Recommendation for Crowley's Bio

The Happy Squirrel

Hello all! I posted this on the Book sub forum but I thought I ask here too.

I feel that I need to understand the man to understand his work. So I am hope ing to read Crowley's biography but one which was written from a neutral bystander and not from a follower, devotee, convert, and other 'insider's' 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, "Perdurabo" by Kaczynski.

I am thinking about this one but from the comments on Amazon it appears that it was written by and for those already 'converted' if that make sense. Pardon my use of the word, although to strictly the best term to use I am not sure how else to describe it.

I have roamed around Amazon and read 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!
 

Richard

Kaczynski's Perdurabo is very objective. It is a book about Crowley, warts and all. It is by no means intended only for Crowley's fanboys.
 

The Happy Squirrel

Oh good. I will get those two then. Perdurabo and Confessions. Thanks LR!
 

Grigori

The Happy Squirrel said:
Oh good. I will get those two then. Perdurabo and Confessions. Thanks LR!
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Confessions is the autobiography, written by Crowley. So it's not an outsiders view at all, but is interesting to see his own perspective. Purdurabo is probably the most scholarly version available, though I found Tobias Churton's very readable and think it might be the best place to start for many people.
 

Ross G Caldwell

Kaczynski and Crowley's own Confessions are both essential; Confessions is a primary source, and is very dense. It is something to study over decades, really. It grows as your knowledge of Crowley’s life grows. Note that Confessions only takes you to 1923, the year he finished dictating it.

Perdurabo is very strong - unparalleled - in Crowley's family background, his own childhood, the mini-biographies and associated material concernng people in Crowley's life, and in the breadth and depth of his source material. These alone make it the standard biography for generations to come.

Of course, that degree of detail itself can be overwhelming or distracting; it is good practice to take a pencil and mark off the insertions of mini-biographies, which break the narrative flow, so that you can read the chronological narrative straight through if you like.

Personally I find Kaczynski lacking in interpretative insight and understanding. For all its detail, Perdurabo remains superficial. However, I'm a long-time student of Crowley (35 years), so it may be perfect for a beginner these days in Crowley, and I do not hesitate an instant to recommend it. It is the best “map” there is.

I find Lawrence Sutin's Do What Thou Wilt: A Life of Aleister Crowley (2000) to be far richer in insight than Perdurabo. Sutin is definitely an outsider, even a critic, of Crowley, but in my estimation he gives a more mature picture of Crowley's character and development over time than Kaczynski does. This is very important, ultimately, depending on the depth of your studies, since Crowley's life is usually presented as a circus or freak show, with little attempt to get beneath and find the man within.

I can also recommend Israel Regardie's Eye in the Triangle (1970 and subsequent editions), which, although it only treats of his life up to 1910 or so, has the benefits of Regardie's personal acquaintance with Crowley along with his profound knowledge of the Golden Dawn rituals and symbolic system, which is absolutely key to understanding the man. Crowley based his life on it and interpreted all of his experiences and spiritual development through it. Intimate knowledge of the Golden Dawn system, practice of its rituals, and meditations on its teachings (like the “Knowledge Lectures” and memorizing many of the columns of 777), is essential background knowledge for beginning to understand Crowley.

I second Grigori’s recommendation of Churton, although it might be hard going for someone who doesn’t already have the outlines of Crowley’s life firmly fixed in his mind. There is quite a bit of original source material, and a lot of insight, although the current Spence-inspired “Crowley as spy” fad is far too present for my taste.

Finally, depending on how deeply you find yourself going, there will probably come a time when you have to make your own biography, as it were; studying the primary sources you can find, and mapping out the chronology, with his writings and travels alongside. No single biography exists that will answer all of your questions, and only profound and constant study and practice will open Crowley up to you.
 

The Happy Squirrel

Grigori said:
Confessions is the autobiography, written by Crowley. So it's not an outsiders view at all, but is interesting to see his own perspective. Purdurabo is probably the most scholarly version available, though I found Tobias Churton's very readable and think it might be the best place to start for many people.
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Hi Grigori thanks for that additional info. I suppose by definition an autobiography (Autohagiography in this case) is self proclaimed so it isn't really included in my concern about neutral perspective :) Words from the man himself would be invaluable for me to make up my own mind about him :) So this book I think is definitely on my list :) Is this the only autobio he has ever written?
 

