Diary of a Drug Fiend

Rating:
Summary: Diary of a Drug Fiend- a literary master piece
Review: Aleister Crowley's Diary of a Drug Fiend is an excellent account of two cocaine addicts progression from innocence into addiction's deepest hells, and salvation through the will. A true story, you are taken along each step of the way by one of two narrators, Peter or Lou Pendragon, from their meeting, to their "cocaine honeymoon," to their heroin addiction, and, at last, their defying the medical beliefs of a post Victorian Europe by breaking addiction without the help of a medical facility.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone suffering from addiction of any sort, as well as people open minded enough to truly appreciate what Crowley has to say. I would also recommend it to students of the occult, as it serves as an excellent introduction to the Doctrine of Thelema.

Rating:
Summary: A Book on Personal Triumph
Review: Aleister Crowley's first published novel was "Diary of a Drug Fiend." The book was originally published in London in 1922. Although written over seventy-five years ago, the book is still relevant for today's readers. The book paints a vivid picture of the mind of drug users. The drug user's highs, lows, and sometimes strange thought patterns are described in great detail in this interesting book.

The infamous Aleister Crowley invokes a reaction with some people. Some say he was strange and went off the deep-end with his involvement in Magick, the practice of using various techniques to exert control over the forces of nature. If one is too close-minded to read this book because of the author's reputation, he or she would be missing a great read.

This story is supposedly based on truth. False names were used to conceal the identities of the people in the book. For instance, Aleister Crowley is called Peter Pendragon in the book. Peter went to a pub and was socializing with some people he knew when he saw the woman that would change his life, Lou.

"Across the moaning body of the blackmailer, I was looking at the face of a girl that I had never seen before. And I said to myself, "Well, that's all right, I've known you all my life." And when I said to myself "my life," I didn't in the least mean my life as Peter Pendragon, I didn't even mean a life extending through the centuries, I meant a different kind of life --something with which centuries have nothing whatever to do (Crowley 11)."

This truly eloquent description of Peter's first glimpse of Lou reveals that Crowley was truly a master of language. The book is written in such a clever way that the reader continues to want more.

Basically, the story is of Peter falling madly in love with a woman named Lou. They run off to Paris and travel throughout Europe. Lou introduces Peter to cocaine and heroin and they quickly become dependent on the narcotics. When their supply of drugs runs out, the withdrawal troubles begin. Lou's father, King Lamus, helps the two overcome their addiction by the application of practical Magick. Both Peter and Lou find their true purpose in life and live happily ever after.

"Diary of a Drug Fiend" would be a beneficial source of information for professionals involved with the psychology of addiction. Doctors, lawyers, police, and the average person would gain insight into the thought patterns of a drug addict from the first high, to the constant effort to regain the effects of the first high. The craving for the drug, and how it is the only thing the user thinks about when he or she does not have the drug for a period of time is covered thoroughly. How selfish and careless one becomes when he or she needs a fix is also mentioned in the book. Peter lost his love for Lou because he could only think of the drugs. He quickly knew this was wrong and constantly tried to regain his love for Lou.

If people are open-minded and enjoy challenging their beliefs, then "Diary of a Drug Fiend" may be the book to read. At the time of reading this book, I found many useful insights that could dramatically change one's life contained within its pages. Overall, this book by Aleister Crowley is fantastic.

Rating:
Summary: A Book on Personal Triumph
Review: Aleister Crowley's first published novel was "Diary of a Drug Fiend." The book was originally published in London in 1922. Although written over seventy-five years ago, the book is still relevant for today's readers. The book paints a vivid picture of the mind of drug users. The drug user's highs, lows, and sometimes strange thought patterns are described in great detail in this interesting book.

The infamous Aleister Crowley invokes a reaction with some people. Some say he was strange and went off the deep-end with his involvement in Magick, the practice of using various techniques to exert control over the forces of nature. If one is too close-minded to read this book because of the author's reputation, he or she would be missing a great read.

This story is supposedly based on truth. False names were used to conceal the identities of the people in the book. For instance, Aleister Crowley is called Peter Pendragon in the book. Peter went to a pub and was socializing with some people he knew when he saw the woman that would change his life, Lou.

