful, definitely made me want to read some passages out loud. He is also quite funny, snarky and creative with his story-telling, trying a few different things in this over-40 story book. However, his writing can also be a bit confusing at times. The fact that some of the stories also meander made me lose track and focus quite frequently, especially in the second half of the book.
My favourite stories although, and the ones I think I will reread often are:
- The Three Characteristics;
- The Wake World;
- T'ien Tao;
- The Stone of the Philosophers (the poetry in this story was so beautiful!);
- The Soul-Hunter;
- The Testament of Magdalen Blair;
- Felo de Se;
- Face;
- The Bald Man;
- God's Journey;
- The Colour of My Eyes;
- Dedit.
Please be aware that there's a LOT of sensitive topics discussed in this book... And I hope that whomever picks up a Crowley book is well prepared for it. Suicide, paedophilia, violence, murder, rape... He can also be quite sexist. He is mostly unconventional though, going against certain societal norms and institutions, like the Church. He speaks in a lot of symbolism, so probably someone who knows more of the Kabbalah, Egyptian mythos, Masonic symbolism, etc, will follow him better. The stories more heavy on that are nonetheless interesting, and they really give you chills and a certain pound in your heart. At least they did for me! They are weird though, there's no escaping that. Crowley was the weirdest. He even got expelled from his order for being too out there.
I would recommend this to whomever likes beautiful, symbolic and witty writing! I would especially advise you to read some of those stories I mentioned above, to get a taste. I don't think this book needed so many, personally.
March 14, 2016
The 49 short stories in this thick collection of Crowley-penned fiction are as diverse and weird as the interests of the man himself. Mostly self-published or unpublished in Crowley's lifetime, the authorship spans the years from 1902 to 1921, a period of time that saw the Great Beast's fortunes waver increasingly for the worse. It's easy to imagine that some of these tales were written to earn a few dollars or pounds, which makes them even more interesting. Subject matter ranges from puckish satires on his peers (not unlike the kind of fiction one might read in old science fiction fanzines) to competently written contes cruels about the ironic, tragic outcomes of well laid plans. There's even one unlikely story of wartime heroism. A few tales -- The Stratagem and The Drug among them -- are quite good. The notes by William Breeze provide excellent context for some of the more obscure references, allusions, and literary masks worn by various characters based on real people. The most common unifying theme throughout the volume is a deep, amused contempt for conventional religion and societal mores, the very attitudes that got Crowley named the wickedest man in the world, but which here make him seem like he must have been great company when he wasn't trying to acquire your bank account.
March 11, 2018
Passably good tales of the macabre in the vein of Poe, Lovecraft and Machen with heavy doses of English wit.
Could have used a bit more editorial discretion. At nearly 600 pages, it feels a little overburdened. The parable-like tales that Crowley considered part of his magick teachings could have easily been cut. They feel a bit out of place here and would have made a nice little collection on their own. Likewise, a couple of longer "novellas" (like "Ercildoune") could have been spun off into a nice little separate collection as well.
Could have used a bit more editorial discretion. At nearly 600 pages, it feels a little overburdened. The parable-like tales that Crowley considered part of his magick teachings could have easily been cut. They feel a bit out of place here and would have made a nice little collection on their own. Likewise, a couple of longer "novellas" (like "Ercildoune") could have been spun off into a nice little separate collection as well.
January 11, 2012
Well I had only previously read "The Moonchild" by Crowley, and I enjoyed it, yet I wasn't quite sure what to expect of these. I have to say for me this was a fascinating ride... not an easy one, I will admit, as his writing style seemed to be quite particular and sometimes a bit hard to follow, but more often than not the effort was worth it. The stories are smart and very different from almost everything I have ever read, the man was a surprisingly good author who knew quite well how to play with the readers expectations.
I particularly liked the way in which the endings, much of the time, seemed to be predictable, but frequently would turn out to be something completely different from what we had anticipated, and in the few instances where we, in fact are right (it only happened once, in the story "Ercildoune", which nonetheless to me was one of the best) the means by which it arrives is satisfactory unexpected.
