Robert Anton Wilson's Illuminatus Trilogy
Moderator: Orlion
-
Gadget nee Jemcheeta
- The Gap Into Spam
- Posts: 2040
- Joined: Wed Oct 06, 2004 2:05 pm
- Location: Cleveland
Robert Anton Wilson's Illuminatus Trilogy
Has anyone on here read these psychotic and amazing books?
Start where you are,
use what you have,
do what you can.
use what you have,
do what you can.
-
danlo
- Lord
- Posts: 20838
- Joined: Wed Mar 06, 2002 8:29 pm
- Location: Albuquerque NM
- Been thanked: 1 time
- Contact:
Yes of course--Gnomes of Zurich--UFOs--Chuthulu--you name it! Conspiracies upon conspiracies-practically founded the Church of the Subgenius. Ever played the board game!? Ah I love it!!!
Last edited by danlo on Mon Aug 15, 2005 4:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
fall far and well Pilots!
-
Gadget nee Jemcheeta
- The Gap Into Spam
- Posts: 2040
- Joined: Wed Oct 06, 2004 2:05 pm
- Location: Cleveland
Actually, Reverand Stang of the Church of the Subgenius broadcasts out of Cleveland State university near where I live every sunday at 9, and I JUST REALIZED that I missed the hour of slack because I'm talking about it.
Curses.
Anyway, I don't know anyone else that has read it, and theres so much to talk about in it that it left my head spinning. It was better the second time through though.
Curses.
Anyway, I don't know anyone else that has read it, and theres so much to talk about in it that it left my head spinning. It was better the second time through though.
Start where you are,
use what you have,
do what you can.
use what you have,
do what you can.
-
Kinslaughterer
- The Gap Into Spam
- Posts: 2950
- Joined: Fri Jul 04, 2003 3:38 am
- Location: Backwoods
I'm a big fan...can't think to hard on some of the conspiracies as I may start believeing them
fnord!
fnord!
"We do not follow maps to buried treasure, and remember:X never, ever, marks the spot."
- Professor Henry Jones Jr.
"Hither came Conan, the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand, a thief, a reaver, a slayer, with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandalled feet."
https://crowcanyon.org/
support your local archaeologist!
- Professor Henry Jones Jr.
"Hither came Conan, the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand, a thief, a reaver, a slayer, with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandalled feet."
https://crowcanyon.org/
support your local archaeologist!
-
Kinslaughterer
- The Gap Into Spam
- Posts: 2950
- Joined: Fri Jul 04, 2003 3:38 am
- Location: Backwoods
Oh yeah, they are there. I started noticing them after I picked up my Discordian pope card...
"We do not follow maps to buried treasure, and remember:X never, ever, marks the spot."
- Professor Henry Jones Jr.
"Hither came Conan, the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand, a thief, a reaver, a slayer, with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandalled feet."
https://crowcanyon.org/
support your local archaeologist!
- Professor Henry Jones Jr.
"Hither came Conan, the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand, a thief, a reaver, a slayer, with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandalled feet."
https://crowcanyon.org/
support your local archaeologist!
I carry a Deity card myself. -
The Laughing Man
- The Gap Into Spam
- Posts: 9033
- Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2005 4:56 pm
- Location: LMAO
-
Zarathustra
- The Gap Into Spam
- Posts: 19842
- Joined: Tue Jan 04, 2005 12:23 am
- Has thanked: 1 time
- Been thanked: 1 time
I finished the trilogy a couple months ago. I was not impressed. This is coming from a Watcher who pays homage to RAW in his forum name! There are MUCH better RAW books--all of his "nonfiction" books, for instance. All the Cosmic Trigger series, to be specific. In his nonfiction books, you get all the important philosophical concepts in the Illuminatus in a much more condensed form, without the silly characters and implausible, contrived coincidences. Wilson is an amazing thinker. This trilogy does not exhibit the full depth of his thought.
I suppose if this were the first thing of his I'd read, I might be impressed. It clearly touches on themes such as the uncertain nature of reality, the relativity of history, the practical uses of conceptual anarchy. But this series is so long with such little payoff, I'm afraid that if this were all people read of his stuff, they'd stop there.
A much better book (though even harder to read) is Masks of the Illuminati, in which Aliester Crowley is a character. That man is fucked up! I think James Joyce and Einstien make an appearance, too. Imagine the possibilities with those three in a story! Just imagine the conversations they would have.
In the end, I'll have to say that I like the post-modern pseudo-stream-of-consciousness style this trilogy tries to acheive. I like the confusing, disorienting effect of the sudden, inexplicable changes in character point-of-view. I like the blurring of the symbolic and literal lines. But this trilogy was ultimately disappointing.