"Across the moaning body of the blackmailer, I was looking at the face of a girl that I had never seen before. And I said to myself, "Well, that's all right, I've known you all my life." And when I said to myself "my life," I didn't in the least mean my life as Peter Pendragon, I didn't even mean a life extending through the centuries, I meant a different kind of life --something with which centuries have nothing whatever to do (Crowley 11)."

This truly eloquent description of Peter's first glimpse of Lou reveals that Crowley was truly a master of language. The book is written in such a clever way that the reader continues to want more.

Basically, the story is of Peter falling madly in love with a woman named Lou. They run off to Paris and travel throughout Europe. Lou introduces Peter to cocaine and heroin and they quickly become dependent on the narcotics. When their supply of drugs runs out, the withdrawal troubles begin. Lou's father, King Lamus, helps the two overcome their addiction by the application of practical Magick. Both Peter and Lou find their true purpose in life and live happily ever after.

"Diary of a Drug Fiend" would be a beneficial source of information for professionals involved with the psychology of addiction. Doctors, lawyers, police, and the average person would gain insight into the thought patterns of a drug addict from the first high, to the constant effort to regain the effects of the first high. The craving for the drug, and how it is the only thing the user thinks about when he or she does not have the drug for a period of time is covered thoroughly. How selfish and careless one becomes when he or she needs a fix is also mentioned in the book. Peter lost his love for Lou because he could only think of the drugs. He quickly knew this was wrong and constantly tried to regain his love for Lou.

If people are open-minded and enjoy challenging their beliefs, then "Diary of a Drug Fiend" may be the book to read. At the time of reading this book, I found many useful insights that could dramatically change one's life contained within its pages. Overall, this book by Aleister Crowley is fantastic.

Rating:
Summary: Philosophy, not just drugs
Review: Anyone who thinks Diary of a Drug Fiend is purely about drugs is wrong. Yes, that is the subject matter of at least 2/3 of the book, but the choice of drugs as the subject matter is immaterial. The author required a highly difficult human condition in order to explain his theories of applying the Will to life. It is interesting to read about underground drug culture in 1922, as such a thing was brand new, the anti-drug laws having been passed just before. But what stands out the most is King Lamus' character, who presents a truly Western method for living, the polar opposite of Eastern philosophy. The back of the book cover speaks about practical magick, but what it must be understood that "magick" refers mainly to psychological control of one's self, rather than anything supernatural.

Rating:
Summary: A surprisingly good novel
Review: at first i was sceptical as to whether Crowley, a mad magician, could write a decent piece of fiction. well, he pulled it off in my opinion. unlike our modern novels on drugs, Crowley never glorifies it; he doesn't resort to stream-of-consciousness or wacky, juvenile humor as most hip modern writers have done. this novel, rather, maintains absolute objectivity while pulling us in to the roller coaster ride of heroin and cocaine use. we get to see the ups and downs, without any self-righteous moralistic preaching.

and we also learn through this novel, that people don't merely turn to drugs to have a good time. the actual catalyst for starting drug use is one's own sense of aimlessness, of feeling lost, and estranged from the world. as drugs increasingly take a hold on our times, this novel forces us to question how and why this alienation occurs. it is too easy to chastise all addicts as being degenerate evil doers. we must recognize that the addict turns to drugs because he can no longer bear the illusions of society; he desires something better; he quests after a spiritual catharsis that everyday living cannot provide. for Crowley, the answer to aimlessness is to stop drifting about mechanically in the herd, because most people out there, he tells us, are already dead; they shun new opportunities for growth, and slog along by inertia alone. so what do we do? well, we can try to realize our own wills, vague as that may sound. and once we actualize this will, then we can do what nature has always planned for us as individuals. some people think they already possess this will, when all they are doing is aping the people around them. the unified will is something greater than that. it transcends the herd, and gives one a sense of purpose. []this book is good!

