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Щоденник наркомана
Культовий англійський письменник, поет, містик і церемоніальний маг, засновник релігійної філософії Телеми, астролог, художник, альпініст та шахіст Алістер Кроулі (1875—1947) і сьогодні залишається знаковою постаттю. 2002 року Бі-бі-сі назвала його 73-м найвпливовішим британцем усіх часів.
«Щоденник наркомана» — автобіографічний роман автора, який уперше вийшов друком 1922 року й відтоді його перевидавали понад 40 разів. Тогочасні газети одразу охрестили його «книгою, яку треба спалити». Щоденник відкриває читачеві поета, коханця та загадкового містика, яким був Алістер Кроулі.
«Щоденник наркомана» — автобіографічний роман автора, який уперше вийшов друком 1922 року й відтоді його перевидавали понад 40 разів. Тогочасні газети одразу охрестили його «книгою, яку треба спалити». Щоденник відкриває читачеві поета, коханця та загадкового містика, яким був Алістер Кроулі.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1922
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About the author
Aleister Crowley
859 books1,867 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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews
September 27, 2011
Reading this was a visceral experience. It's description of the depths of addiction and psychosis was gut wrenching and because it was so nuanced, strange and terrifying it seems clearly to have sprung from Crowley's own experience. The narration unexpectedly switched between the two main characters mid story from the arrogant and self centered "protagonist," Peter Pendragon, to the eminently more likeable Louise Laleham, who up until that point had been given about as much depth as a sports car Peter might have been obsessed with. This switching of perspectives was a saving grace for the book as Peter had already become a tiresome character and the surprising change of tone and perspective not only kept the story fresh, it reflected a bit more skill as an author than I had suspected from Crowley.
The book had a very entrancing tone and effectively drew me into it's strange logic and absurd meanderings, at times whimsical and almost slapstick in portraying the main character's sheltered and drug addled naivete, at times unabashedly glorifying the highs the characters were experiencing in lurid detail. People wouldn't do drugs if they weren't fun and this book certainly doesn't shy away from exploring the glamor of a cocaine binge or the transcendent euphoria of a heroin high. However, the depths of madness to which the characters plunge following their starry eyed honey moon with the drug and each other rounds out the portrayal in a most crucial way, giving this book perhaps it's most powerful and honest moments.
Contextually, this book was written as a means of raising funds for Crowley and attracting followers to his cosmology, Thelema. As a result it is often guilty of being sensationalistic to sell itself by virtue of controversy and taboo, as well as ultimately devolving into a cringe-worthy recruiting pamphlet for Crowley's mysticism, where he placed himself as the central prophetic figure. Crowley cast himself in the book as the cult mystic figure, King Lamus, who is portrayed as a shadowy figure in the London underground, but revealed to be a venerable sage with profound insight and a cadre of loyal followers who worship the ground he walks on. Crowley was many things, but humble certainly wasn't one. Taken with a grain of salt, the proselytizing moments are still quite fascinating in that they are some of the most straightforward presentations of Thelemic occultism one is likely to find. However, and this is important, this book feels very dangerous particularly to impressionable people because ultimately it IS a recruiting tool and it not only advocates the possibility of controlled use of hardcore drugs, it offers Crowley's cosmology as a means by which one CAN use hardcore drugs in a controlled way. Through that lens one can see how Crowley could earn the title "The Wickedest Man in the World" because it can easily be argued that this book seeks to encourage addictive behaviors while using the same behaviors as leverage to gain followers of Thelema.
Despite it's flaws (and Crowley's, which are many) this book is remarkably intriguing not only for Crowley's effective writing and keen insights into drug use, but also for the historical context, the window into occultism, and the sheer spectacle of audacity of one of the 20th century's most infamous figures.
The book had a very entrancing tone and effectively drew me into it's strange logic and absurd meanderings, at times whimsical and almost slapstick in portraying the main character's sheltered and drug addled naivete, at times unabashedly glorifying the highs the characters were experiencing in lurid detail. People wouldn't do drugs if they weren't fun and this book certainly doesn't shy away from exploring the glamor of a cocaine binge or the transcendent euphoria of a heroin high. However, the depths of madness to which the characters plunge following their starry eyed honey moon with the drug and each other rounds out the portrayal in a most crucial way, giving this book perhaps it's most powerful and honest moments.
Contextually, this book was written as a means of raising funds for Crowley and attracting followers to his cosmology, Thelema. As a result it is often guilty of being sensationalistic to sell itself by virtue of controversy and taboo, as well as ultimately devolving into a cringe-worthy recruiting pamphlet for Crowley's mysticism, where he placed himself as the central prophetic figure. Crowley cast himself in the book as the cult mystic figure, King Lamus, who is portrayed as a shadowy figure in the London underground, but revealed to be a venerable sage with profound insight and a cadre of loyal followers who worship the ground he walks on. Crowley was many things, but humble certainly wasn't one. Taken with a grain of salt, the proselytizing moments are still quite fascinating in that they are some of the most straightforward presentations of Thelemic occultism one is likely to find. However, and this is important, this book feels very dangerous particularly to impressionable people because ultimately it IS a recruiting tool and it not only advocates the possibility of controlled use of hardcore drugs, it offers Crowley's cosmology as a means by which one CAN use hardcore drugs in a controlled way. Through that lens one can see how Crowley could earn the title "The Wickedest Man in the World" because it can easily be argued that this book seeks to encourage addictive behaviors while using the same behaviors as leverage to gain followers of Thelema.