Interestingly enough the stuff most people remember about Crowley (the father of Magik with a "k" instead of a "c", and all that) was what more often would throw me off some stories. When he uses the occult to give some flavour to the narrative it is a nice and unique touch, but when he bases a tale entirely around occult stuff (yes, it's a technical term, look it up)...well...they might be good, but they sure do fly over my head, so I couldn't really say.
Yet my favourite aspect of most of these tales is the humour. In some it is more pronounced, in others delightfully hidden and, in a few, only obvious in the very last sentences, where the reader realizes that he was, in fact, the but of a joke and just fell for a "shaggy dog story", and will laugh at himself. No matter what there is always a fine amount of wit, combined whit a very critical outlook on society which I found refreshing.
I particularly liked the way in which the endings, much of the time, seemed to be predictable, but frequently would turn out to be something completely different from what we had anticipated, and in the few instances where we, in fact are right (it only happened once, in the story "Ercildoune", which nonetheless to me was one of the best) the means by which it arrives is satisfactory unexpected.
Interestingly enough the stuff most people remember about Crowley (the father of Magik with a "k" instead of a "c", and all that) was what more often would throw me off some stories. When he uses the occult to give some flavour to the narrative it is a nice and unique touch, but when he bases a tale entirely around occult stuff (yes, it's a technical term, look it up)...well...they might be good, but they sure do fly over my head, so I couldn't really say.
Yet my favourite aspect of most of these tales is the humour. In some it is more pronounced, in others delightfully hidden and, in a few, only obvious in the very last sentences, where the reader realizes that he was, in fact, the but of a joke and just fell for a "shaggy dog story", and will laugh at himself. No matter what there is always a fine amount of wit, combined whit a very critical outlook on society which I found refreshing.
April 26, 2018
It pays to know the religious philosophies of Aleister Crowley before embarking on his fiction, if only just to understand his preoccupation with runes, numerology, stars and mystic traditions from the far less western patches of the globe. His account of Atlantis is deeply rooted in this, albeit in this instance, Crowley is creating his own mythology, ecology and culture, heavily based on his incredibly vast knowledge of magickal or occult practices of the ancient world. On the flip side, stories such as "The Account of Magdalen Blair" are straight, simple horror tales that can be digested easily in one sitting, and mirror the works of Lovecraft, albeit with the presence, even narration, of female characters, writen with a finer finesse than Lovecraft ever managed.
One oddity in the updated volume is "Ambrosii Magi Hortus Rosarum" - Crowley had an unheard of capacity to retain information, particularly numbers and symbols and their origins, and reading these passages, as they are written in Biblical-style verse, is much like exploring the spells and conjugations to be found in his catalogues of magick.
There is much to be surprised about by Aleister Crowley; he was a traveler, an explorer, he was with the one of the first expeditions to attempt to surmount K2, and he wrote fiction. He is thought of as a dark or wicked character, mostly by his stiff-upper-lipped English critics, but others remember him as jovial, savagely humorous and extraordinarily intelligent. In keeping with his obscure persona, it is strangely within his fiction that one feels the closest to knowing the real Aleister Crowley.
One oddity in the updated volume is "Ambrosii Magi Hortus Rosarum" - Crowley had an unheard of capacity to retain information, particularly numbers and symbols and their origins, and reading these passages, as they are written in Biblical-style verse, is much like exploring the spells and conjugations to be found in his catalogues of magick.
There is much to be surprised about by Aleister Crowley; he was a traveler, an explorer, he was with the one of the first expeditions to attempt to surmount K2, and he wrote fiction. He is thought of as a dark or wicked character, mostly by his stiff-upper-lipped English critics, but others remember him as jovial, savagely humorous and extraordinarily intelligent. In keeping with his obscure persona, it is strangely within his fiction that one feels the closest to knowing the real Aleister Crowley.
June 29, 2019
G.K. Chesterton was fond of pointing out that man is a paradox, and I can think of no man more paradoxical than Aleister Crowley. He was arrogant, privileged, sadistic, iconoclastic, spoiled, intemperate, insecure, and reactionary. He was also highly educated, an accomplished mountain climber, and wrote with brilliant clarity and insight on such topics as occultism, yoga, and astrology. Alas, in his works of fiction, his reach very much exceeds his grasp. He was highly anxious to be regarded as not only a great writer, but an important one, and (absurdly) declared himself superior to Yeats in poetry. But, perhaps as a result of trying far too hard, the short stories in this collection are dense, turgid, and — as I'm sure Crowley would regard as the greatest possible insult — boring.
