Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #23011 in Books
• Published on: 1971-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

Customer Reviews

Years ago they tried to ban it...
This is a fantastic book, indeed if Crowley was a young american author he would be the 'great hope' of the literary world. Thats the impression i was left wiith anyway!

It is a story of love and the couples reliance on drugs to survive, nothing else matters to them. It is not the subject matter that is important, it is Crowleys ability to explain and enlighten the reader to the glory of drugs and their hellish undertow. Crowley was a lifelong heroin addict and is more than qualified to explain. He tells us that when on a drug like heroin, one is perfectly capable of thought and able to aknowledge the world around them, however, the impression left is like flashes of lightning which illuminate the area, giving you a glimpse of what is around for the briefest of moments. The novel is very psychological with insight to the thoughts, and therefore the actions, of a drug addict. Not since Dostoyevsky have i read a more intiriguing set of emotions.

I must admit that i am writing this review from memory (i read it about 5 months ago) but it is definitley a book i would recommend and read again, the author is merely incidental so anyone who is out off the tag of a Crowley book in his collection should dispel any fears, it is simply not an issue when dealing with an undoubted work of genius, there is no book like it. There is no wrong or right attached to their actions, it is a story of effect and cause, not cause and effect (drugs which lead to a life of hell as opposed to a hellish lifestyle which leads to an 'escape' through drugs).

Better to read about it than to find out about it.

Filled with highs and lows.
'Diary of a Drug Fiend' was the first book of Crowley's that I ever read. At the age of 14 it did leave a romantic impression. It deals with the Crowley addicted to herion and cocaine (Peter Pendragon) and the Crowley who uses these drugs in a magical and responsible context (King Lamus) but in the same time frame. The last part is the earliest known account of the Abbey of Thelema in Sicily. One can sense the pioneer spirit of the day through the prose, almost by osmosis. By the time the book was published Crowley had been expelled from the country by Mussolinni. Unfortunately the only substances outlined are heroin and cocaine - I am certain the authour dabbled in far more... As you would expect the Thelemic ethos is outlined, an almost invariable occurence in Crowley's works - but this is only adumbrated and done tastefully. It is also a rather sweet love story.

A Must Read
Although the style is a little dated the message and story are fresh as only Uncle can make them. A must read for anyone who is interested in exploring new realities. Share a copy with a friend.