Despite it's flaws (and Crowley's, which are many) this book is remarkably intriguing not only for Crowley's effective writing and keen insights into drug use, but also for the historical context, the window into occultism, and the sheer spectacle of audacity of one of the 20th century's most infamous figures.
July 12, 2008
I read this book when I found out the man I was dating -- the first beautiful love of my life -- was addicted to a wide variety of illicit drugs. Then I sent it to him and became a feminist. Our relationship did not end so well, but still probably as well as it could have and now he runs a children's museum. I think.
October 12, 2010
This is one of the most amazing things i've ever read. It's a book about drugs and addiction, but it's also not about drugs at all. It's about why each of us is here, what we're supposed to do, and how to get it done. Incredibly beautiful, uplifting, and unique.
Crowley is so unique and completely un-corny about the way he describes his tenets--it made me think inwardly in an intense, positive way.
This uniqueness also spills over into the way he describes drugs, his characters, etc. Very beautiful
Crowley is so unique and completely un-corny about the way he describes his tenets--it made me think inwardly in an intense, positive way.
This uniqueness also spills over into the way he describes drugs, his characters, etc. Very beautiful
November 7, 2018
witty fun then despair
April 2, 2017
Not only is this among the first* reasonably honest examinations of "recreational" drug use, the consequences of addiction, and an avenue toward treatment, it also serves as a good narrative introduction to Crowley's conceptions of both Magick ("the art and science of causing change in conformity with will") and Thelema (from the Greek word for "will," used to denominate his particular religio-philisophical system). The prose, while remarkable, is perhaps just a smidgen turgid and Victorian—or perhaps Edwardian—for modern tastes, but suffers not greatly for that as it well fits the period of the story, which is presented in three sections parallel to Dante, though reordered: Paradiso, Inferno, Purgatorio. Segments of the story also provide some insight into what Crowley wanted the Abbey of Thelema at Cefalù (Sicily, Italy) to look like, given that it was published and presumably at least partly written during its operation, even if the reality of life there was markedly different. In that respect, I daresay the work was perhaps intended in part as a sort of long-form advertising brochure for the Abbey project, prior to his expulsion by Mussolini.
This particular trade-paperback edition—the 1985 seventh printing from Weiser, which still seems to be a relative commonplace of used book shops—is sturdily bound and attractively printed. It is perhaps a bit bulky for its mere 368 pages, but I suppose that means the paper is relatively high quality.
In all, I've found it entertaining and useful enough that I've had it checked out of the local O.T.O. library for something over a decade—long enough that they probably don't even have it properly catalogued—and it's about time that I finish this review, complete my notes, and return it. Thank goodness they don't use due dates!
*For a century-earlier example of the genre in nonfiction form, see Confessions of an English Opium-Eater, with which Crowley was almost certainly familiar.
This particular trade-paperback edition—the 1985 seventh printing from Weiser, which still seems to be a relative commonplace of used book shops—is sturdily bound and attractively printed. It is perhaps a bit bulky for its mere 368 pages, but I suppose that means the paper is relatively high quality.
In all, I've found it entertaining and useful enough that I've had it checked out of the local O.T.O. library for something over a decade—long enough that they probably don't even have it properly catalogued—and it's about time that I finish this review, complete my notes, and return it. Thank goodness they don't use due dates!
*For a century-earlier example of the genre in nonfiction form, see Confessions of an English Opium-Eater, with which Crowley was almost certainly familiar.
June 22, 2007
Back when I was doing lots of drugs and knew lots of people doing drugs and liked to say the word 'drugs' I thought this was a great book. In retrospect, I was just high and whatnot.
October 23, 2015
The third part completely undermines an exploration into the mind of an addict
17 July 2009
This is one of the few books that I would not encourage people to read. While I am not a big fan of the occult, and tend to stay as far away from it as possible, it is not the occult connections that concern me, but rather the conclusion that Crowley reaches with regards to drugs. In any case, this book is not strictly one of Crowley's occultic writings, but the content can be quite dangerous nonetheless.
The book is about a man who on a night out meets a lady and is then introduced to cocaine. In a single wild night, they get married and run off on the honeymoon, and while on their honeymoon on the continent, are introduced to heroin. While on their honeymoon, their drug experience is, for want of a better word, and experience. However, it all turns sour when they land up in prison in Naples and are sent back to England.
This is where the second part of the book begins, and that is when the honeymoon is over, and this is on two levels, the first being the romantic honeymoon, and the second being the drug honeymoon. The wild time they experienced on the continent settles down into a hard slog where addiction takes hold. The main character is not poor (he is a doctor), but once he had taken the sweet taste of heroin, he simply cannot get enough. They move out of the luxurious suite and into a bug ridden apartment, and go about trying to find their next hit, and even when they do get it, it is nowhere near as good as it was on the honeymoon.
It is the third section of the book that is of the most concern to me. While the first two sections are quite realistic in exploring the life of a drug addict, and the destruction that this life causes, the third section is not about how they overcome their addiction, clean up, and go on to live fruitful lives, but rather how through sheer will, they learn to control the drug, and the use the drug as it is supposed to be used. This is something (an many a drug councillor will confirm this), that one can never control a drug, especially if one is prone to addictions. There are people out there that can control their drug taking, but one can never assume that they are one of those people.