There are a few exceptions. When he's dealing symbolically with occult truths, there is some value for those who can be bothered to decode them, and I'm personally quite fond of the short "Felo de Se" (more an essay than a story, really). Apart from that, there is little to entertain even someone like me who is generally sympathetic to Crowley's writing. It only goes to show that genius in one field does not extend to another, and that even the very talented are capable of blindness to their own inadequacies.
There are a few exceptions. When he's dealing symbolically with occult truths, there is some value for those who can be bothered to decode them, and I'm personally quite fond of the short "Felo de Se" (more an essay than a story, really). Apart from that, there is little to entertain even someone like me who is generally sympathetic to Crowley's writing. It only goes to show that genius in one field does not extend to another, and that even the very talented are capable of blindness to their own inadequacies.
May 7, 2017
Очень интересные и необычные рассказы. В «Кокаине» автор настаивает на том, чтобы узаконить и свободно распространять кокаин – источник счастья и вдохновения, ибо запретами мы ничего не изменим и не добьемся. Если же после всего этого ничего не изменится – позвольте людям травить себя, большего они не заслужили. Несколько цинично, но вполне справедливо.
Еще несколько рассказов – «После грехопадения» - сифилис, сказал сатана и вылез из Евы :),
«Флотские нужды» - как капитан отрубил член своего любовника за измену и подавал его к столу как креветки.
«Всего лишь собака» - просто очень впечатлил – воспроизведение мыслей человека, который решил отомстить за убийство щенка. Последнее предложение: «я не забуду Джока до конца своих дней, хотя никогда его не видел, и если Господь не отомстит за него, тогда это сделаю я. Всего лишь собака!». Сильно.
Еще несколько рассказов – «После грехопадения» - сифилис, сказал сатана и вылез из Евы :),
«Флотские нужды» - как капитан отрубил член своего любовника за измену и подавал его к столу как креветки.
«Всего лишь собака» - просто очень впечатлил – воспроизведение мыслей человека, который решил отомстить за убийство щенка. Последнее предложение: «я не забуду Джока до конца своих дней, хотя никогда его не видел, и если Господь не отомстит за него, тогда это сделаю я. Всего лишь собака!». Сильно.
April 20, 2021
Mr. Crowley, what went on in your head?
Oh Mr. Crowley, did you talk to the dead?
Your lifestyle to me seemed so tragic
With the thrill of it all
You fooled all the people with magic
Yeah, you waited on Satan's call
If these lyrics rings a bell you are most likely to know aleister Crowley and have some idea of who he was. Born in 1875 Aleister Crowley would be one of those late 19th and early 20th century spiritualists that propped up in the western hemisphere of the day. Ouija boards, seances, pseudo scientific concepts on healing, ley lines, geometric powers and crystals, mangled interpretations of Hinduism and Buddhism, wicca, Odinism and satanism. All of which had a distinct appeal to middle class and upper class society who, as the communal power of the church waned, where looking for answers and found the allure of forbidden secret knowledge tempting. Unlike HP Lovecraft who would see danger lurking in this and created his cosmic horror that was but lurking behind the façade of peaceful assembly, Aleister Crowley was right at the forefront of it all.
This isn’t a biography I am writing here but I think a few key points should be mentioned; he was member of several esoteric societies such as the golden dawn order and the ordo templi orientis where he actively sought leadership roles. In 1904, while on honeymoon in Egypt he claimed to have been contacted by an entity he called Aiwass to lead those willing to the eon of Horus. With his wife Rose Edith Kelly he wrote “the book of law” with its core message “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law"” to achieve this eon of Horus. For the rest of life he would go out and found or mingle to promote his spiritualist inspired libertine lifestyle which involved free sexuality, recreational drug use and disregard for the conventional norms of his time.
