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The Drug and Other Stories by William Breeze, David Stuart Davies, Aleister Crowley, David Tibet
rui_leite's review
4.0
Well I had only previously read "The Moonchild" by Crowley, and I enjoyed it, yet I wasn't quite sure what to expect of these. I have to say for me this was a fascinating ride... not an easy one, I will admit, as his writing style seemed to be quite particular and sometimes a bit hard to follow, but more often than not the effort was worth it. The stories are smart and very different from almost everything I have ever read, the man was a surprisingly good author who knew quite well how to play with the readers expectations.
I particularly liked the way in which the endings, much of the time, seemed to be predictable, but frequently would turn out to be something completely different from what we had anticipated, and in the few instances where we, in fact are right (it only happened once, in the story "Ercildoune", which nonetheless to me was one of the best) the means by which it arrives is satisfactory unexpected.
Interestingly enough the stuff most people remember about Crowley (the father of Magik with a "k" instead of a "c", and all that) was what more often would throw me off some stories. When he uses the occult to give some flavour to the narrative it is a nice and unique touch, but when he bases a tale entirely around occult stuff (yes, it's a technical term, look it up)...well...they might be good, but they sure do fly over my head, so I couldn't really say.
Yet my favourite aspect of most of these tales is the humour. In some it is more pronounced, in others delightfully hidden and, in a few, only obvious in the very last sentences, where the reader realizes that he was, in fact, the but of a joke and just fell for a "shaggy dog story", and will laugh at himself. No matter what there is always a fine amount of wit, combined whit a very critical outlook on society which I found refreshing.
I particularly liked the way in which the endings, much of the time, seemed to be predictable, but frequently would turn out to be something completely different from what we had anticipated, and in the few instances where we, in fact are right (it only happened once, in the story "Ercildoune", which nonetheless to me was one of the best) the means by which it arrives is satisfactory unexpected.
Interestingly enough the stuff most people remember about Crowley (the father of Magik with a "k" instead of a "c", and all that) was what more often would throw me off some stories. When he uses the occult to give some flavour to the narrative it is a nice and unique touch, but when he bases a tale entirely around occult stuff (yes, it's a technical term, look it up)...well...they might be good, but they sure do fly over my head, so I couldn't really say.
Yet my favourite aspect of most of these tales is the humour. In some it is more pronounced, in others delightfully hidden and, in a few, only obvious in the very last sentences, where the reader realizes that he was, in fact, the but of a joke and just fell for a "shaggy dog story", and will laugh at himself. No matter what there is always a fine amount of wit, combined whit a very critical outlook on society which I found refreshing.
woolfardis's review
3.0
Forty-nine short stories make up this wonderful yet obscure collection of Aleister Crowley's writing. It is in turns solemn, amusing, dark and light as any collection should indeed be.
Crowley is a wonderful writer, but often he does not put so much effort in to some rather than others and as a result the collection can feel as if it is written, not necessarily by two different people, but certainly at different stages of life. They are also some fairly "normal" stories in here, which if you know anything about Crowley you will understand what I mean by that. I have never been a fan of short stories but I must admit I enjoyed the process of reading this collection a lot more than I ever thought I would.
'The Three Characteristics': literally no idea what this is about. One of the more weirder ones that might make sense when I've learnt more.
'The Wake World': Possibly the worst-written piece of writing ever to exist, but the grotesque imagination is captivating. A type of dark fairytale with a fairyland like no other, blending the boundaries between being awake and dreaming.
'T'ien Tao: or, the Synagogue of Satan': We meet Crowley's alter-ego Tao here, a strong swimmer for one thing, though not at all shark-proof. He reforms Japan with undiluted words in the most magnanimous and pompous manner. Oddly written well when compared to the previous one.
'The Stone of the Philosophers': Most excellent. A society of men, or philosophers, meet in Holbien House and share stories and poetry about Gods and religion, debating them along the lines of philosophy. Well-written and thought-provoking. Favourite thus far.
'The Drug': Short but impressive. The odd difference in ability of these stories so far is rather confounding, but this was a drug-induced delight. The pain and the painful delight, metaphors and metaphysical meanings.
'Cancer? A study in Nerves': The story of a severe hypochondriac who believes he has every type of cancer imaginable. The first glimpse of a true horrific story thus far. A great ending.
'At the Fork of the Roads': A young woman must make the choice between a Dark Master and another who is just about lighter than him. Shorter than most, with a great insight in to the deprivation of men and women alike.
'The Dream Circean': A curious mix between Rapunzel and some Wildean, Romanticised opium-fueled moral tale. Very well written, very early Victorian-style. Short but sweet.