I suspect that this book is more designed as a gateway for people into Crowley's religion (and Crowley does appear in this book, though not by name), and I suspect that it is written with the drug addicts of the time in mind. These days, 90 years down the track, we simply seem to envision that the drug lifestyle is something that evolved in the 60's. This is simply not true, drugs have been used and abused for decades beforehand. In fact, in the 19th Century, one could go into a chemist and purchase a bottle of cocaine to help put one's baby to sleep. Drugs were first made illegal around the 20's (though Opium had been illegal for much longer, which is why it is said that the British were selling things in China that was illegal to sell in England).
Anyway, to finish off, I wouldn't bother reading this book, it simply is not helpful in the slightest.
17 July 2009
This is one of the few books that I would not encourage people to read. While I am not a big fan of the occult, and tend to stay as far away from it as possible, it is not the occult connections that concern me, but rather the conclusion that Crowley reaches with regards to drugs. In any case, this book is not strictly one of Crowley's occultic writings, but the content can be quite dangerous nonetheless.
The book is about a man who on a night out meets a lady and is then introduced to cocaine. In a single wild night, they get married and run off on the honeymoon, and while on their honeymoon on the continent, are introduced to heroin. While on their honeymoon, their drug experience is, for want of a better word, and experience. However, it all turns sour when they land up in prison in Naples and are sent back to England.
This is where the second part of the book begins, and that is when the honeymoon is over, and this is on two levels, the first being the romantic honeymoon, and the second being the drug honeymoon. The wild time they experienced on the continent settles down into a hard slog where addiction takes hold. The main character is not poor (he is a doctor), but once he had taken the sweet taste of heroin, he simply cannot get enough. They move out of the luxurious suite and into a bug ridden apartment, and go about trying to find their next hit, and even when they do get it, it is nowhere near as good as it was on the honeymoon.
It is the third section of the book that is of the most concern to me. While the first two sections are quite realistic in exploring the life of a drug addict, and the destruction that this life causes, the third section is not about how they overcome their addiction, clean up, and go on to live fruitful lives, but rather how through sheer will, they learn to control the drug, and the use the drug as it is supposed to be used. This is something (an many a drug councillor will confirm this), that one can never control a drug, especially if one is prone to addictions. There are people out there that can control their drug taking, but one can never assume that they are one of those people.
I suspect that this book is more designed as a gateway for people into Crowley's religion (and Crowley does appear in this book, though not by name), and I suspect that it is written with the drug addicts of the time in mind. These days, 90 years down the track, we simply seem to envision that the drug lifestyle is something that evolved in the 60's. This is simply not true, drugs have been used and abused for decades beforehand. In fact, in the 19th Century, one could go into a chemist and purchase a bottle of cocaine to help put one's baby to sleep. Drugs were first made illegal around the 20's (though Opium had been illegal for much longer, which is why it is said that the British were selling things in China that was illegal to sell in England).
Anyway, to finish off, I wouldn't bother reading this book, it simply is not helpful in the slightest.
July 6, 2014
Aleister Crowley achieves and surpasses what many authors have aspired to and failed, that is, he has written a classic novel in a rich poetic and deeply passionate style without ever once seeming forced or “assembled.” Crowley’s classic was not “written” or “assembled” as in a formula creation. It’s as if it has always existed. It’s as if it was just “born” out of the author’s soul. Some of the passages are so extraordinary that you may find yourself re-reading them over and over. Crowley’s description of a first attraction to a woman is astounding. But be warned, this is no “beach read.” This is a deep, spiritual, philosophical journey into the great mind of a true thinker and visionary.
Crowley seems to live in a lonely and isolated world populated by narrow minded people who live life on a superficial level. Crowley pours his heart and soul out into the pages of this one-of-a-kind journal. You may find yourself feeling his pain and cynicism as you read through this masterpiece. Warning to aspiring writers: as you read Crowley, you may feel like a student of the violin who first listens to Joshua Bell or Itzhak Perlman performing live, that is, the level of genius that Crowley achieves is simply unattainable for most writers. I had to re-read his description of the woman called Lou several times. It is the writing of a true master of the art of prose.
I also think this book should be considered as suggested high-school level reading. It could be read and analyzed as a true classic. The story takes you in one end of drug addiction (where life is a party) and out the other end (where life is a living hell).
With all of that said, the question is, “is the book enjoyable?” Absolutely! It is enjoyable and more than that, it is unforgettable. It is true “literature” and a “must-have” for anyone who enjoys the real thing.
Crowley seems to live in a lonely and isolated world populated by narrow minded people who live life on a superficial level. Crowley pours his heart and soul out into the pages of this one-of-a-kind journal. You may find yourself feeling his pain and cynicism as you read through this masterpiece. Warning to aspiring writers: as you read Crowley, you may feel like a student of the violin who first listens to Joshua Bell or Itzhak Perlman performing live, that is, the level of genius that Crowley achieves is simply unattainable for most writers. I had to re-read his description of the woman called Lou several times. It is the writing of a true master of the art of prose.
I also think this book should be considered as suggested high-school level reading. It could be read and analyzed as a true classic. The story takes you in one end of drug addiction (where life is a party) and out the other end (where life is a living hell).
With all of that said, the question is, “is the book enjoyable?” Absolutely! It is enjoyable and more than that, it is unforgettable. It is true “literature” and a “must-have” for anyone who enjoys the real thing.
October 29, 2024
A few parts of this book aged poorly, but it's still an absolute must read. The prose is lyrical yet haunting and the themes still incredibly topical.
February 3, 2009
I will write a review after I re-read this book. This book is my favorite and I recommend it to everyone. It tells a tale between Peter and Lady Pendragon who meet one night and gets caught up in a whirlwind of drugs. It is beautifully written, has great lines of philosophy carved underneath the story, and has an very moving ending, and I don't say that about a lot of books.
