Rating: 
Summary: You Can Fool Some of the People Some of the Time...*
Review: * ...and a lot of these people still remain clueless that the NECRONOMICON is a *fictitious* book created by American horror writer H.P. Lovecraft to use as a story-device. Other authors, many of whom were friends of Lovecraft, started using the NECRONOMICON in their stories (as well as other aspects such as his god-like aliens Cthulhu and Yog-Sothoth) of what has come to be called the "Cthulhu Mythos". This book was original published in a limited hardcover edition for one main reason: to get the Library of Congress to catalogue it! Thus, an official library record came into existence for the NECRONOMICON. It was part of a joke, people! If you look closely at the pages of this edition, you will find that the non-existent "Arabic" language it is written in is just random writing which was pasted together and that the same pages of "text" are repeated over and over again in the book. Oh, yes, there are books publsihed which claim to be the NECRONOMICON. There are always people ready to cash in by using a famous name and there are also some people, saddly, who do believe everything they read. For those not convinced of the fictional nature of the NECRONOMICON, here is something you can do: go to a library, or use the internet, and try to find ANY mention of the NECRONOMICON in books or newspapers or magazines or anything that was published BEFORE 1900. Keep looking and looking. You will never find it mentioned -- because the title NECRONOMICON did not exist until Lovecraft created in AFTER 1900. How do I know all this? Read the "name" on this review!
Rating:
Summary: Some of you could do with alittle research
Review: Concidering with alittle research done one would learn that H.P. Lovecraft met with Sonia Greene who dated the poet and magician Aleister Crowley. Crowley by all accounts had seen Dee's translation. So it is not hard to see how Lovecraft could have learned of it from her... also you could take into account Lovevraft was merely a liar.
Rating: 
Summary: Fact: its fiction
Review: Contrary to popular belief, there is no such Necronomicon in the British Museum. If anybody has seen or claims to have studied this completely fictional book, produce photographs. If the book exisits so do photos. No one translates from original texts. this book is cool for for props or if you take it for what it is. fiction. The "Arabic" is a nice touch. (If anyone wants a good laugh, find somone who can read it!)
Rating:
Summary: A lovingly created hoax in tribute to Lovecraft
Review: I can well remember learning of how de Camp and others put together a very obvious fake Necronomicon and published just enough in hard copy for the major research institutions to keep a copy in their library.I got a chance to look over one of the copies at BU's department of special collections. It was treated as exactly as if it were the real thing, which is part of the hoax as conceived by de Camp. If you examine this carefully, the pages of pseudo arabic repeat after a point, giving you page after page of arabic gibberish. All in all, a loving tribute in the same spirit that has guided fans of Holms to publish in his name the articles that he supposedly wrote.
Rating: 
Summary: Sorry kiddies, it's fiction, fiction, fiction, all the way.
Review: I had to respond after reading some of these reviews regarding "The Necronomicon." Lovecraft himself is probably laughing in his grave right now. To this day I still can't BELIEVE how many people insist on believing in the authenticity of this book. It's a fascinating phenomenon, one worthy of study in a college course on willful self-deception. But anyway...the first time I came across "The Necronomicon" outside of Lovecraft was in the early 1980's, at a store called "The Magickal Childe" in Manhattan, where I was practically a regular, LOL (it finally closed a few years ago, damn shame too, it was a fantastic little place). I was about 16 at the time. Myself and 2 other friends chipped in for the (gorgeous) leatherbound hardcover edition by "Simon". We passed it around for a year or so, trying out some of the rituals, etc. (hey what can I say, we were young and stupid). I wish I had that book now, it would be worth some money...anyway it happened that one afternoon I was there buying some oils or something and we actually spoke to one of the employees who not only confirmed that the book was "made-up" but that the person who "ghost-wrote" it was still a regular at the shop. Before that book (and since), there were other books published called "Necronomicon", and they are ALL fictional creations, either deliberate hoaxes or publicity stunts. Which brings me to the reviewer who insists that the book is real...you've "studied" the Necronomicon for the past 12 years? Oh really? Where, might I ask? Is there a college or university teaching a course on it (outside of classes in English and fiction)? I think not. If you had, you would have found enough scholarly data to demonstrate that the book isn't real. Your "history lesson" is nothing of the kind. Where did you access the two books you cite, may I ask? Perhaps you can provide citations? Editions? Page numbers, quotes, etc??? Better check the publication date of THOSE books, too...fact is, there are NO references of ANY kind to a book titled "Necronomicon" prior to Lovecraft's time. Period. End of story. If you want to read a GOOD book, find a copy of "The Necronomicon Files" by Daniel Harms and John Wisdom. They have studied this subject, in depth, for REAL...you will be enlightened, I promise you. The same goes for the reviewer who discusses Dr. John Dee. My dear, do you really think just because a book says it's a translation by John Dee, that it's REAL? Dear lord, sweetie, but you are FAR too trusting. Do some research. REAL research. Open your minds; accept the fact that just because you believe - or WANT to believe - does not make it so. (Of course, this is also the problem with religion in general, but I digress.) Most people, however, will not want to enlighten themselves on issues like