Rating: 
Summary: A Decadent Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Waste
Review: Because his folowers have granted him godlike status while his critics have dismissed him as a crackpot, it's a bit difficult to explain to those who have not heard of A.C. why this book is such a great read.Aleister Crowley(1875-1947) recounts his life and the pride he took in being a genius (he had memorized The Bible before he was seven), a poet, an adventurer, a world renowned mountain climber, a blindfold chess master, a lover, a sorcerer, and The Chosen Prophet of the Ancient Gods of Egypt! But, above all: an English Gentleman. Unfortunately his compatriots, like queen Victoria on a celebrated occasion, were not amused. The newspapers depicted him as a satanic, devil worshipping maniac. A charge which was somewhat unfounded and rather ironic since this was the man that satanic devil worshipping maniacs were too scared to mess with. He was a passionate artist with a flair for danger, an extreme of the spiritual and the sensual, a cross between between St. John of the Cross and the Marquis de Sade. Only Rasputin could match him as a true historical figure that seems too improbable to have existed. Neither man would be 'believable', even in lurid work of fictional melodrama. Yet they lived. And A.C. topped Rasputin in possesing (or being possed by) a savagely sarcastic sense of humor which took no prisoners. Say what you will of him but one must grant him a remarkable talent for making enemies everywhere. W.B. Yeats wanted him expelled from The Golden Dawn (The most influential Rosicrucian/Freemasonic lodge of the 19th century) on the grounds that 'a mystical society should not have to serve as a reform school for juvenile delinquents.' For his part, The Magus informs us that Yeats was full of black, bilious rage, because he, Crowley was by far the greater poet. He once remarked that it was interesting that such a small county as Stratford had given England her two greatest poets, for one must not forget Shakespeare . . . A.C. founded his own temple of 'life, love, and liberty' after his wife had a vision while visiting a museum in Cairo. The year was 1904 and the gods were ready to annoint an English Gentleman to bear forth their message to humanity and usher in a new era which would replace Christianity, as Christianity had replaced the crumbling faiths of the Roman Empire. Thus 'The Book of the Law' came to be written (or dictated?) Its main tenet was "Do What Thou Wilt.' Apparently Isis or Horus were fans of the novels of Rabelais, since that was the motto inscribed in his fictional abbey. And, in all likelihood Rabelais probably got it from St. Augustine's maxim: "Love, and do what you will". And if you can name which Greek philosopher thought it up first, treat yourself a trip to Cairo and listen closely to your inner voice. . . It would hardly be surprising to be told that AC was reared in an ultrafundamentalist Christian sect and thus, he rebelled with vengeance. What is surprising is that the quest for 'The Holy Grail' never left him, even as he climbed the Himalayas, seduced countesses, hobnobbed with Rodin, and made life quite interesting for anyone around him. A fascinating look at a strange man and his times recounted with humor, sorrow and faith.
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Summary: A Great Read About a Great Beast-- But Don't Stop Here
Review: Crowley's autohagiography is fascinating from start to finish: he was the supreme egotist in all things and a master manipulator of weaker souls (of which there was a limitless supply). So, read and enjoy, but ask yourself: did he really turn Victor Neuberg into a camel? Could he become invisible as he claimed? Did he copy down a book dictated to him by an Egyptian god? You get to decide whether he's a reliable source....
After you read this, you'll want a more objective view of the life of this remarkable man, and for that I'd turn to either John Symond's "The Geat Beast" (fair but credulous) or the much more recent "Do What Thou Wilt" by Lawrence Sutin-- an excellent, open-minded, reasonably skeptical look at Crowley's life and works. No matter what you decide about Crowley (genius, prankster, or madman), these are all entertaining and worthwhile books.
But begin with this one, straight from the magus' mouth.
Rating:
Summary: Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
Review: Describes, in the most excellent poetical literary form possible to man, the story of 666's life. The miscellaneous adventures in his early life are all recorded with the utter zeal that only he can produce. After 1909 though, he was pulled liberally along with the current of Prana that most fitted him. I remember a childhood story of Scientific Sadism. I have the belief that this book should be supplemented with Israel Regardie's famous " Interpretation of Aleister Crowley," although I would think that it is much too over-exagerated: Regardie does display massive amounts of knowledge (regarding the price, also, it is reasonably cheap for the content of information manifested). To sum up, I think I can do no better than to direct the attention of the wary over to " An Interpretation of Aleister Crowley."