February 6, 2017
Cocaine is a hell of a drug
Rick James .jpg
This is basically a really weak narrative about how great and terrible drugs are and how great Crowley's personal philosophy is. I love biography. I like drugs. I even like fictionalized biography; but, if you ever even dabbled in drugs, and you know anything about Crowley at all, this becomes insufferably dull; pages upon pages of what being high is like written in *almost* flowery language.
Yes, I finished this, and yes, it mostly feels like a waste of my time. Let me save some of yours:
Cocaine feels great for like 30 minutes and then you want more of it. Heroin is gonna fuck you up in a bad way, you're going to feel like you're not in your body for 6 hours and then want more of it. I've never done it because I've lost so many friends to it. So don't, unless you're dying already.
Drugs are bad m'kay. Be yourself and don't do drugs. Think about why you did drugs in the first place. If you can become your true self you don't need do no drugs. Oh I'm sorry Crowley, "True Self". It's almost a hippy marketing tactic of "Self Actualization". You can switch a few things around and have an Evangelical sales pitch or a Crystal Energy Woo pamphlet.
Crowley even encourages people TO CONTINUE TO USE HARDCORE DRUGS IF THEY CAN CONTROL IT THROUGH SHEER FORCE OF WILL. That is unforgivable, the only reason I even consider letting it slide is the *slight* insight into how true addiction feels and the time in which this book was written, where much less was known empirically about addiction.
So the narrative sucks, the biographical elements are tenuous, the language is pretty dull, and Crowley's own philosophy is laughably thin. Why does a mostly mediocre book hung around the author's own experiences make me so mad?
Probably the one thing that sparked my rage more than anything was the dividing each of the sections into the three sections of Dante's Divine Comedy. Don't compare yourself to Dante. You are not Dante. Not only this, the perspective shift has no impact and changes nothing. By bringing Dante's work into this I am forced to stack you next to him and try to take you seriously, and Crowley, you just don't even come close.
Ugh, now that I've demystified Crowley this far I feel ashamed of my teenage self.
Rick James .jpg
This is basically a really weak narrative about how great and terrible drugs are and how great Crowley's personal philosophy is. I love biography. I like drugs. I even like fictionalized biography; but, if you ever even dabbled in drugs, and you know anything about Crowley at all, this becomes insufferably dull; pages upon pages of what being high is like written in *almost* flowery language.
Yes, I finished this, and yes, it mostly feels like a waste of my time. Let me save some of yours:
Cocaine feels great for like 30 minutes and then you want more of it. Heroin is gonna fuck you up in a bad way, you're going to feel like you're not in your body for 6 hours and then want more of it. I've never done it because I've lost so many friends to it. So don't, unless you're dying already.
Drugs are bad m'kay. Be yourself and don't do drugs. Think about why you did drugs in the first place. If you can become your true self you don't need do no drugs. Oh I'm sorry Crowley, "True Self". It's almost a hippy marketing tactic of "Self Actualization". You can switch a few things around and have an Evangelical sales pitch or a Crystal Energy Woo pamphlet.
Crowley even encourages people TO CONTINUE TO USE HARDCORE DRUGS IF THEY CAN CONTROL IT THROUGH SHEER FORCE OF WILL. That is unforgivable, the only reason I even consider letting it slide is the *slight* insight into how true addiction feels and the time in which this book was written, where much less was known empirically about addiction.
So the narrative sucks, the biographical elements are tenuous, the language is pretty dull, and Crowley's own philosophy is laughably thin. Why does a mostly mediocre book hung around the author's own experiences make me so mad?
Probably the one thing that sparked my rage more than anything was the dividing each of the sections into the three sections of Dante's Divine Comedy. Don't compare yourself to Dante. You are not Dante. Not only this, the perspective shift has no impact and changes nothing. By bringing Dante's work into this I am forced to stack you next to him and try to take you seriously, and Crowley, you just don't even come close.
Ugh, now that I've demystified Crowley this far I feel ashamed of my teenage self.
October 25, 2014
Written in the roaring 20's. Geeze that's almost a hundred years ago now. Back when Coke still put coke in the Coke and added just a bit of cola, prior to folks trying to legalize pot becuse it was legal at the time.
Peter Parker (Pendragon) and his girlfriend Louise are trying to score some drugs. I guess back in the 20's they were known as Drug Fiends, today they would be the folks that worked in the cubicle next to yours.
They meet this guy who calls himself a Magician (now probably the IT guy) and he helps them out.
An interesting slice of history that is not taught in most schools. Its taught in the clubs. My how times have not changed.
Peter Parker (Pendragon) and his girlfriend Louise are trying to score some drugs. I guess back in the 20's they were known as Drug Fiends, today they would be the folks that worked in the cubicle next to yours.
They meet this guy who calls himself a Magician (now probably the IT guy) and he helps them out.
An interesting slice of history that is not taught in most schools. Its taught in the clubs. My how times have not changed.
November 17, 2018
What I learned: Flirting with cocaine leads to depravity with heroine. There are some truly vivid sense of desperation in this tale. I knew of Crowley from his occult works, but never suspected he had been a one-time junky. Very enlightening.
July 31, 2008
This story is brutal, admirable, useful and sad until you finish it, and realize plainly that it is one of the most inspiring novels ever written. Easy and very quick to read. Well worth it.