this: they CHOOSE to believe, and that's good enough for them..and all the facts, research and investigation in the world won't change their minds...so ultimately there's no point in trying to help them. They are secure in their ignorance. For everyone else...start with "The Necronomicon Files", and work from there. As for this book "The Necronomicon"...it's fun, but that's it. Stupid, silly fun. Unless you're a lonely, alienated, unhappy, impressionable teenager, that is. Then it's dangerous. Because even though none of these books are authentic...I can say from experience that occasionally the "magic" WILL work. Why? It's a question of belief. If you believe anything strongly enough, and if your psyche is supercharged enough with the thrill of doing something that you honestly believe is an ancient ritual to "Elder Gods", chances are you'll get a result. It may not be pretty, but you'll get SOMETHING. Such is the nature of faith, and the reason religions continue to flourish in the 21st century. If you're looking for "real" grimoires, may I recommend "The Book of Black Magic and of Pacts" by Arthur Edward Waite, or "The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abra-Melin the Mage". Even Aleister Crowley's "Magic in Theory and Practice" is worth a read. Read anything by Eliphas Levi. Check out the "keys" of Solomon. Anything from the library of The Golden Dawn. But don't waste your time with any "Necronomicons". Even if you can believe strongly enough to make the (messy) magic work, the book itself is fiction. I'm sorry if that's boring, or stuffy, or a downer...but it's the truth. Have fun!!!
Rating:
Summary: Sorry kiddies, it's fiction, fiction, fiction, all the way.
Review: I had to respond after reading some of these reviews regarding "The Necronomicon." Lovecraft himself is probably laughing in his grave right now. To this day I still can't BELIEVE how many people insist on believing in the authenticity of this book. It's a fascinating phenomenon, one worthy of study in a college course on willful self-deception. But anyway...the first time I came across "The Necronomicon" outside of Lovecraft was in the early 1980's, at a store called "The Magickal Childe" in Manhattan, where I was practically a regular, LOL (it finally closed a few years ago, damn shame too, it was a fantastic little place). I was about 16 at the time. Myself and 2 other friends chipped in for the (gorgeous) leatherbound hardcover edition by "Simon". We passed it around for a year or so, trying out some of the rituals, etc. (hey what can I say, we were young and stupid). I wish I had that book now, it would be worth some money...anyway it happened that one afternoon I was there buying some oils or something and we actually spoke to one of the employees who not only confirmed that the book was "made-up" but that the person who "ghost-wrote" it was still a regular at the shop. Before that book (and since), there were other books published called "Necronomicon", and they are ALL fictional creations, either deliberate hoaxes or publicity stunts. Which brings me to the reviewer who insists that the book is real...you've "studied" the Necronomicon for the past 12 years? Oh really? Where, might I ask? Is there a college or university teaching a course on it (outside of classes in English and fiction)? I think not. If you had, you would have found enough scholarly data to demonstrate that the book isn't real. Your "history lesson" is nothing of the kind. Where did you access the two books you cite, may I ask? Perhaps you can provide citations? Editions? Page numbers, quotes, etc??? Better check the publication date of THOSE books, too...fact is, there are NO references of ANY kind to a book titled "Necronomicon" prior to Lovecraft's time. Period. End of story. If you want to read a GOOD book, find a copy of "The Necronomicon Files" by Daniel Harms and John Wisdom. They have studied this subject, in depth, for REAL...you will be enlightened, I promise you. The same goes for the reviewer who discusses Dr. John Dee. My dear, do you really think just because a book says it's a translation by John Dee, that it's REAL? Dear lord, sweetie, but you are FAR too trusting. Do some research. REAL research. Open your minds; accept the fact that just because you believe - or WANT to believe - does not make it so. (Of course, this is also the problem with religion in general, but I digress.) Most people, however, will not want to enlighten themselves on issues like this: they CHOOSE to believe, and that's good enough for them..and all the facts, research and investigation in the world won't change their minds...so ultimately there's no point in trying to help them. They are secure in their ignorance. For everyone else...start with "The Necronomicon Files", and work from there. As for this book "The Necronomicon"...it's fun, but that's it. Stupid, silly fun. Unless you're a lonely, alienated, unhappy, impressionable teenager, that is. Then it's dangerous. Because even though none of these books are authentic...I can say from experience that occasionally the "magic" WILL work. Why? It's a question of belief. If you believe anything strongly enough, and if your psyche is supercharged enough with the thrill of doing something that you honestly believe is an ancient ritual to "Elder Gods", chances are you'll get a result. It may not be pretty, but you'll get SOMETHING. Such is the nature of faith, and the reason religions continue to flourish in the 21st century. If you're looking for "real" grimoires, may I recommend "The Book of Black Magic and of Pacts" by Arthur Edward Waite, or "The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abra-Melin the Mage". Even Aleister Crowley's "Magic in Theory and Practice" is worth a read. Read anything by Eliphas Levi. Check out the "keys" of Solomon. Anything from the library of The Golden Dawn. But don't waste your time with any "Necronomicons". Even if you can believe strongly enough to make the (messy) magic work, the book itself is fiction. I'm sorry if that's boring, or stuffy, or a downer...but it's the truth. Have fun!!!
