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LONDON, in England, the capital city of the British Empire, is situated upon the banks of the Thames. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
LONDON, in England, the capital city of the British Empire, is situated upon the banks of the Thames. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I read this book expecting great things from one of last centuries greatest minds. Instead I found myself wading through this book trying to find a story and finding the great occult truths buried within lacking much potency or vitality.
Knowing a bit about Crowleys involvement with the Golden Dawn it was interesting to note how many of its members (who he had fallen out with) were woven in to the story as thinly veiled characters. None of these people come off lightly, here - they are all portrayed as pathetic, overblown or downright evil. Its a shame that Crowley couldn't overcome his childish hatred for certain people to write a novel with more depth, more character and more spirit.
For anyone looking for an occult novel with more to offer, I would recommend Dion Fortunes novels (the Goat Foot God, Sea Priestess etc.). They demonstrate a maturity and wisdom that Crowley sadly does not show here.
Knowing a bit about Crowleys involvement with the Golden Dawn it was interesting to note how many of its members (who he had fallen out with) were woven in to the story as thinly veiled characters. None of these people come off lightly, here - they are all portrayed as pathetic, overblown or downright evil. Its a shame that Crowley couldn't overcome his childish hatred for certain people to write a novel with more depth, more character and more spirit.
For anyone looking for an occult novel with more to offer, I would recommend Dion Fortunes novels (the Goat Foot God, Sea Priestess etc.). They demonstrate a maturity and wisdom that Crowley sadly does not show here.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Foxrot
Format:Paperback
Crowley rarely made an attempt to communicate his insights to a mass market. Magick is a terrifically complex subject to explain dry, however. The rationale behind the few fiction stories he wrote was to convey some of the arcane concepts in the midst of some semblance of a real-world context. This doesn't sound like an easy thing to do, and there is debate about how successful were the results. Perhaps this book should have been another of his plays, but perhaps he felt much more able to stoop to level of the laity with a glorious pulp fiction. He didn't do this often.
The best way to read this book might be to keep your sense of humour close by. It is Victorian, but has none of the usual stuffiness or blandness of its contempories. You should appreciate that as literary artist (and fluent French speaker), Crowley liked bold, sometimes black, brush strokes. To his mind, some natural concepts were so grand and fascinating that he would just vehemently dig in to the exploration of them. Like a maniacal anatomist of the spirit he didn't seem to mind getting his hands bright wet. On this occasion, however I think that he showed a fair amount of restraint in offending sensibilities, but if he did so on occasion in this book, it was done for noble reasons. Any talk about self-aggrandisement in this novel is completely off the mark. The vaudeville enemy in this piece is fashioned from his own DNA and with no less attention to detail than the grand white wizard and this was done self-consciously. Enjoy it!
The best way to read this book might be to keep your sense of humour close by. It is Victorian, but has none of the usual stuffiness or blandness of its contempories. You should appreciate that as literary artist (and fluent French speaker), Crowley liked bold, sometimes black, brush strokes. To his mind, some natural concepts were so grand and fascinating that he would just vehemently dig in to the exploration of them. Like a maniacal anatomist of the spirit he didn't seem to mind getting his hands bright wet. On this occasion, however I think that he showed a fair amount of restraint in offending sensibilities, but if he did so on occasion in this book, it was done for noble reasons. Any talk about self-aggrandisement in this novel is completely off the mark. The vaudeville enemy in this piece is fashioned from his own DNA and with no less attention to detail than the grand white wizard and this was done self-consciously. Enjoy it!
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
For those who have never read any of Crowley's literary efforts, this is a good place to start. Of particular interest is his own footnotes which go far to explain his relationships with other esoteric groups. In his main character (his wise self)readers of Dennis Wheatley's occult tales will recognise how he has lifted Crowley's adept to become The Duke de Richelieu. Quite a blatant bit of literary filching!
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3.9 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hmmmm
Revolution in the East, War in Central Europe. In England, Crowley is Cyril Grey, his other brain is Simon Iff. Two sides of the Moon. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Dennis Sadovyak
4.0 out of 5 stars
Light & Dark
This is a novel by Crowley about a magical war between a white lodge ( led by Iff ) and a black lodge ( led by Douglas ) over an unborn child, the "Moonchild" of the title, with... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Baraniecki Mark Stuart
3.0 out of 5 stars
It's hardly fiction is it, mate?
Right, well I have just seen a review which has labelled this book a work of 'Fiction'. Which is quite frankly, complete balderdash. Read more
Published on 27 April 2010 by J. L. Maitland
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent title, excellent price
Excellent fiction book drawn on Crowley's practical ideas and many interesting information is passed as the story rolls.
A must for readers interested in Crowley's work.
A must for readers interested in Crowley's work.
Published on 8 Mar 2010 by Maria Leonor Jacinto
1.0 out of 5 stars
he should have written a textbook and not an attempt
at prose. The language is appalling and the style could be compared to that of a 10 year old (apart from the esoteric jargon). Read more
Published on 3 Jun 2005 by Ms. G. Thomas
3.0 out of 5 stars
A clever blend of storyline, poetry and philosophy.
As a novel Moonchild is limited in terms of plot, and lacks the twists and turns you might expect from a more experienced writer. Read more
Published on 10 Dec 2000 by adam@new-tech.fsnet.co.uk
4.0 out of 5 stars
A great book.
I have been an avid fan of Aleister Crowley ever since I heard Ozzy's song Mr. Crowley. This was not the best of his work, but it was written quite well. Read more
Published on 27 Jun 1998
5.0 out of 5 stars
Crowley at his finest...
Tons of Magickal theory in the setting of a pretty good story. The ending was a little lax. I underlined about half of the book, so many truths, so little time....
Published on 11 April 1998
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fizzles a little in the end.
Crowley's story is a well constructed thriller. I was somewhat disappointed by the ending (an 8 instead of a 9), but, all in all, I was pleased. Read more
Published on 16 April 1997
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