July 18, 2025
The book equivalent of the “I did ____ and all I got was this lousy t-shirt” meme. 🤦 Very odd to spend your entire inheritance in a few weekends one some coke and companions… the law of diminishing returns certainly applies here! ⚖️
My favorite part is towards the beginning, where out of sheer delusion the author assumes “everyone” has read a story called “The Psychology of Flying”… I did some deep searching and found it published once in 1922 (the same year as this book was published) in the 34th volume of the English Review, pages 538-547. The reason he mentions it? Well, because he flew a plane while on cocaine…..✈️
My favorite part is towards the beginning, where out of sheer delusion the author assumes “everyone” has read a story called “The Psychology of Flying”… I did some deep searching and found it published once in 1922 (the same year as this book was published) in the 34th volume of the English Review, pages 538-547. The reason he mentions it? Well, because he flew a plane while on cocaine…..✈️
March 19, 2024
Трохи незвичний роман виховання. Саме так би окреслив його головну характеристику. Схоже, що ідея абатства Телеми може бути використана для звільнення від залежностей, а головне - для реалізації себе. Наприкінці трошки пропаганди релігії Телеми від її засновника, якраз настільки щоб зацікавитись, кого це цікавить. Але це реально позитивна гуманістична "релігія". Незважаючи на шок-контент - це дуже позитивна книжка. Скільки тут автобіографічного від "найзлішої людини" свого часу, як хтось обізвав Алістера Кроулі саме після цієї книги (хтось, хто її не читав мабуть), - залишаєм для дослідників.
September 7, 2023
це було тяжко-важко.
фух.
фух.
July 15, 2014
Found this on the street in a pile of "Free: please take!" books.
I figured, well, I will read at least one book by any author who is the subject of an Ozzy Osbourne song with absolutely killer Randy Rhoads solo.
Like most novels written primarily to convey a philosophical point, Diary of a Drug fiend is not very good. It's certainly better than anything Ayn Rand ever wrote, but that's a very low bar to clear.
There's some interesting stuff depicting the horrible spiral of addiction. I don't know if it had really been done much before this book, but it's been done much better after this book. But still, being inside the characters' heads as they hit bottom and then find a hole in the floor so they can go even further down is kind of compelling.
But the book runs out of gas about halfway through, and the last third is truly terrible.
Everything that follows can be classed as a spoiler, so stop reading if you don't want a terrible book spoiled.
And then there's the whole mumbo-jumbo of the cure, which involves a lot of boredom for both protagonists and readers, and the discovery at the end that all Peter needed to do was discover he wanted to be an engineer, and all Lou had to do was learn that her purpose in life was simply to serve her husband. (Ironic that Lou winds up in this subordinate role when she is the more interesting and sympathetic of the two protagonists.)
Oh yeah, and we wind up with King Lamus telling Peter he really should probably take heroin and cocaine occasionally now that he's discovered his True Will.
If you go in for this kind of egoism masquerading as philosophy, you'll find it dispensed in much more readable fashion in Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land.
Still, I was compelled to finish it, though more out of stubbornness and a well-timed vacation than because of the quality of the book.
I figured, well, I will read at least one book by any author who is the subject of an Ozzy Osbourne song with absolutely killer Randy Rhoads solo.
Like most novels written primarily to convey a philosophical point, Diary of a Drug fiend is not very good. It's certainly better than anything Ayn Rand ever wrote, but that's a very low bar to clear.
There's some interesting stuff depicting the horrible spiral of addiction. I don't know if it had really been done much before this book, but it's been done much better after this book. But still, being inside the characters' heads as they hit bottom and then find a hole in the floor so they can go even further down is kind of compelling.
But the book runs out of gas about halfway through, and the last third is truly terrible.
Everything that follows can be classed as a spoiler, so stop reading if you don't want a terrible book spoiled.
And then there's the whole mumbo-jumbo of the cure, which involves a lot of boredom for both protagonists and readers, and the discovery at the end that all Peter needed to do was discover he wanted to be an engineer, and all Lou had to do was learn that her purpose in life was simply to serve her husband. (Ironic that Lou winds up in this subordinate role when she is the more interesting and sympathetic of the two protagonists.)
Oh yeah, and we wind up with King Lamus telling Peter he really should probably take heroin and cocaine occasionally now that he's discovered his True Will.
If you go in for this kind of egoism masquerading as philosophy, you'll find it dispensed in much more readable fashion in Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land.
Still, I was compelled to finish it, though more out of stubbornness and a well-timed vacation than because of the quality of the book.
October 5, 2008
one of my favorite books, a wonderful ride through the magickal ways of a man in love. a book to be read and reread.
January 30, 2022
...This was a weird one.
Written in the interwar period in Britain, it chronicles the drug-borne travails of Sir Peter Pendragon, and his lover then wife, flapper, "Unlimited Lou".
The two meet in a whirlwind romance that is instantly infused with the casual, then alarmingly chronic use of cocaine and heroin. The two plummet into addiction which is gruelingly catalogued by the author. They turn on each other, use each other, and finally, a mysteriously aloof figure in their social circle intervenes to offer them an opportunity to recover, using occult methods.
I read the book as Crowley's confession - as he himself succumbed to heroin addiction (among many other things, I presume). As such, I can't lend the conclusions of the novel - that heroin addiction can be overcome and mastered if a person finds his true "will"(i.e., what his genuine purpose is in life) and once discovered, heroin and coke will find their true place as an aid to one's endeavors.