Rating:
Summary: A surprisingly good novel
Review: at first i was sceptical as to whether Crowley, a mad magician, could write a decent piece of fiction. well, he pulled it off in my opinion. unlike our modern novels on drugs, Crowley never glorifies it; he doesn't resort to stream-of-consciousness or wacky, juvenile humor as most hip modern writers have done. this novel, rather, maintains absolute objectivity while pulling us in to the roller coaster ride of heroin and cocaine use. we get to see the ups and downs, without any self-righteous moralistic preaching.

and we also learn through this novel, that people don't merely turn to drugs to have a good time. the actual catalyst for starting drug use is one's own sense of aimlessness, of feeling lost, and estranged from the world. as drugs increasingly take a hold on our times, this novel forces us to question how and why this alienation occurs. it is too easy to chastise all addicts as being degenerate evil doers. we must recognize that the addict turns to drugs because he can no longer bear the illusions of society; he desires something better; he quests after a spiritual catharsis that everyday living cannot provide. for Crowley, the answer to aimlessness is to stop drifting about mechanically in the herd, because most people out there, he tells us, are already dead; they shun new opportunities for growth, and slog along by inertia alone. so what do we do? well, we can try to realize our own wills, vague as that may sound. and once we actualize this will, then we can do what nature has always planned for us as individuals. some people think they already possess this will, when all they are doing is aping the people around them. the unified will is something greater than that. it transcends the herd, and gives one a sense of purpose. []this book is good!

Rating:
Summary: profoundly insightfull
Review: I originally purchased this book 13 years ago when i was travelling to meet my brother for the first time in my life.
i don't read many books, but i found this book in this dusty old shop under old magazines and i just had to get it.When i got it back to victoria,i only read 3 chapters went to bed and the next day it was just missing never to be found.I am 33 years old now and scince buying that book 13 years ago have had quite an interesting life to say the least.just recently i had a dream which i cannot quite explain but i woke up and had to find this book again.I have read the book intensly and what it revealed was quite amazing.It seemed i was reading this book and it was about myself and the happenings to me over the 13 years whilst the book was missing.it was a bit spooky, and some of it just brought me to tears it seemed so real.it has given me an understanding about my past events over the past 13 years and seem to understand and know who i am as a person now in the present.this book is real and the writings are not fictional as i have been there.thank you.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting Book
Review: I read this book a long time ago and was totally shocked by how good it was. I was expecting the usual glamorization of drug use and drug addicts, but what I got was a great book with a lot to say. There were two points that I found really important in this book: The first was that drug abuse is not something that happens to you. Drug abuse is not the problem; it's a symptom of your real problem, a lack of purpose or direction in your life. You hear people say about people with drug problems, "I don't know what happened. He had everything and then the drugs started and he fell apart." This is how it looks from the outside looking in, but this book is written by a man who has obviously been on the inside.(He's been high a few times, to put it simply)The problem starts when the person either has no purpose or is not pursuing his true purpose. Pursuing a career that others approve of but is not satisfying to him, for example. Or, to paraphrase Crowley, the person is not doing what is in his will to do. This leads me to the second point I found interesting. Crowley's definition of what "Do What Thou Wilt" means is very different from what most people seem to think. I've never read any of Crowley's other works and don't plan to, and before I read this I understood this phrase to mean that people should just do whatever they want. Hedonism, basically. I've come to understand that what he really meant was that people should decide on a purpose for there life and pursue it. That this should be the whole of the law is pretty ridiculous, but I won't go into that. Anyone interested in learning about drug addiction from someone who knows what he is talking about will learn a lot from this book. It could have been a little shorter is my only criticism, but I think this has more to do with the time in which it was written than with Crowley being long winded.

Rating:
Summary: Drugs and the Devil
Review: This novel by Aleister Crowley deals with drug use, abuse and addiction. Two people go on a heroin and cocaine binge. Most potential readers of this book who use drugs are not intelligient enough to read this, so it found its place amongst occultists. Crowley was a drug user and an icon amongst other users. I've seen several detractors from Crowley who cite that he was a junkie. To blow him off as a junkie is nonsense as Crowley is the most important person in modern magickal theory due to sheer size and quality of his work. An engaging look at a taboo subject.