Recommendation: Aleister Crowley's Biography

The Happy Squirrel

Hello all! I feel that I need to understand the man to understand his work. But I need a biography of the man from a neutral bystander and not from a follower, devotee, convert, and other 'inside' point of view.

Someone recommended "The Confessions of Aleister Crowley: an Autohagiography" . That last word isn't a misspell. I think it meant a story about the self that is bigger than reality or something like that.

There is another book I almost put on my list but then I found that it was written by and for those already 'converted' if that make sense. Pardon my use of the word, because I am not sure how else to describe it.

I have been roaming around Amazon and reading various comments about various books on the topic before I post this. There doesn't seem to be a lot out there. Not that I need plenty really. Just a short list to consider rather than go directly to the first one recommended to me.

At the moment, the Confessions seems to be the one I might go for.

Before I order it I thought I check with you guys if there are others I should consider :)


Thanks in advance!
 

Abrac

I think Confessions should be available online. I downloaded it at some point but can't remember from where.

I'd read any that strike your fancy, and as many as you can bear, or afford. They'll all have positive and negative reviews so just jump in and start discovering. :)
 

The Happy Squirrel

I think Confessions should be available online. I downloaded it at some point but can't remember from where.



I'd read any that strike your fancy, and as many as you can bear, or afford. They'll all have positive and negative reviews so just jump in and start discovering. :)


Hi Abrac thanks for that I didn't know it is available online. The other books I am looking at are Perdurabo and Do As Thou Wilt. Comments on Amazon suggest that they are both rather badly written but full of information. The first being more descriptive and the second with some take on the information by the author.

Another I saw mentioned is "Aliester Crowley: The Nature of the Beast" by Wilson.

The review from casual readers and not followers or enthusiasts are very mixed given that his visions were taken as facts. Pardon me to those who believe in him. I would consider myself a casual interested party at this point :)

One of the above has been endorsed by OTO so I am not sure what I think about that.

But there aren't many around.
 

The Happy Squirrel

Thanks Carla! Noted!
 

gregory

The Beast is deliberately sensationalised. Just so you know.

I think Sutin is fairly unbiased.
 

The Happy Squirrel

Thanks Gregory it is amazing how divided the reviews and comments are on the various bios. I will select two or three and start from there. I can't wait to make up my own mind!
 

gregory

I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed The Beast - but don't make it your only.

ETA I just looked at the blog review of Booth - and if that is the impression it leaves you with - I think it sounds as if it's unfair. He was an excellent mountaineer, and also Yeats was jealous of some of his poetry - which says something about its quality.

The eye thing is a bit like Peter Falk's eyes - some eyes really do look odd - especially when they are glass, like his. But both Thatcher and Blair had what she calls a psycho eye. Cartoonists made fun of them all the time.
 

Carla

I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed The Beast - but don't make it your only.

ETA I just looked at the blog review of Booth - and if that is the impression it leaves you with - I think it sounds as if it's unfair. He was an excellent mountaineer, and also Yeats was jealous of some of his poetry - which says something about its quality.

The eye thing is a bit like Peter Falk's eyes - some eyes really do look odd - especially when they are glass, like his. But both Thatcher and Blair had what she calls a psycho eye. Cartoonists made fun of them all the time.

Oh the book was fair. That's just my impression of Crowley. Thoroughly unappealing bloke in my opinion. He did some great work, though.
 

The Happy Squirrel

Someone else recommended "a Magick life" so it is on my list :)