Up to that point, which I could see coming in a way, I thought it was an interesting novel. The characters are well fleshed out, the period in which Sir Peter and Lou are drawn into the ecstasies of cocaine and heroin, and then attempt to claw themselves out, were well written and compelling. The final act, where "King Lamus" spirits them away to the beautiful Telepylos to guide them through their recovery is also interesting - but mostly just to see what the punchline is.
Naturally of course, the book is of its time. Sir Pendragon has a great purpose ahead of him, and Lou exists to serve and care for him. The institutional misogyny of the era pales in comparison to Crowley's ideas on how the superior man can master these drugs.
For a man with a notorious reputation as Crowley has, his novel was surprisingly sensitive and analytical of the human condition. This is a true counterculture novel -and if you've ever read any Victorian, Edwardian, WWI, or Interwar period British literature this book provides a MARKED contrast to those other authors. Crowley speaks with a profane voice that sounds somewhat modern (if you can divorce the content of the novel from the overwrought prose), and it is refreshingly clear. Other authors of this era are incredibly bound by the propriety of upper class mores, which Crowley disdains to show a side of England that I've never seen portrayed. Pity that Crowley wasn't born later so that he could've enjoyed the 60's. That would've been more his speed.
So, if you are struggling with addiction of any kind, this would be an interesting book to read - although - I don't think it's ultimate conclusion will help you recover. But there are some nuggets in here that might bear contemplation.
My takeaway from this novel? Just as I've always felt - cocaine and heroin are highly addictive, and if you want to save you and your loved ones a significant, agonizing, heart-wrenching experience (which you may not survive), don't try them. Not even once...
There are books written by Crowley's contemporaries which feature him, most notably, "The Magician" by Somerset Maugham and Nina Hamnett's "Laughing Torso". I'm not sure I'll read either of them, but they might be of interest to those fascinated with Crowley to see how he was perceived by his peers.
Written in the interwar period in Britain, it chronicles the drug-borne travails of Sir Peter Pendragon, and his lover then wife, flapper, "Unlimited Lou".
The two meet in a whirlwind romance that is instantly infused with the casual, then alarmingly chronic use of cocaine and heroin. The two plummet into addiction which is gruelingly catalogued by the author. They turn on each other, use each other, and finally, a mysteriously aloof figure in their social circle intervenes to offer them an opportunity to recover, using occult methods.
I read the book as Crowley's confession - as he himself succumbed to heroin addiction (among many other things, I presume). As such, I can't lend the conclusions of the novel - that heroin addiction can be overcome and mastered if a person finds his true "will"(i.e., what his genuine purpose is in life) and once discovered, heroin and coke will find their true place as an aid to one's endeavors.
Up to that point, which I could see coming in a way, I thought it was an interesting novel. The characters are well fleshed out, the period in which Sir Peter and Lou are drawn into the ecstasies of cocaine and heroin, and then attempt to claw themselves out, were well written and compelling. The final act, where "King Lamus" spirits them away to the beautiful Telepylos to guide them through their recovery is also interesting - but mostly just to see what the punchline is.
Naturally of course, the book is of its time. Sir Pendragon has a great purpose ahead of him, and Lou exists to serve and care for him. The institutional misogyny of the era pales in comparison to Crowley's ideas on how the superior man can master these drugs.
For a man with a notorious reputation as Crowley has, his novel was surprisingly sensitive and analytical of the human condition. This is a true counterculture novel -and if you've ever read any Victorian, Edwardian, WWI, or Interwar period British literature this book provides a MARKED contrast to those other authors. Crowley speaks with a profane voice that sounds somewhat modern (if you can divorce the content of the novel from the overwrought prose), and it is refreshingly clear. Other authors of this era are incredibly bound by the propriety of upper class mores, which Crowley disdains to show a side of England that I've never seen portrayed. Pity that Crowley wasn't born later so that he could've enjoyed the 60's. That would've been more his speed.
So, if you are struggling with addiction of any kind, this would be an interesting book to read - although - I don't think it's ultimate conclusion will help you recover. But there are some nuggets in here that might bear contemplation.
My takeaway from this novel? Just as I've always felt - cocaine and heroin are highly addictive, and if you want to save you and your loved ones a significant, agonizing, heart-wrenching experience (which you may not survive), don't try them. Not even once...
There are books written by Crowley's contemporaries which feature him, most notably, "The Magician" by Somerset Maugham and Nina Hamnett's "Laughing Torso". I'm not sure I'll read either of them, but they might be of interest to those fascinated with Crowley to see how he was perceived by his peers.
April 22, 2014
After trying to read the purposefully nonsensical "Book of Lies," I thought I'd start with something a little more "enjoyable" - Diary of a Drug Fiend. Aleister Crowley is a narcissistic, misogynistic, egomaniac - but the book still manages to be redemptive in its glorious descriptions of drug use that quickly comes crashing down. It shows the inner workings of someone caught in drug addiction, their supposed "betterness" juxtaposed with the reality of their sadness. It shows the crash, reality like a splash of water, and posits the question of what to fill the emptiness that comes after an addiction. "Do what thou wilt", and what is your will?
June 8, 2014
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would, I got this book because Aleister Crowley was super evil. You don't get the feeling of that from this book. It felt like quite an honest account of somebody addicted to heroin and trying to get off the drug. You can really feel the frustrations and pain of each narrator, more so from Peter than from Lou.
Glad I decided to give this one a go.
Glad I decided to give this one a go.
January 12, 2010
A wonderful book. It makes you wish Crowley was still alive and you could go to Thelema.
