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5.0 out of 5 stars
Best on the Market, Jun 20 2004
This is by far the best Aleister Crowley biography on the mass market because the other books are biased and not very good. This one, however is straight from the author and he has nothing to hide, not even his sexuality as he admits he liked both sexes. His childhood was the most interesting part. The son of a brewer from a strict Christian sect that he rebelled against and inherited a small fortune is a key element in the book. He also details his many mountain climbing expeditions and was one of the best in the world. I also really liked the parts on his ascension to the head of the Golden Dawn, eventually having a falling out with Mathers and being expelled for moral depravity. If you were wondering if cats had 9 lives, Crowley details how he tortured a cat to see if it did. This part reminded me of Edgar Allen Poe's The Black Cat. Like I said, avoid the countless biased biographies from others. Those are the books his detractors like and are cheesey. An essential look at one of the biggest bad asses in world history.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Beast, magus, poet, mountaineer, Mar 1 2004
Aleister Crowley is one of the most fascinating underground characters of the 19th Century. This "autohagiography," as it is not so modestly called, is a more than 900 page account of his life, at least up to the time of his writing the Confessions, when he was in his mid-forties. An autobiography can never be objective, and this is especially the case when it is written by a figure as controversial as Crowley. Reviled by many as a satanist, admired by others as a prophet, your own beliefs and predilections will color the way you view this man and his unconventional ideas. Crowley was surely a man with a large ego; at times he comes across like a meglomaniac, comparing himself with Buddha and Mohammad. He authored, among many other works, The Book of the Law, allegedly channelled (as we would say now) by a superior intelligence called Aiwass. Crowley maintained that this book marked the beginning of a new aeon, of which he was the prophet. Claims such as this might, to some, be enough to discredit Crowley. Yet his actual influence on culture cannot be denied. He inspired many occult, new age and countercultural thinkers, including Timothy Leary; His Thoth tarot deck has become very popular; his commentaries on the Qaballah are among the most complete by modern authors; He wrote quite a bit of lyrical poetry, much of which is quoted in this book.
The Confessions gives the reader a multifaceted look at Crowley. There are long descriptions of several mountaineering expeditions to exotic places such as the Himalayas. Anyone interested in travelogues should appreciate this book, which covers much of Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Crowley's main calling was magick (he invented this spelling to differentiate it from stage magic). Although he is commonly referred to as a black magician or satanist, this is far from clearcut. His early years of being raised by fundamentalist Christians (his own mother actually gave him the nickname, The Beast) set off a lifetime of rebellion against conventional religion. His often outlandish behavior and conflicts with authority figures contributed to his reputation as a dark magician. There is no doubt that he dabbled with demonic forces, yet reading his memoirs his basic intention seems to have been the progress and spiritual freedom of humanity. Crowley was a complex character, and this comes across in the Confessions. Parts of this long book are a little confusing; in some chapters, he rattles off one name after another, and he sometimes refers to people by their magickal names, which makes the cast of characters at least as challenging to keep up with as those in a Russian novel. His account of his actions in America during World War l, where he was accused of spying for the Germans (but insisted he was really a double agent for the British and Americans) is especially sketchy and made me wonder if he was telling the truth. On the other hand, he gives some very intelligent (if often condescending) commentaries on many societal issues. I found his comments on America, as he experienced it in the early 20th Century, especially interesting and insightful. One fact about Crowley that must be remembered is that he identified with the English upper class. He comes across as quite snobbish in many respects, including his disdain for many ethnic groups. He also had the aristocratic contempt for working for a living. Some of his remarks about women will not be appreciated by contemporary female readers. The fact is, his attitude on these issues was typical for his time (he lived from 1875-1947) and not evidence of anything especially sinister about Crowley. Crowley led a rather bohemian existence and had several wives and numerous affairs, many of which are recounted here (he was reputedly bisexual, although he does not discuss this in the book). Whether you like, agree with or approve of Aleister Crowley, the Confessions are a fascinating, well written account of a truly unique individual.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Truth for the pornographer, satanist, and the cannibal junky, Nov 23 2003
By A Customer
The greatest Magus (magician) of the 20th century, and he declared himself the Beast whose number is six-hundred and sixty-six. Although todayfs gformal societyh does not consider any significance in him and we cannot find the name gAleister Crowleyh in the gDictionary of National Geographyh; he is known to acquire the greatest influence on the modern Western occultism, through the attainment of his original system which he called the gScientific Illuminationh, indicating eMagickf that could be redefined as gthe aim of Religion, the method of Scienceh.
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