Unfortunately if one is interested in comparing his short stories to his esoteric works, one has to do it on his own. Besides the short introduction the editor chose to not comment on Crowley’s life work and this harms the value of this bundle in my opinion. How can you read across the gulf about a priest in the 26th dynasty of ancient Egypt who founds a cult and not wonder to what extent Crowley had his own life in mind. Is it really meaningful to read the drug and not reflect on his own use of hallucinatory substances? But these questions aren’t answered here nor do we get any real insights in the audience he was writing these stories for.
So what about the stories? Well to be perfectly honest, I did not like most of them. The ones I genuinely liked where, the titular story “the drug” “cancer?” “Felo De Se” and a couple which I kinda liked “Across the gulf” “god’s journey” “the wake world” but most I found to be lacking in some form off another. To my experience, Crowley is highly inconsistent with what I don’t like. Some have ideas that are interesting but the tone is off, some have great built up but a terrible payoff, some the pacing is all over the place while others are dreadfully boring (something I would never have expected from this man). Something that is consistent, is that Crowley wanted to comment on society and politics but does so more often than not in a tiresome convoluted way. His insistence on a bigger picture for stories consisting off on average 4 to 7 pages is wasted effort that never comes to fruition. The three stories I liked best stick to a few characters, have a point that is gently introduced and delivered with finesse. Most that I don’t like manage to drag on way beyond their welcome stay (quite an achievement given their low number of pages really).
Some little odd things. The most casual use of heroin I even read, just pour some in a drink to get up and at it after work. A bit of antisemitism here and there. Phrases that make little sense to a modern audience such as “ than Burmans and Kachens and Shans in their Buddhist hatred of all living men” ehm.. What is that all about? I guess that Crowley picked up on some colonial propaganda on Birma. But, you ask, what about Satan? Well yes one would expect a bit of the diabolical in here right but no. With exception of a few stories , most notably “the argument that took the wrong turning” there are few devils or Satan to be found here. In one story, Felo De Se does one find the magic words of ““Do what thou wilt” and does one get a glimpse of how most likely perceived himself, namely rescuing a youn man about to commit suicide by power of his words and offer of true mental liberty from the stifling grip of societal norms.
So what to make of this? Well I would recommend this to people who want to do a study on the man and his ideology, how does his esoteric work in the book of law compare to the characters and plots in these short stories. But you will have to do it yourself and I would recommend a solid background in the literature of the time and the spiritualist movement that sprouted new age in later years. One would never believe that this man had anything to do with anything esoteric based on this bundle and that is both intriguing and disappointing because in all honestly that makes the bundle a lot less worthwhile with exception of a few in the whole bunch.
So yeah, what went on in your head mr Crowley? I still don’t quite know.
Play on Ozzy, play on.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3Lvh...
Ps
A French graphic novel series called Requiem the vampire knight features Aleister Crowley as the prime minister of a satanic vampire state in hell. It is more clever then you would expect.
https://theevilsnest.com/english/requ...
Oh Mr. Crowley, did you talk to the dead?
Your lifestyle to me seemed so tragic
With the thrill of it all
You fooled all the people with magic
Yeah, you waited on Satan's call
If these lyrics rings a bell you are most likely to know aleister Crowley and have some idea of who he was. Born in 1875 Aleister Crowley would be one of those late 19th and early 20th century spiritualists that propped up in the western hemisphere of the day. Ouija boards, seances, pseudo scientific concepts on healing, ley lines, geometric powers and crystals, mangled interpretations of Hinduism and Buddhism, wicca, Odinism and satanism. All of which had a distinct appeal to middle class and upper class society who, as the communal power of the church waned, where looking for answers and found the allure of forbidden secret knowledge tempting. Unlike HP Lovecraft who would see danger lurking in this and created his cosmic horror that was but lurking behind the façade of peaceful assembly, Aleister Crowley was right at the forefront of it all.
This isn’t a biography I am writing here but I think a few key points should be mentioned; he was member of several esoteric societies such as the golden dawn order and the ordo templi orientis where he actively sought leadership roles. In 1904, while on honeymoon in Egypt he claimed to have been contacted by an entity he called Aiwass to lead those willing to the eon of Horus. With his wife Rose Edith Kelly he wrote “the book of law” with its core message “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law"” to achieve this eon of Horus. For the rest of life he would go out and found or mingle to promote his spiritualist inspired libertine lifestyle which involved free sexuality, recreational drug use and disregard for the conventional norms of his time.
