Customer Reviews

The Garden of Hermetic Dreams (Dedalus Occult Reader)

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I just received the book and checked the table of contents.... OH NO! I've read like 15 out of the 20 or so stories/selections.

One of the things I love about Dedalus collections is that they typically dig for hidden gems -rather than going for the obvious... how disappointing.

As a comparison... I received Dadelus's Surrealism2 collection at the same time. and Im only familiar with about 3/50 writers.

This is a review of The Fiery Angel not the Occult Reader. To be fair one has to credit Dedalus with printing this along with it's expansive list of rare and obscure occult themed fiction, it fits right in. However this one was best destined to remain out of print. The Fiery Angel is a weak blend of touristic occult nonsense and weaker still Gothic romance. It was a real grind to read as it was full of awkward turns of phrase and frankly terrible occult flirtations that illustrate that the author knew nothing of the topic. In fact he ends the book with an explicit and heavy handed catholic denouncement of the entire practice. One wonders if he did this to save his reputation or to admit that he was ignorant of all occult matters. This book is saved only by a amusing but ultimately pedestrian description of the Witch's Sabbath. Avoid this one and enjoy other Occult literature that is more than a crappy romance in attractive wrapping paper.