Author Topic: Favourite Crowley Story  (Read 669 times)

Offline Satan'sAdvocaat

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Favourite Crowley Story
« on: October 15, 2011, 12:06:18 pm »
Apologies for posting this in the 'Biography' section, but cannot appear to access the Crowley as Writer Forum, and time, as usual, is short (if not a little on the fat side).

So, we may be getting the 'Simon Iff' stories in readily available print; lots of enthusiasm for Wordsworth's lovely job on making 'The Drug and Other Stories' available last year. Where can I get this ? How much does it cost ? Wow, etc ?
But what do lashtalians make of it ??

What is your favourite Aleister Crowley story ? !

Was it that incisvely morbid tale "The Testament of Magdalen Blair" ?  That wonderfully enjoyable exercise to pass time at a railway station, or other 'Stratagems'; that beautifully written and vilely fulfilled, gothic masterpiece "A Masque"; or the testament to Leila Wadell's enduring, and haunting sexuality in "The Violinist" ??

Come old, come new, come young and come bold; state your oppinion and let the website know. Give your appreciation of AC's 'religious philosophy':

only one proviso - you have to state the reason for your preference.

Love is the law, love under will.

Regards - Satan's Advocaat.

[I've given some indication of my own choices here].

Offline durga23

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RE: Favourite Crowley Story
« Reply #1 on: October 15, 2011, 03:58:12 pm »
I've always been partial to AC's "The Soul Hunter" from the Equinox I Number 3.  I like the journal style and have always loved stories that claim to only be a fragment of a greater whole - this one being the unpublished pages of the Dr.s diary.  

It was one of the first AC "stories" I read.  And, yes, I was fooled and looked around for the "published" parts of Dr. Arthur Lee's diary  :oops: - like looking for the Necronomicon! :roll:  

Of course, there are sooo many more - and if you open the door to his plays, as well - then the task of choosing a favorite for me becomes near impossible.

Offline tc

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Favourite Crowley Story
« Reply #2 on: October 15, 2011, 06:09:50 pm »
I love 'The Wake World', absolutely beguiling to a babe and suckling like myself. Wonderful how it weaves through the Tree in fine fairy tale form.

Tim Burton should have a crack at it. Just a thought.

tc

Offline Markus

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Favourite Crowley Story
« Reply #3 on: October 17, 2011, 04:27:48 pm »
I'd go with "The Burning of Melcarth". It is a predictable story, but it does make you feel as though you're right there.
Contradictio est regula veri, non contradictio falsi. G.W.F. Hegel

Offline Satan'sAdvocaat

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Favourite Crowley Story
« Reply #4 on: October 20, 2011, 03:13:44 pm »
Going into 'Golden Twigs' is cheating technically, Markus, but they happen to be some of my favourite Crowley stories too.

If I had to pick my favourite one it would be "The Mass of Saint Secaire".

Once mentioned these to a righteous pagan fellow, who opined that this was Crowley being smart with Frazer and somehow defiling the pagan wisdom of 'The Golden Bough'.  Needless to say, he had not actually read the stories.

Offline einDoppelganger

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Favourite Crowley Story
« Reply #5 on: October 20, 2011, 07:25:58 pm »
By all means it was "The Testament of Magdalen Blair." That story left me feeling delightfully ill in a way few strange tales manage. I'd be curious as to the conversation with Allan Bennett that  inspired this story.
"I much prefer your clavicles
To those of old King Solomon"
- Charles Baudelaire