Unfortunately if one is interested in comparing his short stories to his esoteric works, one has to do it on his own. Besides the short introduction the editor chose to not comment on Crowley’s life work and this harms the value of this bundle in my opinion. How can you read across the gulf about a priest in the 26th dynasty of ancient Egypt who founds a cult and not wonder to what extent Crowley had his own life in mind. Is it really meaningful to read the drug and not reflect on his own use of hallucinatory substances? But these questions aren’t answered here nor do we get any real insights in the audience he was writing these stories for.
So what about the stories? Well to be perfectly honest, I did not like most of them. The ones I genuinely liked where, the titular story “the drug” “cancer?” “Felo De Se” and a couple which I kinda liked “Across the gulf” “god’s journey” “the wake world” but most I found to be lacking in some form off another. To my experience, Crowley is highly inconsistent with what I don’t like. Some have ideas that are interesting but the tone is off, some have great built up but a terrible payoff, some the pacing is all over the place while others are dreadfully boring (something I would never have expected from this man). Something that is consistent, is that Crowley wanted to comment on society and politics but does so more often than not in a tiresome convoluted way. His insistence on a bigger picture for stories consisting off on average 4 to 7 pages is wasted effort that never comes to fruition. The three stories I liked best stick to a few characters, have a point that is gently introduced and delivered with finesse. Most that I don’t like manage to drag on way beyond their welcome stay (quite an achievement given their low number of pages really).
Some little odd things. The most casual use of heroin I even read, just pour some in a drink to get up and at it after work. A bit of antisemitism here and there. Phrases that make little sense to a modern audience such as “ than Burmans and Kachens and Shans in their Buddhist hatred of all living men” ehm.. What is that all about? I guess that Crowley picked up on some colonial propaganda on Birma. But, you ask, what about Satan? Well yes one would expect a bit of the diabolical in here right but no. With exception of a few stories , most notably “the argument that took the wrong turning” there are few devils or Satan to be found here. In one story, Felo De Se does one find the magic words of ““Do what thou wilt” and does one get a glimpse of how most likely perceived himself, namely rescuing a youn man about to commit suicide by power of his words and offer of true mental liberty from the stifling grip of societal norms.
So what to make of this? Well I would recommend this to people who want to do a study on the man and his ideology, how does his esoteric work in the book of law compare to the characters and plots in these short stories. But you will have to do it yourself and I would recommend a solid background in the literature of the time and the spiritualist movement that sprouted new age in later years. One would never believe that this man had anything to do with anything esoteric based on this bundle and that is both intriguing and disappointing because in all honestly that makes the bundle a lot less worthwhile with exception of a few in the whole bunch.
So yeah, what went on in your head mr Crowley? I still don’t quite know.
Play on Ozzy, play on.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3Lvh...
Ps
A French graphic novel series called Requiem the vampire knight features Aleister Crowley as the prime minister of a satanic vampire state in hell. It is more clever then you would expect.
https://theevilsnest.com/english/requ...
Want to read
August 23, 2010Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!! At long, breathlessly anticipated, last! Bill Breeze (OHO Hymanaeus Beta, for those of you who are not familiar with the OTO) has finished editing this collection of Aleister Crowley's short fiction – and it also features a foreword by David Tibet of Current 93!!! Can't wait to get this in my mail…
March 17, 2017
Some stories are difficult to read and seem to drag slightly while others are entertaining and well written. I enjoyed Crowley's style and occasional twist endings. A good idea would be to mix the stories with another book of short stories to avoid monotony, but still a worthwhile read.
Love these Wordsworth Press books.
Love these Wordsworth Press books.
March 19, 2019
Currently reading and so far i read 4 stories, wasn't easy. For The Drug, dang! i must be honest i took mitragyna speciosa just to stay focus while being high reading about anhalorium lewinii. Sheesh. i need a break
June 10, 2013
What an astounding poet! The short stories were better then "good enough", but it was the use of rhythm or meter in the poetry that made this such great read for me.