Rating: 
Summary: Never judge a book by its cover
Review: I have had the pleasure of reading a great many of Croleys works but his "Confessions", while not being overly conserned with magick, is still one of my favorites by him. This is because it gives a unique perspective of the mans mind (if you read closely between the lines) and of how he saw the world in which he lived(a very different one to ours). The book also gives good examples of his wit and humour, which is evident right from the front cover. The sub-title "an autohagiography" pokes fun at the unwary reader, the word autohagiography meaning basicaly the same as autobiography but written in such a way as to make the author out to be bigger, bolder, brighter, better than he really was. Therefore the title serves as a warning to the educated reader to take the entire book with a pinch of salt. Crowley (the old rascal) loved to make fun of people who he saw as being of lower intelect and higher gullibility than himself. There are a few pearls of wisdom to be gleaned from the book as well as a few words of advice/caution, but they are fairly well hidden amongst all of the mountain climbing annecdotes etc... If the reader wants to find them he has to look for them. It can be tough going at times, but I personally found it worthwhile. But don't forget, while Crowley was almost certainly a genius he was definately slightly mad and possibly possesed!
Rating:
Summary: A facinating insight.
Review: I would recommend this book to anyone remotely interested or curious in the man Crowley or starting out on an in depth study of magick and Thelema. Contained within its pages are the religous chilhood background of being brought up in a household of the Plymouth Brethren sect, through a formal education at Trinity College Cambridge to the events and thoughts that led to the dawning and progress of Crowley's exraordinary macical career. Aleister's Intelligence and insight shows itself and paints the portrait of a man who strove to understand and solve humanities problems. How 'The Book of the Law' came to be written and the issues that it raises are discussed as well as evidence of intervention of consciousness outside (or inside) the sphere of humanities. I found the tale of Al's makeover of Neuburg into a demon he had tamed to increase his eminence especially funny!
Rating:
Summary: a wild and extraordinary ride...and climb!
Review: It is a wild book!...no doubt. This man did have a broad imagination and quite a life...he was definately insane! But..what a story...acid halucinations never were told any better. The book of the law and Thelema; stories for the kids of today ( in the news of lately)...do as thou wilt...nice thought...but most of us do have morals and consciences (and more to do with our time). He certainly thought an awful lot of himself...good thing someone did...But, all in all a great read - fiction doesn't come much better!
Rating: 
Summary: Hello? When does it get interesting?
Review: Maybe I am being unfair, but come on! I bought this hoping to glean some magical, mysterious knowledge from it, but to my surprise, there isn't any! This book is nothing but Crowley patting himself on the back. For the first hundred pages all he does is talk about what a great mountain climber he is, that he is the best and how everyone is jealous. I struggled to keep with it. There are MAYBE two and half entire pages dealing with astrology and again all he does is brag about how he can tell a person's ascendant just by looking at the person. He doesn't tell the reader how to do it, or go into any depthon the subject. I expected so much more from Crowley relating to Magic and esoteric subjects and it just isn't there!
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Summary: the best novel I have ever read, if it were a novel
Review: My god, what to say about this one? For nearly a thousand pages it reads like fiction, but only a few parts--the ones where Crowley tries to claim supernatural intervention and thus prove the validity of his mostly silly made-up religion--are obvious inventions, and even those are perhaps believed by their author. This is, beyond a doubt, the singularly most entertaining book I have ever encountered, and even contains some small bits of wisdom. Don't pay any attention to those who say Crowley can't write; his poetry is nearly as bad as you've heard, but he is a genius at prose. Even the gargantuan amounts of drugs he was taking as he wrote this don't detract a whit from his amazing wit, clarity of thought and vividness of perception. This book contains very little that is vulgar, violent or obscene (despite the author's reputation) and is appropriate for young and old alike, as each will take from it it only what they are capable of giving.
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Summary: The Man or Beast?
Review: One of the best book that I have ever red. next to The Secret Life of a Satanist, this book might very well be the best. After reading this by yourself you will have the choice of deciding if Crowley is a Man or Beast.
Rating:
Summary: Unreadable gibberish, but he was a good mountaineer
Review: Outside of his mountaineering exploits, this book is a long, boring confusing account of an eccentric egotists life. Entire chapters of gibberish that I'm sure groveling followers have spent years trying to decipher. Like Anton Lavey, Crowley was a master trickster in his time. They were both brilliant philosophers and were too smart to believe in silly occult dabblings. They did it to make a buck and gain a following. This was the second and last Crowley book I'll ever read.
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