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luotenrati's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Well, this has been a delightful read. Peter Pendragon is quite the anti-hero. A despicable character that one does not want to identify with. Yet one feels what he feels and goes through what he's going through. The account of drug use is extremely vivid and there is no doubt that Crowley is describing his own experience. At one point in the book, he lists 27 reasons for taking heroin, every reason under the sun.
The character of King Lamus is quite extraordinary and wherever he appears, the story takes on a fantastic and fairytale like character.
The character of King Lamus is quite extraordinary and wherever he appears, the story takes on a fantastic and fairytale like character.
alishaforeverev's review against another edition
2.0
The first two parts of this book were hypnotic. The mania and frenzy were almost tangible. But the third half of the book bordered on pretentious. Even the cult and their given names made me roll my eyes: King Lamus, Hermes, Dionysus. Although the order of Thelema has some intriguing principles, I did not like that their recovery centered completely around their conversion. I also did not like that Peter’s true will was engineering, whereas Lou’s was to live solely to take care of her husband. Come on.
eponafyrefly's review
5.0
a fascinating perspective. best illustration of the mind of an addict i have yet come across.
decadent_and_depraved's review against another edition
5.0
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. King Lamus understood.
howie_marisson's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
ossuary's review against another edition
3.0
It's fine.
Unfortunately Crowley's strength is in sermons and religious imagery which is largely isolated in the beginning and end of the movel, with noteworthy scenes in the middle while the leads are at their lowest. His characters have some interesting notes but are largely pwriod-typical stock characters. I was most disappointed with Lou, who had magnetic potential when she was introduced but lost it during her first line of plot-related dialogue. If Crowley could draw Lou would be a lasting image from the 20s but he couldn't so instead she's just a by-product of this book.
Everything makes sense when you realize this was written as an advertisement for his abbey in Cefalu. As far as anti-drug PSAs go this one is most sensitive to the perspective of an addict, and I'd recommend it to people thinking about quitting or who have family members suffering from addiction. The name on the cover might make them feel cool.
One n bomb in the first fifty pages, the rest of Crowley's racism is fetishizing.
It's fine.
Unfortunately Crowley's strength is in sermons and religious imagery which is largely isolated in the beginning and end of the movel, with noteworthy scenes in the middle while the leads are at their lowest. His characters have some interesting notes but are largely pwriod-typical stock characters. I was most disappointed with Lou, who had magnetic potential when she was introduced but lost it during her first line of plot-related dialogue. If Crowley could draw Lou would be a lasting image from the 20s but he couldn't so instead she's just a by-product of this book.
Everything makes sense when you realize this was written as an advertisement for his abbey in Cefalu. As far as anti-drug PSAs go this one is most sensitive to the perspective of an addict, and I'd recommend it to people thinking about quitting or who have family members suffering from addiction. The name on the cover might make them feel cool.
One n bomb in the first fifty pages, the rest of Crowley's racism is fetishizing.
It's fine.
upward_not_northward's review against another edition
1.0
Did not like this. Ended up skimming most of part two then gave up. The language is way too flowery, poetic, and unrealistic given the subject matter. The occultism was really lost on me too.
antananarywa's review against another edition
4.0
the biggest plot twist of this book is that it's actually readable
kathl44n's review against another edition
3.0
This book was a delight to read. It was just the right amount of difficult zu figure out the complex designed sentences that that on its own was fun.
I also really enjoyed how things and experiences were explained in the book. All the aspects of taking drugs were described in detail without hesitation.
The only aspects I didn’t like, why I only gave it 4 stars, are mostly the outdated views on gender and the settle normalized racism (a few racial slurs are being named). I understand that that was (sadly) normal at the time the book was written, but I don‘t want to look past any problematic things I encounter in books however normalized they were at the time of their writing.
I also really enjoyed how things and experiences were explained in the book. All the aspects of taking drugs were described in detail without hesitation.
The only aspects I didn’t like, why I only gave it 4 stars, are mostly the outdated views on gender and the settle normalized racism (a few racial slurs are being named). I understand that that was (sadly) normal at the time the book was written, but I don‘t want to look past any problematic things I encounter in books however normalized they were at the time of their writing.
kingjason's review
4.0
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.