September 19, 2014
I couldn't get through this and having to "get through it" is reason enough not to. That said I may dip into it again at some stage.
June 12, 2017
How can someone with such a remarkable life write about it in such a dull and lackluster way? Two stars out of generosity.
Read
May 29, 2018Bad fantasy + Christian imagery = literarure I guess?
August 6, 2019
This review was previously posted on the Side Real Press website in 2011.
'How many words and how many quid?' I asked him as a business poet should. Fifty pounds, said he; I'll trust you to do your best; your wit must tell you how long to make it.
(from 'Robbing Miss Horniman')
Some readers of my other reviews may think that I have implied that some books are a little slim for the outlay- a criticism that can scarcely be applied to this bumper tome. So thus there is no room for complaint? Or is there...
Crowley needs no introduction but his fiction is relatively unknown bar some tales appearing in anthologies by the likes of Peter Haining and Michel Parry. This gathers together virtually everything he wrote in the field including a stash of unpublished works but (sadly) excluding his psychic detective 'Simon Iff' tales.
If there are books in which the maxim "less is more", applies then this is definitely a candidate. Whilst there are some good (for few are really great) tales such as 'The Testament of Madalaine Blair', 'At the Fork In The Roads'(both occult tales), 'Only a Dog' (a strange poignant offering), and 'The Bald Man' (a WWI story), much the remainder is pure hack work and shows Crowley at his worst.
By this I mean that some editorial pruning both of the prose and/or the plotting (though in some tales there is no plot of much sort to prune) would have made the individual stories stronger, and thus made the collection as a whole more readable. I struggled through some of his early mystical/allegorical tales and almost lost the will to live as I plodded through the overlong and seemingly meandering novella 'Atlantis'. The famous Crowley wit seems pretty absent from this collection, unless you count the pastiches of various personalities such as A. E Waite who he had scores to settle with, or find 'amusement' by Crowley's jolly jape of his naming of an Austrian General 'Graf von Donner u. Blitzen'. Even accounting for the fact that many of the tales were written during WWI and thus; one assumes, intended to be marketed as morale boosters, Crowley comes over as a misogynist and snob. Germans are dull beasts and all Americans are slaves of Mammon, whereas yer Brits are square jawed heroes of Empire, more often than not Oxford men of 'good breeding'. I could imagine some cunning academic undertaking a thesis to prove that Crowley is actually satirizing the society that he was born into but one gets the sense that Crowley, in his fiction as well as his life, didn't want to bite the hand that feeds him too hard; and there is that 'fifty pounds' payment to consider...
And yet there are moments when he turns a neat phrase or the undoubted vigour, with which he write, is honed and refined, perhaps shown to best advantage in 'Felo de Se' in which the narrator (Crowley himself) engages with a young man contemplating suicide. Sadly it is immediately followed by the tripe of 'The Argument that Took the Wrong Turning' which takes some of the joy out of 'Felo...' as one realizes that ,once again, we are back to the chaff that is sadly the majority of this book.
The introduction by William Breeze is good and there are some useful end-notes to the tales themselves but Crowleys reputation would be far better served by a 'best of' volume though one can scarcely begrudge this volume on cost. But in comparison to the similar priced Le Fanus' 'Wylders Hand' which I review elsewhere, this falls far short of an enjoyable read and I know where I would put my money.
'How many words and how many quid?' I asked him as a business poet should. Fifty pounds, said he; I'll trust you to do your best; your wit must tell you how long to make it.
(from 'Robbing Miss Horniman')
Some readers of my other reviews may think that I have implied that some books are a little slim for the outlay- a criticism that can scarcely be applied to this bumper tome. So thus there is no room for complaint? Or is there...
Crowley needs no introduction but his fiction is relatively unknown bar some tales appearing in anthologies by the likes of Peter Haining and Michel Parry. This gathers together virtually everything he wrote in the field including a stash of unpublished works but (sadly) excluding his psychic detective 'Simon Iff' tales.
If there are books in which the maxim "less is more", applies then this is definitely a candidate. Whilst there are some good (for few are really great) tales such as 'The Testament of Madalaine Blair', 'At the Fork In The Roads'(both occult tales), 'Only a Dog' (a strange poignant offering), and 'The Bald Man' (a WWI story), much the remainder is pure hack work and shows Crowley at his worst.