I suppose if this were the first thing of his I'd read, I might be impressed. It clearly touches on themes such as the uncertain nature of reality, the relativity of history, the practical uses of conceptual anarchy. But this series is so long with such little payoff, I'm afraid that if this were all people read of his stuff, they'd stop there.
A much better book (though even harder to read) is Masks of the Illuminati, in which Aliester Crowley is a character. That man is fucked up! I think James Joyce and Einstien make an appearance, too. Imagine the possibilities with those three in a story! Just imagine the conversations they would have.
In the end, I'll have to say that I like the post-modern pseudo-stream-of-consciousness style this trilogy tries to acheive. I like the confusing, disorienting effect of the sudden, inexplicable changes in character point-of-view. I like the blurring of the symbolic and literal lines. But this trilogy was ultimately disappointing.
Avatar wrote:Have read it a few times, except I've never been able to get my hands on book 4. Love them, love the other books he's written, never fails to bend my mind one way or another. BTW, another Member is a fan of them as well, Count Cagliostro.
Great Books
--A
I don't know if he's a member of the watch, but I understand the Comte de Saint-Germain is also a big fan!
Proverbs for Paranoids #3.
If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about answers.
If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about answers.
I got through it once, and vowed never to return...read too much like a bad trip for my taste.
And I was cornswabbled to find that it was on the shelf of the little school I was then teaching at in Namibia. I had it taken off the shelf...
And I was cornswabbled to find that it was on the shelf of the little school I was then teaching at in Namibia. I had it taken off the shelf...
"Verily, wisdom is like hunger. Perhaps it is a very fine thing--but who would willingly partake of it."
--Saltheart Foamfollower
"Latency--what is concealed--is the demonstrable presence of the future."
--Jean Gebser
--Saltheart Foamfollower
"Latency--what is concealed--is the demonstrable presence of the future."
--Jean Gebser
-
Cagliostro
- The Gap Into Spam
- Posts: 9360
- Joined: Tue Jun 28, 2005 10:39 pm
- Location: Colorado
Wow, how have I never seen this?
Actually, I'm totally with Z on this. I'd say out of RAW's work, this is probably my least favorite, which is odd as he is most known for it. The last time I read it was probably over 10 years ago, and it was interesting being able to separate the co-authors out. I've only read one Robert Shea book, and while most of Illuminatus read like Wilson, I never felt like they were my favorite pairings. However, from playing the card game first, then seeing the book that served primarily as inspiration, it was pretty mind altering, and introduced me to a bunch of concepts that I fell in love with. But I must say that most of his other books do a much better job at getting those across.
My favorite of his fiction books are the sadly frequently passed over Historical Illuminatus books. They are much more coherent and fascinating. But I definitely prefer his "non-fiction," particularly the Cosmic Trigger books. Despite their typically awful new-agey covers. He is a brilliant man to me, and it comes across more often in his non-fiction.
Edit: Wilson had said at one point that Masks of the Illuminati was the sequel to the Historical Illuminatus series, despite saying that he was working on a fourth book at times. And Masks reads similar to the Historical, but I definitely have my preference. And Cagliostro had a bigger role, which drew me to him once upon a time.
Actually, I'm totally with Z on this. I'd say out of RAW's work, this is probably my least favorite, which is odd as he is most known for it. The last time I read it was probably over 10 years ago, and it was interesting being able to separate the co-authors out. I've only read one Robert Shea book, and while most of Illuminatus read like Wilson, I never felt like they were my favorite pairings. However, from playing the card game first, then seeing the book that served primarily as inspiration, it was pretty mind altering, and introduced me to a bunch of concepts that I fell in love with. But I must say that most of his other books do a much better job at getting those across.
My favorite of his fiction books are the sadly frequently passed over Historical Illuminatus books. They are much more coherent and fascinating. But I definitely prefer his "non-fiction," particularly the Cosmic Trigger books. Despite their typically awful new-agey covers. He is a brilliant man to me, and it comes across more often in his non-fiction.
Edit: Wilson had said at one point that Masks of the Illuminati was the sequel to the Historical Illuminatus series, despite saying that he was working on a fourth book at times. And Masks reads similar to the Historical, but I definitely have my preference. And Cagliostro had a bigger role, which drew me to him once upon a time.
Last edited by Cagliostro on Tue Mar 08, 2011 3:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Life is a waste of time
Time is a waste of life
So get wasted all of the time
And you'll have the time of your life
-
hue of fuzzpaws
- <i>Haruchai</i>
- Posts: 616
- Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2007 11:18 am