Rating:
Summary: The Necronomicon is not a hoax.
Review: Parcelceus translated the Necronomicon into german and it was translated to swedish in 1723. I've held this book in my hands and read it, It differs a bit from this necronomicon, I recommend that you buy The Necronomicon edited by George Hay. It is a translation of the Necronomicon by John Dee which is currently located in some brittish museum. By the way Swedish director strindberg read the necronomicon in 1876, he refers in his diaries to it as the book of the old arab. In 1896 He was staying in hotel in paris where he met Aleister Crowley who gained much inspiration from the things he learned about necronomicon from Strindberg. Supposedly this started Crowley's hunt for an original of the book. The whereabouts of the book are uncertain but it might well be that the things Crowley told Lovecraft about this book inspired Lovecraft the hoax Necronomicon. Yes it is a hoax, or partially that is why I recommend you not to study Lovecrafts Necronomicon too much. I've gathered this information by myself by studying many texts found in Swedish libraries and such. They were indeed very old and now I hope Abdul Alhazred was insane, if not then god help us all.
Rating:
Summary: Creative Decoration
Review: This book makes for a good shelf decoration, at best. While it is intriguing that the bulk of the text is in Arabic, the Necronomicon is indeed a work of fiction. For those skeptical of the truth, merely go to http://www.necfiles.org/ As this site in particular says, "the Necronomicon is a book of evil lore which first appeared in the works of the writer H. P. Lovecraft (1890-1937). This book became so popular that people started to write more stories featuring it, creating hoaxes, and finally writing entire Necronomicons (at the present writing, almost a dozen have appeared). The most popular of these is the Simon Necronomicon, first published in 1977, which is mainly Sumerian mythology with a little Lovecraft and Aleister Crowley thrown in for good measure. Another, the Hay Necronomicon, came out in 1978 and claimed to be a deciphered work by the Elizabethan thinker Doctor John Dee. None of these date to the specified period, and some (such as the Hay work) have been admitted to be hoaxes." Everyone is so quick to say that the Necronomicon does exist, and begs for others to disprove its existence. That has been done. If you want to scream from the rooftops that it does, you should have evidence to back you up. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVING YOUR CLAIMS. Although I would recommend this book, it would be amongst peers that understand that it is purely a work of creative fiction.
Rating:
Summary: Creative Decoration
Review: This book makes for a good shelf decoration, at best. While it is intriguing that the bulk of the text is in Arabic, the Necronomicon is indeed a work of fiction. For those skeptical of the truth, merely go to http://www.necfiles.org/ As this site in particular says, "the Necronomicon is a book of evil lore which first appeared in the works of the writer H. P. Lovecraft (1890-1937). This book became so popular that people started to write more stories featuring it, creating hoaxes, and finally writing entire Necronomicons (at the present writing, almost a dozen have appeared). The most popular of these is the Simon Necronomicon, first published in 1977, which is mainly Sumerian mythology with a little Lovecraft and Aleister Crowley thrown in for good measure. Another, the Hay Necronomicon, came out in 1978 and claimed to be a deciphered work by the Elizabethan thinker Doctor John Dee. None of these date to the specified period, and some (such as the Hay work) have been admitted to be hoaxes." Everyone is so quick to say that the Necronomicon does exist, and begs for others to disprove its existence. That has been done. If you want to scream from the rooftops that it does, you should have evidence to back you up. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVING YOUR CLAIMS. Although I would recommend this book, it would be amongst peers that understand that it is purely a work of creative fiction.
Rating: 
Summary: Fact
Review: To everyone who believes the Necronomicon to be a fake here's a history lesson. In the 16th Century, Elizabeth I of England had a man called John Dee as advisor. John Dee found and translated the Necronomicon into English from it's Latin and Arabic original form. The book was kept in the British Natural History Museum until recently. Now, if the book is fictitious and made up by Lovecraft, how is it possible that Dee translated it over 300 years before Lovecraft was born? Also, the infamous Yog does not exist in the Necronomicon in any shape or form. The novel with it's three stories was rumoured by Lovecraft to have been based on nightmares he had after reading John Dee's translation. So to anyone who doesn't believe in either John Dee or the book he translated, search for him. He was into scrying and magic. So if the Necronomicon is complete fiction, how did Dee translate it all those centuries ago? I thank you
|