By this I mean that some editorial pruning both of the prose and/or the plotting (though in some tales there is no plot of much sort to prune) would have made the individual stories stronger, and thus made the collection as a whole more readable. I struggled through some of his early mystical/allegorical tales and almost lost the will to live as I plodded through the overlong and seemingly meandering novella 'Atlantis'. The famous Crowley wit seems pretty absent from this collection, unless you count the pastiches of various personalities such as A. E Waite who he had scores to settle with, or find 'amusement' by Crowley's jolly jape of his naming of an Austrian General 'Graf von Donner u. Blitzen'. Even accounting for the fact that many of the tales were written during WWI and thus; one assumes, intended to be marketed as morale boosters, Crowley comes over as a misogynist and snob. Germans are dull beasts and all Americans are slaves of Mammon, whereas yer Brits are square jawed heroes of Empire, more often than not Oxford men of 'good breeding'. I could imagine some cunning academic undertaking a thesis to prove that Crowley is actually satirizing the society that he was born into but one gets the sense that Crowley, in his fiction as well as his life, didn't want to bite the hand that feeds him too hard; and there is that 'fifty pounds' payment to consider...
And yet there are moments when he turns a neat phrase or the undoubted vigour, with which he write, is honed and refined, perhaps shown to best advantage in 'Felo de Se' in which the narrator (Crowley himself) engages with a young man contemplating suicide. Sadly it is immediately followed by the tripe of 'The Argument that Took the Wrong Turning' which takes some of the joy out of 'Felo...' as one realizes that ,once again, we are back to the chaff that is sadly the majority of this book.
The introduction by William Breeze is good and there are some useful end-notes to the tales themselves but Crowleys reputation would be far better served by a 'best of' volume though one can scarcely begrudge this volume on cost. But in comparison to the similar priced Le Fanus' 'Wylders Hand' which I review elsewhere, this falls far short of an enjoyable read and I know where I would put my money.
June 10, 2020
This gets 3 stars for The Testament of Magdalen Blair and a few other stories sprinkled through the collection. Crowley is at his best when he speaks of the mystical and fantastical but more often focuses on the kind of English city drudgery that is hard for me to care about when written tightly but is quite impossible to pay attention to with his tendency toward the prosaic. This should have been about 200 pages lighter and you can see from the notes at the back that many of these stories were never meant to be read but seem to be Crowley’s personal musings about and for friends. You frequently finish a story and feel like you weren’t in on the joke and it gets pretty tiring by the end where there are about 100 pages of very silly, very generally boring pieces.
November 5, 2019
One of the greatest collection of stories i have had the pleasure to read. I was drawn to Crowley due to the history of his sexual liberation, occult ideas, and generally being yourself with the Do What You Wilt ethos. I was not disappointed. The stories and poetry is so complex and masterly i struggled to finish the book in less that six months as it transformed my mind and showed me how great and transgressive language can be.
December 3, 2019
Oh Aleister... I love how immensely ridiculous your life system has been, and I indeed had fun with these stories, as with almost anything you've written. Nevertheless, you have been a problematic individual, and certainly helped tip the people in the margins to fall in some problematic behavioral systems as well. Ambitious writing, but too obscene for its own good.
January 2, 2021
To be honest I didn't finish this book and only got to like, page 400, and I'm impressed I got that far because of how terrible these short stories are. Racist, sexist and uncomfortable (and not in the good way). Not surprising since Crowley is a literal cult leader WHICH I didn't know when an ex would read these to me as bedtime stories. There is one really well written and interesting short story in this collection called the "The Wake World" - you can find it for free online.
August 13, 2021
Interesting but a little hard to concentrate on what he's saying in his book. I don't know if this makes sense for anyone else, but I can't explain it any better. It's interesting but not intwenought to keep my mind from distracting.
January 7, 2022
While it had its moments, overall it is an amazingly tedious collection of stories to read, an absolute bore in places. Crowley was not as good of a poet as he thought he was, and the same goes for his short stories.
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