Book of Lies: (With Commentary by the Author)

by Aleister Crowley

Book Overview

This edition of master magician Aleister Crowley's sly, witty, and instructive collection of paradoxes includes rarely published commentary by the author himself.

Written by the famed English occultist Aleister Crowley, The Book of Lies was first published in 1913. But later, around 1921, Crowley wrote a separate text of short commentary on each of the chapters to assist the reader in the qabalistic interpretation. That...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0877285160
• ISBN13: 9780877285168
• Release Date: June 1986
• Publisher: Weiser Books
• Length: 200 Pages
• Weight: 0.57 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.4" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Mystical Poetry, Reference Work and Qabalistic Conundrum

For The Mystic, this collection of Poetic Insights is very difficult to put-down. Once you start reading, it is almost impossible to do anything but ingest the complex blocks of text before your eyes. Be sure you have some reading time set-aside, before you tackle this one. I read it in two sittings, but I would-have finished it in one, if I only had the time! Only Mystics will fully appreciate this Work of amazing verbal, Qabalistic Conundrums. Any student of Crowley should have this text on-hand, because he refers the reader to this Poetic treatise, more often than not. Regardless of whether you are reading his "Confessions" (Autohagiography) or his Qabalistic masterpiece, "777," you will casually be referred back to the good ol' "Book of Lies." I never imagined this book of Crowley's whimsical jottings would prove so intriguing or helpful in pursuit of mystical knowledge. Crowley often refers to this book as his most-important work. However, don't expect to "get it" right-away. This is more of a Text-book, than a casual Poetry book. I am surprised he didn't put a Test in the back! However, this book is all-about testing yourself, not being tested by others. Luckily, the Commentaries were added for us common folk. Enjoy !

A dazzling modern occult scripture

"The Book of Lies," by Aleister Crowley, is a masterpiece of modern occult literature. The book consists of 93 short chapters (two of which are not numbered), together with Crowley's own commentaries on the chapters. It is marvelous that we thus get to hear Crowley's unique voice speaking in two complementary modes: the revelatory and the analytical.The 93 chapters take a number of forms: poetry, parable, aphorism, vision, joke, and pun. There are numerous intriguing references: to the Tarot, the Qabala, astrology, Egyptian mythology, the "Left Hand Path," Masonry, the Beast of Revelation, sacred geometry, etc.Crowley's writing is often cryptic, often witty, often elegant. The book is also full of memorable quotes. One of my favorites: "I slept with Faith and found a corpse in my arms on awakening; I drank and danced all night with Doubt, and found her a virgin in the morning." Like the most enduring of occult and freethinking writers, Crowley challenges us to refocus our dulled organs of perception, and to rethink our stale mental conventions. "The Book of Lies" belongs on the shelf with my favorite "alternative scriptures": William Blake's "Marriage of Heaven and Hell," the poetry of Stephen Crane, the feminist satires of Luisa Valenzuela, the dark testaments of Anton Szandor LaVey, Ambrose Bierce's "Devil's Dictionary," the savagely satirical writings of Virgilio Pinera, and more. But even in this company, Crowley is in a class of his own.

A Masterpiece!

THE BOOK OF LIES, WHICH IS ALSO FALSELY CALLED BREAKS, THE WANDERINGS OR FALSIFICATION OF THE THOUGHT OF FRATER PERDURABO WHICH THOUGHT ITSELF IS UNTRUE... Within the 93 "chapters" of this enigmatic little book lie the deepest and most profound "truths". Ranging from a single symbol to nearly two pages in length, the subject of each chapter/poem is determined by the Qabalistic significance of its number. The often outrageous and entertaining commentaries accompanying each chapter explain just enough, but not too much, to assist the reader in their own Qabalistic understanding of these words and numbers. Concerning this wonderful collection of gems, Crowley himself writes: "At first sight the book is a jumble of nonsense intended to insult the reader. It requires infinite study, sympathy, intuition and initiation. Given these, I do not hesitate to claim that in none other of my writings have I given so profound and comprehensive an exposition of my philosophy on every plane..." Need we say more?