Amazon.co.uk Review
One might expect
The Satanic Bible at least to offer a few prancing demons or a virgin sacrifice, but if you're looking for a tour of the house of horrors, this is the wrong book. Far from a manual for conquering the realms of earth, air, fire and water,
The Satanic Bible is Anton LaVey's manifesto of a new religion separate from the "traditional" Judeo-Christian definitions of Satanism. While LaVey rails against the deceit of the Christian church and white magicians, he busily weaves his own deceptions.
The Satanic Bible claims the heritage of a horde of evil deities--Bile', Dagon, Moloch, and Yao Tzin to name a few--but these ancient gods have no coherent connection between each other or to Satanism, except that all have been categorised by Christianity as "evil". Calling on these ancient names like a magician shouting, "Abracadabra", LaVey attempts to shatter the classical depiction of Satanism as a cult of black mass and child sacrifice. As the smoke clears, he leads us through a surprisingly logical argument in favour of a life focused on self-indulgence. The Satanic Bible is less bible and more philosophy (with a few rituals thrown in to keep us entertained), but this philosophy is the backbone of a religion that, until LaVey entered the scene, was merely a myth of the Christian church. It took LaVey, and The Satanic Bible, to turn this myth into a legitimate public religion.--Brian Patterson, Amazon.com
--This text refers to the
Mass Market Paperback
edition.