Customer Reviews
Kether on the biog tree of life! - By: M. Fitzgerald, 30 Sep 2003 
Having read nine other biographies of A.C. I consider this to bein many regards the best. Sutin has here managed a thorough & fair treatment of the head spinning character that is Crowley, whom we follow up mountains, through deserts, into psychedelic discombobulation & beyond. Sutin has a great style which carries the reader smoothly through A.C.'s incredible life, never relying too much on extracts from the 'Confessions' as others have done. I feel Sutin's dedication to this book was immense; it really is a superb addition to the library dedicated to Crowley, oozing high quality research & sanity.
Warts and all. - By: , 07 Jul 2002 
Crowley has always been a figure deserving of a good biography but untill now he has only ever been portrayed as a charlatan & a pervert. Sutin has tried to draw up a picture of the man without exaggerating or overdramatising him. He never mocks Crowley's vocation & reports on his rituals & experiments with admirable impartiality, giving more credibility to the man as a whole. Overall, Crowley does not come across as a likeable person; he is arrogant, misogynous, intolerant, xenophobic etc But he is also shown as intelligent & capable and,in some cases, justifiedin his arrogance. Importantly the book never becomes boring, Sutin does not dwell on the more lurid details nor does he resort to reporting anecdotes or rumours. Some well known stories about the man are notably absent from the book. Probably the main problem about with this biography is the lack of concrete fact about Crowley. A good deal of the informationin the book is drawn from Crowley's own autobiography and, as Sutin points out, Crowley is not always to be believed.
Overall the book is an enjoyable read, although those looking for sensational & lurid stories may want to look elsewhere, those with an interestin the magickal philosophy of Crowley, will be glad to see that it is presented with the respect that maybe it deserves.