'Illusion d'Amoureux': ('Illusion of Love') Mild Gothic erotica (sexless, but about sex and all that surrounds it). Vivid and colourful imagery of an occultist's fantasy. It's got Aleister Crowley written all over it.
'The Soul-Hunter': A curious cross between 'Dracula' and 'Frankenstein', a vampire dissects a living man to try and find his soul. Madness rages in the both of them. Finely written, and very witty.
'The Daughter of the Horseleech': This one made no sense as a whole, despite being written well. Felt anti-biblical but who the daughter or indeed the horseleech were I am at a loss. One to be researched at a later date.
'The Violinist': Very short, but captivating and intriguing; the one that has stirred my imagination the most.
'The Vixen': Lustful rituals and a curious ending. Similar themes are popping up.
'The Ordeal of Ida Pendragon': More similar themes and places (Paris-a magick playground?) and it felt as though Crowley was taking the piss out of the very people and things he was and did. Perhaps not wholly, but those he felt were below him and what he himself did.
'Apollo Bestows the Violin': He was a big fan of the violin, don't you know. A mythical fairytale with esoteric roots.
'Across the Gulf': The most boring, and the most self-indulgent thus far. Hard to tell whether the protagonist was male or female (unsure, but I think it is important) and it was just basically drivel in the most profound of ways. Egyptian Gods abound, with a journey of some not inconsiderable consequence, yet still dire to the extreme. He is a better writer than this, though it feels as if his sheer passion for magick took over him. Much longer than his others, too, which might explain it.
'His Secret Sin': In a time of fervid religious governing, a greengrocer is ashamed at his daughter's want to study art and be independent, though each night he looks at a nudey photo he bought on a whim in Paris. A most excellent short story.
'The Woodcutter': Dare I say it? Of course. Much better than any Grimm could come up with. A tale of the unexpected, no doubt, with a nice dollop of philosophy thrown in.
Professor Zircon': A simple tale of jealous love with a darker, alchemic twist. Good as is, no more.
'The Vitriol-Thrower': a Tale of one man and his whore, whom through loss of beauty learns the true meaning of something or other, probably. One of the more strange ones with metaphors strewn throughout, not to good effect this time.
'The Testament of Magdalen Blair': One more of lengthier prose, Magdalen Blair is a student who soon becomes aware of her psychic nature, entering both a physical and academic relationship with her teacher as they experiment in the boundaries of her "talent". Insanity, science, demons and the heavens above all vye for her attention as her husband moves from love to death.
'Ercildoune': A lengthy short story of a deep family history, a plot to murder and unrequited love (times infinity). Reminded me slightly of a Holmsian story of worldly remarks and a lot of running to and fro. Enjoyable, though occasionally confusing with the amount of characters and their numerous iterations.
'The Stratagem': Every collection of short stories has one of these: a story that ends in a cliffhanger and makes you infuriated with it. It was a good story, a wonderful story until the end. Nicely written but I'll never enjoy this kind.
'Lieutenant Finn's Promotion': Jungle-fevered adventure story of one man's desire to claim parts of Africa for France and those who are trying to find him. Drifts off towards the end in to nonsense. Not the best (but indeed, not the worst).
'The Chute': Segmented for greater impact, this follows the life of a non-prosperous painter and a childish ballet dancer in a parable-esque form connecting to those Deadly Sins. Falls apart toward the end, but enjoyable nevertheless.
'A Death Bed Repentance': Rather dull story of a barrister's dying religious father. Repentance, though not as you know it. Some good moments but a little too Roiscrucian indulgent.
'Felo de Se': A nice sentiment with views on why, or indeed why not, too commit suicide with some great notions to think upon, but it was written rather badly which made the whole story cumbersome to read.
'The Argument that Took the Wrong Turning': The shortest story of only one page, short but rather good. An inditement on the goodness of finding no fault in alcohol.
'Robbing Miss Horniman': A most enjoyable tale, one of those tale-within-a-tale stories that all collections appear to, and should, contain. Short be sweet, a story of robbery, deceit and South African diamonds.
'Face': Unapologetically brutal. A Chinese surgeon in Scotland is denied an interracial marriage, thus he wreaks his vengeance on the family. Very witty and stark.
'Which Things are an Allegory': Complete load of tosh. I suppose it held meaning somewhere but I'll be damned if I know where.
'The Crime of the Impasse de l'Enfant Jésus': Hmm. A story no doubt, though not particularly enjoyable except in the way that all spy stories are vaguely enjoyable. Written well though the plot was rather wobbly.
'Atlantis': I'm really not sure what it was I just read... A "history" of the lost world of Atlantis, or as he calls it, Atlas. Very thorough, actually, but often just a tangent. Rather self-indulgent, but I think a decent account of a little lengthy. Very imaginative.