October 31, 2014
A bunch of this is absurd and some is archaic (you can't die from opiate withdrawal, for one thing), and there's a fair amount of sexism, but in this book's innocence from the taint of the drug war--criminalization had just begun when it was written--it manages a lot more nuance than modern accounts.
November 10, 2010
This is a novel about curing drug addiction with Magickal practices. When you need to snort a line of cocaine while flying your biplane over the English channel you know you have a problem. Is the solution
in a free-love commune on an Italian island? The 20's never roared so loud as this.
in a free-love commune on an Italian island? The 20's never roared so loud as this.
December 9, 2019
Drugs like cocaine and heroine can I have an immense impact on individuals and their families. I should know as I have had family member lose their battle to drugs. By and large cocaine and heroine are not drugs that you can normally control/ but rather they control you. Crowley himself was addicted to heroine. None the less this is still a work of fiction.
The story or diary begins with Peter Pendragon being released from the Air Force after a major world war. His uncle leaves him lots of money. One evening he goes to a a fancy resturaunt/nightclub where he get introduced to Lou , his future wife and cocaine. The man doing the introducing is King Lamus who people have mixed emotions about . Lou is a great singer and she immediately captures Peter’s heart . The cocaine makes him feel exhilarating as there is nothing that can stop him. After there marriage they take a honeymoon in France then in Italy.
In France he and his wife get into heroine. It takes the edge off the coke. It also helps them keep focused. When it comes to heroine though things soon dissipate into self loathing and neglect . Heroine addicts don’t bathe and their clothes are often unkempt. Due to impurities they tend to age prematurely.
But this book is not about drug addiction or the dangers there of. This is a book about Magick and spirituality. King Lamus takes the couple too the abbey of Thelma where they learn about spiritual developement and finding and doing their true will.
The story or diary begins with Peter Pendragon being released from the Air Force after a major world war. His uncle leaves him lots of money. One evening he goes to a a fancy resturaunt/nightclub where he get introduced to Lou , his future wife and cocaine. The man doing the introducing is King Lamus who people have mixed emotions about . Lou is a great singer and she immediately captures Peter’s heart . The cocaine makes him feel exhilarating as there is nothing that can stop him. After there marriage they take a honeymoon in France then in Italy.
In France he and his wife get into heroine. It takes the edge off the coke. It also helps them keep focused. When it comes to heroine though things soon dissipate into self loathing and neglect . Heroine addicts don’t bathe and their clothes are often unkempt. Due to impurities they tend to age prematurely.
But this book is not about drug addiction or the dangers there of. This is a book about Magick and spirituality. King Lamus takes the couple too the abbey of Thelma where they learn about spiritual developement and finding and doing their true will.
October 29, 2025
You ever listened to a coked up guy rant at a party about all his crazy adventures and sex he’s having? My tolerance for them is higher than most, so you know when I say that this is annoying and mostly bad, it really is. The first third is basically that as unfiltered monologue with little to redeem it outside of our resident coke fiends getting scammed somewhat constantly. It is a beautiful thing to realize, though, that people over 120 years ago had to listen some of the same inane ramblings that I have, that I’m sure many of you have.
The second third’s perspective change is at least slightly more interesting, as there’s more going on with Lou’s perspective than “annoying cokehead,” but at the end of the day I just don’t need that much fiending for coke and heroin portrayed for me.
The third part is at last the most interesting part, as we get to Crowley’s alternate community of Thelema, an interesting precursor to the alternate living experiments that became much more prevalent post 1960s. The points are much the same- that modern society does not funnel human beings into what is existentially fruitful for the human, but for what is economically productive for the society. This book’s conception of drug use is that this dissonance is where the drug addiction comes from- that when day to day life is not in accordance with man’s natural desires, he will become addicted to the chemically induced one that is more in alignment with it, with no will to return to the old life because it not good for him. The capital W Will, what man is truly uniquely shaped for, is the way to handle drugs, the way they can be used for his betterment. The castle community is designed to provide a space free from economic constraints for people to do that.
It all sounds well and good. But then the main character discovers his only purpose in life is designing a helicopter and his wife’s one and only purpose in life is to support and help him accomplish his Will and then you start to squint your eyes a little bit. You start thinking about the various young women tailing around the old guy who runs the community. Maybe he was cooking at some points but this clearly isn’t fully up to snuff.
There’s also some funny double self insert where young self insert’s wife wants to fuck old self insert (who’s described as being like a 100 year “vampire”). That stuff’s kinda fun too. But it’s also just not that well written. Not saying Crowley’s not for me in totality (I’m curious!) but this one isn’t very good.
The second third’s perspective change is at least slightly more interesting, as there’s more going on with Lou’s perspective than “annoying cokehead,” but at the end of the day I just don’t need that much fiending for coke and heroin portrayed for me.
The third part is at last the most interesting part, as we get to Crowley’s alternate community of Thelema, an interesting precursor to the alternate living experiments that became much more prevalent post 1960s. The points are much the same- that modern society does not funnel human beings into what is existentially fruitful for the human, but for what is economically productive for the society. This book’s conception of drug use is that this dissonance is where the drug addiction comes from- that when day to day life is not in accordance with man’s natural desires, he will become addicted to the chemically induced one that is more in alignment with it, with no will to return to the old life because it not good for him. The capital W Will, what man is truly uniquely shaped for, is the way to handle drugs, the way they can be used for his betterment. The castle community is designed to provide a space free from economic constraints for people to do that.
