Śledztwa Simona Iffa

by Aleister Crowley, Krzysztof Grudnik (Translator), Krzysztof Azarewicz (Translator)

A wonderfully entertaining series of detective stories, featuring the Daoist mystic and psychologist Simon Iff, who solves crimes by probing hearts and minds. "Simple Simon," an idealization of Crowley in old age, sees through the complexities of human misdeeds, from murder to bank theft, to the plain truth behind them. The characters and themes in The Scrutinies of Simon Iff were the basis for Crowley's famous novel of Magick and Intrigue, Moonchild.

Genres: Fiction

194 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Aleister 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.

Reviews

[Paul Smith · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible book. It kind of lures you in in the first couple of stories, which, although not great, have some wit in the dialogue, and i suppose i like the overall idea of them that motive and psychology could be more important in solving crimes than Sherlock Holmes clues. However, the psychology described by Crowley is never very convincing and worse than that, he very quickly runs out of ideas for plots and fills the absence with things i suppose he thinks will excite readers for their shock value. But even considering the ultimate lack of imagination, i might have still given the book a better review (the early stories sometimes made me smile, after all--but cleverness is expended as quickly as plot), except for the fact the the second to last story is the vilest, most repugnant, racist, sexist claptrap that i have ever read in print. perhaps you expect Crowley to be broadminded and counter-cultute due to his reputation, but don't be fooled. he proves himself to have completely conventional points of view from the time period that led people to the gas chambers a generation later. Please, spare yourself having to read such garbage and consign this morally execrable man to the dung heap where he belongs.

[Will · Rating 2 out of 5]

Crowley’s ego running riot.

[Χρήστος Δούκας · Rating 5 out of 5]

Teitan Press, 1987. Hardcover.