'The Mysterious Malady': "Last night she made desperate love to me - an obvious trick." Oh, I like this one. He's insane. Despite its simplicity, this story of a deluded doctor is sublime, though it is a tale told often.
'The Bald Man': Very descriptive and very evocative tale of a group of soldiers in WWI. Held my attention so much I didn't want it to end.
'Black and Silver': Short, and rather simple, but quite of its time, too. Not really anything to shout about, but not terrible, either.
'The Humour of Pauline Pepper': Short and rather parablesque in the most esoteric manner. Enjoyable but nothing special.
'A Nativity': Well that escalated quickly.
'Every Precaution': Kind of an anti-moral morality tale via The Green Fairy.
'God's Journey': Rather long and more that great, but with a good message and quite humorous in an archaic kind of way.
'The Colour of my Eyes': A very delicate and charming myth-like tale of how colour came in to the eyes.
'Dedit!': Beautiful descriptive text with a story within the story of morality and immortality.
'Colonel Pacton's Brother': The longest story in the collection, though probably the worst. Very droll with an uninteresting plot and too many characters for such a short tale.
'The Vampire of Vespuccia': The ravings of Mad Maggie and her nonsense life. Not particularly good but the idea was enjoyable. Needed more: more edge, more explanation.
'As You Were': Completely didn't understand the point or the plot of this story.
'Only a Dog': A charming tale of a dog, who is Only a Dog. A take on the English, their feelings, their fondness for animals. Our perhaps not. Perhaps it was just a story.
'The Virgin': Absolutely no idea, again. Would have been laborious had it not been ideally short in length.
'A Masque': Gothic Horror with sumptuous description of storms and pain. Frankenstein and Dracula combined.
'The Escape': Reminds me of those Monty Python Yorkshire men trying to put Poor each other. Odd little take of adventure and danger, but obscure enough to not be of much worth.
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Crowley is a wonderful writer, but often he does not put so much effort in to some rather than others and as a result the collection can feel as if it is written, not necessarily by two different people, but certainly at different stages of life. They are also some fairly "normal" stories in here, which if you know anything about Crowley you will understand what I mean by that. I have never been a fan of short stories but I must admit I enjoyed the process of reading this collection a lot more than I ever thought I would.
'The Three Characteristics': literally no idea what this is about. One of the more weirder ones that might make sense when I've learnt more.
'The Wake World': Possibly the worst-written piece of writing ever to exist, but the grotesque imagination is captivating. A type of dark fairytale with a fairyland like no other, blending the boundaries between being awake and dreaming.
'T'ien Tao: or, the Synagogue of Satan': We meet Crowley's alter-ego Tao here, a strong swimmer for one thing, though not at all shark-proof. He reforms Japan with undiluted words in the most magnanimous and pompous manner. Oddly written well when compared to the previous one.
'The Stone of the Philosophers': Most excellent. A society of men, or philosophers, meet in Holbien House and share stories and poetry about Gods and religion, debating them along the lines of philosophy. Well-written and thought-provoking. Favourite thus far.
'The Drug': Short but impressive. The odd difference in ability of these stories so far is rather confounding, but this was a drug-induced delight. The pain and the painful delight, metaphors and metaphysical meanings.
'Cancer? A study in Nerves': The story of a severe hypochondriac who believes he has every type of cancer imaginable. The first glimpse of a true horrific story thus far. A great ending.
'At the Fork of the Roads': A young woman must make the choice between a Dark Master and another who is just about lighter than him. Shorter than most, with a great insight in to the deprivation of men and women alike.
'The Dream Circean': A curious mix between Rapunzel and some Wildean, Romanticised opium-fueled moral tale. Very well written, very early Victorian-style. Short but sweet.
'Illusion d'Amoureux': ('Illusion of Love') Mild Gothic erotica (sexless, but about sex and all that surrounds it). Vivid and colourful imagery of an occultist's fantasy. It's got Aleister Crowley written all over it.
'The Soul-Hunter': A curious cross between 'Dracula' and 'Frankenstein', a vampire dissects a living man to try and find his soul. Madness rages in the both of them. Finely written, and very witty.
'The Daughter of the Horseleech': This one made no sense as a whole, despite being written well. Felt anti-biblical but who the daughter or indeed the horseleech were I am at a loss. One to be researched at a later date.
'The Violinist': Very short, but captivating and intriguing; the one that has stirred my imagination the most.
'The Vixen': Lustful rituals and a curious ending. Similar themes are popping up.