It all sounds well and good. But then the main character discovers his only purpose in life is designing a helicopter and his wife’s one and only purpose in life is to support and help him accomplish his Will and then you start to squint your eyes a little bit. You start thinking about the various young women tailing around the old guy who runs the community. Maybe he was cooking at some points but this clearly isn’t fully up to snuff.
There’s also some funny double self insert where young self insert’s wife wants to fuck old self insert (who’s described as being like a 100 year “vampire”). That stuff’s kinda fun too. But it’s also just not that well written. Not saying Crowley’s not for me in totality (I’m curious!) but this one isn’t very good.
May 22, 2022
The best parts of this novel were the depictions of drug use and addiction and the philosophical tangents here and there. The struggle of drug addiction is stressed severely by the author which makes it easy to immerse yourself in the characters. Unfortunately a lot of the less interesting aspects of the novels are described almost as much and there is a lot of it to read. That wouldn’t have been a bad thing if the prose of the novel wasn’t so antiquated and flowery, but also a lot of the characters in the novel just fell flat for me. I found them to be a little hard to sell as people rather than various self-inserts of the author and plot devices. Also the later half of the book wraps up in a weird way that I think is meant to sell people into the authors religious cult thing. But anyway overall it was a decent read.
August 1, 2025
Another semi-autobiography that sets out to say something smart but falls flat on its face towards the end. A shame, I was really looking forward to reading this one.
June 2, 2020
O Thou burning sword of passion,
That are torn on the anvil of flesh!
I adore Thee, Evoe!
I adore Thee, IAO!
If you are having any kind of trouble with any kind of addiction, read this book, it will clear up many things for you, that is, if you allow it. This doesn't only apply to C and H, it applies to the intrinsic addictive nature that is present in every human being, it even applies to the addiction of having suicidal thoughts.
You'll find realistic and raw detail of the attempts of quitting these drugs and their unsupportable cravings, sometimes it's hard to read because of feeling the pain, hopelessness, and misery that the characters are going through in this infernal spiral, but there's always a way out, and it's all a matter of Will.
The concept of what Will means to Crowley is well explained, as well as how to discover yours. And no, you don't need to be bored in a retreat outside of the city to find it out or to leave an addiction, that went well with the story line of the novel, but it's obviously not the only way. If you want to stop drugs, specially know what is not your will. "It's pretty clear that I didn't come to this planet to drug myself into my grave before my powers have had a chance to ripen."
This novel, while being profoundly entertaining, contains gems of wisdom in every little adventure that the two main characters live. The great poet that Crowley is, shines too, the combination between sudden poetry and the story mingles perfectly well creating an absorbing lecture trance that you'll fall in love with, you might find yourself addicted to this book.
I can't wait to read his other novel, Moonchild, as I've fallen in love with this one.
And yes, Lamus tells the ex addicts that they can take the substances that caused so much trouble in their life whenever they truly feel like it's a good moment, as a purposeful act, being completely honest and sincere with yourself.
Because, could we truly say that one has mastery over an addiction if oneself is so afraid of touching it again?
" I am the Snake that giveth Knowledge and Delight and bright glory, and stir the hearts of men with drunkenness. To worship me take wine and strange drugs whereof I will tell my prophet, and be drunk thereof ! They shall not harm ye at all. "
Crowley's point is that taboo is something that will mainly make the person get obsessed with it. Everything can be used in our benefit, if you don't use something wisely it's your fault, not the substance's fault. Ignorance is what gives an easy path for addiction to grow.
Love is the Law, Love under Will.
93
That are torn on the anvil of flesh!
I adore Thee, Evoe!
I adore Thee, IAO!
If you are having any kind of trouble with any kind of addiction, read this book, it will clear up many things for you, that is, if you allow it. This doesn't only apply to C and H, it applies to the intrinsic addictive nature that is present in every human being, it even applies to the addiction of having suicidal thoughts.
You'll find realistic and raw detail of the attempts of quitting these drugs and their unsupportable cravings, sometimes it's hard to read because of feeling the pain, hopelessness, and misery that the characters are going through in this infernal spiral, but there's always a way out, and it's all a matter of Will.
The concept of what Will means to Crowley is well explained, as well as how to discover yours. And no, you don't need to be bored in a retreat outside of the city to find it out or to leave an addiction, that went well with the story line of the novel, but it's obviously not the only way. If you want to stop drugs, specially know what is not your will. "It's pretty clear that I didn't come to this planet to drug myself into my grave before my powers have had a chance to ripen."
This novel, while being profoundly entertaining, contains gems of wisdom in every little adventure that the two main characters live. The great poet that Crowley is, shines too, the combination between sudden poetry and the story mingles perfectly well creating an absorbing lecture trance that you'll fall in love with, you might find yourself addicted to this book.
I can't wait to read his other novel, Moonchild, as I've fallen in love with this one.
And yes, Lamus tells the ex addicts that they can take the substances that caused so much trouble in their life whenever they truly feel like it's a good moment, as a purposeful act, being completely honest and sincere with yourself.
Because, could we truly say that one has mastery over an addiction if oneself is so afraid of touching it again?
" I am the Snake that giveth Knowledge and Delight and bright glory, and stir the hearts of men with drunkenness. To worship me take wine and strange drugs whereof I will tell my prophet, and be drunk thereof ! They shall not harm ye at all. "
Crowley's point is that taboo is something that will mainly make the person get obsessed with it. Everything can be used in our benefit, if you don't use something wisely it's your fault, not the substance's fault. Ignorance is what gives an easy path for addiction to grow.
Love is the Law, Love under Will.
93
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