The Happy Squirrel

Ross G Caldwell said:
Kaczynski and Crowley's own Confessions are both essential; Confessions is a primary source, and is very dense. It is something to study over decades, really. It grows as your knowledge of Crowley’s life grows. Note that Confessions only takes you to 1923, the year he finished dictating it.



Perdurabo is very strong - unparalleled - in Crowley's family background, his own childhood, the mini-biographies and associated material concernng people in Crowley's life, and in the breadth and depth of his source material. These alone make it the standard biography for generations to come.



Of course, that degree of detail itself can be overwhelming or distracting; it is good practice to take a pencil and mark off the insertions of mini-biographies, which break the narrative flow, so that you can read the chronological narrative straight through if you like.



Personally I find Kaczynski lacking in interpretative insight and understanding. For all its detail, Perdurabo remains superficial. However, I'm a long-time student of Crowley (35 years), so it may be perfect for a beginner these days in Crowley, and I do not hesitate an instant to recommend it. It is the best “map” there is.



I find Lawrence Sutin's Do What Thou Wilt: A Life of Aleister Crowley (2000) to be far richer in insight than Perdurabo. Sutin is definitely an outsider, even a critic, of Crowley, but in my estimation he gives a more mature picture of Crowley's character and development over time than Kaczynski does. This is very important, ultimately, depending on the depth of your studies, since Crowley's life is usually presented as a circus or freak show, with little attempt to get beneath and find the man within.



I can also recommend Israel Regardie's Eye in the Triangle (1970 and subsequent editions), which, although it only treats of his life up to 1910 or so, has the benefits of Regardie's personal acquaintance with Crowley along with his profound knowledge of the Golden Dawn rituals and symbolic system, which is absolutely key to understanding the man. Crowley based his life on it and interpreted all of his experiences and spiritual development through it. Intimate knowledge of the Golden Dawn system, practice of its rituals, and meditations on its teachings (like the “Knowledge Lectures” and memorizing many of the columns of 777), is essential background knowledge for beginning to understand Crowley.



I second Grigori’s recommendation of Churton, although it might be hard going for someone who doesn’t already have the outlines of Crowley’s life firmly fixed in his mind. There is quite a bit of original source material, and a lot of insight, although the current Spence-inspired “Crowley as spy” fad is far too present for my taste.



Finally, depending on how deeply you find yourself going, there will probably come a time when you have to make your own biography, as it were; studying the primary sources you can find, and mapping out the chronology, with his writings and travels alongside. No single biography exists that will answer all of your questions, and only profound and constant study and practice will open Crowley up to you.
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Thanks so much for this!

I will add Lawrence Sutin's "Do What Thou Wilt: A Life of Aleister Crowley" (2000) to my current list, but from your descriptions, I have to set the others for some other time.

I am curious at this point about the man and his mind. I have no intention at the moment to delve too deep into his teaching other than to understand the man and to a certain extent his thoth tarot deck. But in seeking his biography I am more interested in getting a glimpse of how his mind worked, although I am sure his take on the universe is a huge chunk of it.

Regardie's sounded a bit more on 'that' side of the story (I have no idea what the columns of 777 even means). I am not yet there at the moment, and perhaps never will. But definitely will peek at it at some point.

Churton's sounded like next level reading so will note that on wish list and out that aside for now as well.

So Confessions will fill the auto bio part of this inquiry, Perdurabo a descriptive bio, and Do What Thou Wilt as one with a distinct perspective which seek to look deeper under the stories. Perfect.

Thanks so much!!
 

The Happy Squirrel

How about "Aliester Crowley: The Nature of the Beast" by Wilson?
 

Aeon418

The Happy Squirrel said:
How about "Aliester Crowley: The Nature of the Beast" by Wilson?
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Just like the rest of us, authors have bills to pay.
Potboiler:

noun informal

a book, film, or other creative work produced solely to make the originator a living by catering to popular taste.
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The Happy Squirrel

So that's a "no" then Aeon418?
 
Vintage Thoth What would you say constitutes a Thoth deck?