'The Ordeal of Ida Pendragon': More similar themes and places (Paris-a magick playground?) and it felt as though Crowley was taking the piss out of the very people and things he was and did. Perhaps not wholly, but those he felt were below him and what he himself did.
'Apollo Bestows the Violin': He was a big fan of the violin, don't you know. A mythical fairytale with esoteric roots.
'Across the Gulf': The most boring, and the most self-indulgent thus far. Hard to tell whether the protagonist was male or female (unsure, but I think it is important) and it was just basically drivel in the most profound of ways. Egyptian Gods abound, with a journey of some not inconsiderable consequence, yet still dire to the extreme. He is a better writer than this, though it feels as if his sheer passion for magick took over him. Much longer than his others, too, which might explain it.
'His Secret Sin': In a time of fervid religious governing, a greengrocer is ashamed at his daughter's want to study art and be independent, though each night he looks at a nudey photo he bought on a whim in Paris. A most excellent short story.
'The Woodcutter': Dare I say it? Of course. Much better than any Grimm could come up with. A tale of the unexpected, no doubt, with a nice dollop of philosophy thrown in.
Professor Zircon': A simple tale of jealous love with a darker, alchemic twist. Good as is, no more.
'The Vitriol-Thrower': a Tale of one man and his whore, whom through loss of beauty learns the true meaning of something or other, probably. One of the more strange ones with metaphors strewn throughout, not to good effect this time.
'The Testament of Magdalen Blair': One more of lengthier prose, Magdalen Blair is a student who soon becomes aware of her psychic nature, entering both a physical and academic relationship with her teacher as they experiment in the boundaries of her "talent". Insanity, science, demons and the heavens above all vye for her attention as her husband moves from love to death.
'Ercildoune': A lengthy short story of a deep family history, a plot to murder and unrequited love (times infinity). Reminded me slightly of a Holmsian story of worldly remarks and a lot of running to and fro. Enjoyable, though occasionally confusing with the amount of characters and their numerous iterations.
'The Stratagem': Every collection of short stories has one of these: a story that ends in a cliffhanger and makes you infuriated with it. It was a good story, a wonderful story until the end. Nicely written but I'll never enjoy this kind.
'Lieutenant Finn's Promotion': Jungle-fevered adventure story of one man's desire to claim parts of Africa for France and those who are trying to find him. Drifts off towards the end in to nonsense. Not the best (but indeed, not the worst).
'The Chute': Segmented for greater impact, this follows the life of a non-prosperous painter and a childish ballet dancer in a parable-esque form connecting to those Deadly Sins. Falls apart toward the end, but enjoyable nevertheless.
'A Death Bed Repentance': Rather dull story of a barrister's dying religious father. Repentance, though not as you know it. Some good moments but a little too Roiscrucian indulgent.
'Felo de Se': A nice sentiment with views on why, or indeed why not, too commit suicide with some great notions to think upon, but it was written rather badly which made the whole story cumbersome to read.
'The Argument that Took the Wrong Turning': The shortest story of only one page, short but rather good. An inditement on the goodness of finding no fault in alcohol.
'Robbing Miss Horniman': A most enjoyable tale, one of those tale-within-a-tale stories that all collections appear to, and should, contain. Short be sweet, a story of robbery, deceit and South African diamonds.
'Face': Unapologetically brutal. A Chinese surgeon in Scotland is denied an interracial marriage, thus he wreaks his vengeance on the family. Very witty and stark.
'Which Things are an Allegory': Complete load of tosh. I suppose it held meaning somewhere but I'll be damned if I know where.
'The Crime of the Impasse de l'Enfant Jésus': Hmm. A story no doubt, though not particularly enjoyable except in the way that all spy stories are vaguely enjoyable. Written well though the plot was rather wobbly.
'Atlantis': I'm really not sure what it was I just read... A "history" of the lost world of Atlantis, or as he calls it, Atlas. Very thorough, actually, but often just a tangent. Rather self-indulgent, but I think a decent account of a little lengthy. Very imaginative.
'The Mysterious Malady': "Last night she made desperate love to me - an obvious trick." Oh, I like this one. He's insane. Despite its simplicity, this story of a deluded doctor is sublime, though it is a tale told often.
'The Bald Man': Very descriptive and very evocative tale of a group of soldiers in WWI. Held my attention so much I didn't want it to end.
'Black and Silver': Short, and rather simple, but quite of its time, too. Not really anything to shout about, but not terrible, either.
'The Humour of Pauline Pepper': Short and rather parablesque in the most esoteric manner. Enjoyable but nothing special.
'A Nativity': Well that escalated quickly.
'Every Precaution': Kind of an anti-moral morality tale via The Green Fairy.
'God's Journey': Rather long and more that great, but with a good message and quite humorous in an archaic kind of way.
'The Colour of my Eyes': A very delicate and charming myth-like tale of how colour came in to the eyes.
'Dedit!': Beautiful descriptive text with a story within the story of morality and immortality.
'Colonel Pacton's Brother': The longest story in the collection, though probably the worst. Very droll with an uninteresting plot and too many characters for such a short tale.
'The Vampire of Vespuccia': The ravings of Mad Maggie and her nonsense life. Not particularly good but the idea was enjoyable. Needed more: more edge, more explanation.
'As You Were': Completely didn't understand the point or the plot of this story.
'Only a Dog': A charming tale of a dog, who is Only a Dog. A take on the English, their feelings, their fondness for animals. Our perhaps not. Perhaps it was just a story.
'The Virgin': Absolutely no idea, again. Would have been laborious had it not been ideally short in length.
'A Masque': Gothic Horror with sumptuous description of storms and pain. Frankenstein and Dracula combined.
'The Escape': Reminds me of those Monty Python Yorkshire men trying to put Poor each other. Odd little take of adventure and danger, but obscure enough to not be of much worth.
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arthurbdd's review
2.0
Only The Testament of Magdalen Blair really stands out in this anthology of Crowley's largely mediocre output of fiction. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/2020/10/11/crowley-in-small-doses/
bigbookslilreads's review against another edition
2.0
So this may be a low rating, but "it's ok", just like goodreads describes the 2-stars. It is a short story collection, which is not my favourite thing to read, mainly because it jumps around so quickly in content and quality.
First of all, Crowley's writing is beautiful, definitely made me want to read some passages out loud. He is also quite funny, snarky and creative with his story-telling, trying a few different things in this over-40 story book. However, his writing can also be a bit confusing at times. The fact that some of the stories also meander made me lose track and focus quite frequently, especially in the second half of the book.
My favourite stories although, and the ones I think I will reread often are:
- The Three Characteristics;
- The Wake World;
- T'ien Tao;
- The Stone of the Philosophers (the poetry in this story was so beautiful!);
- The Soul-Hunter;
- The Testament of Magdalen Blair;
- Felo de Se;
- Face;
- The Bald Man;
- God's Journey;
- The Colour of My Eyes;
- Dedit.
Please be aware that there's a LOT of sensitive topics discussed in this book... And I hope that whomever picks up a Crowley book is well prepared for it. Suicide, paedophilia, violence, murder, rape... He can also be quite sexist. He is mostly unconventional though, going against certain societal norms and institutions, like the Church. He speaks in a lot of symbolism, so probably someone who knows more of the Kabbalah, Egyptian mythos, Masonic symbolism, etc, will follow him better. The stories more heavy on that are nonetheless interesting, and they really give you chills and a certain pound in your heart. At least they did for me! They are weird though, there's no escaping that. Crowley was the weirdest. He even got expelled from his order for being too out there.
I would recommend this to whomever likes beautiful, symbolic and witty writing! I would especially advise you to read some of those stories I mentioned above, to get a taste. I don't think this book needed so many, personally.
First of all, Crowley's writing is beautiful, definitely made me want to read some passages out loud. He is also quite funny, snarky and creative with his story-telling, trying a few different things in this over-40 story book. However, his writing can also be a bit confusing at times. The fact that some of the stories also meander made me lose track and focus quite frequently, especially in the second half of the book.
My favourite stories although, and the ones I think I will reread often are:
- The Three Characteristics;
- The Wake World;
- T'ien Tao;
- The Stone of the Philosophers (the poetry in this story was so beautiful!);
- The Soul-Hunter;
- The Testament of Magdalen Blair;
- Felo de Se;
- Face;
- The Bald Man;
- God's Journey;
- The Colour of My Eyes;
- Dedit.
Please be aware that there's a LOT of sensitive topics discussed in this book... And I hope that whomever picks up a Crowley book is well prepared for it. Suicide, paedophilia, violence, murder, rape... He can also be quite sexist. He is mostly unconventional though, going against certain societal norms and institutions, like the Church. He speaks in a lot of symbolism, so probably someone who knows more of the Kabbalah, Egyptian mythos, Masonic symbolism, etc, will follow him better. The stories more heavy on that are nonetheless interesting, and they really give you chills and a certain pound in your heart. At least they did for me! They are weird though, there's no escaping that. Crowley was the weirdest. He even got expelled from his order for being too out there.
I would recommend this to whomever likes beautiful, symbolic and witty writing! I would especially advise you to read some of those stories I mentioned above, to get a taste. I don't think this book needed so many, personally.
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