Heliogabalus: Or, The Crowned Anarchist (Creation Modern Classics) [Paperback]

Antonin Artaud (Author), alexis lykiard (Translator), stephen barber (Introduction)

Book Description

Series: Creation Modern Classics | Publication Date: September 1, 2003

Antonin Artaud's novelized biography of the third-century Roman Emperor Heliogabalus is both his most accessible and his most extreme book. Written in 1933, when Artaud was preparing his legendary Theatre of Cruelty, Heliogabalus is a powerful concoction of sexual excess, self-deification, and terminal violence.

Reflecting its author's preoccupation with the occult, magic, -Satan, and esoteric religions, the author assembles an entire world-view from the raw material of insanity, sexual obsession and anger.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Heliogabalus is Artaud's greatest and most revolutionary masterpiece: an incendiary work that reveals both the divine cruelty of the Roman Emperor and that of Artaud himself." - Stephen Barber" --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Antonin Artaud is one of the most deeply influential writers of the 20th Century, known for his invention of the Theater Of Cruelty.

Alexis Lykiard, Greek-born and living in England, is best known for his translation of Lautreamont’s Maldoror, a text now adopted in many US universities. He has translated several other classic works of Surrealism, including works by Celine, Apollinaire and Aragon. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Tears Corporation (New) (September 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1840681004
• ISBN-13: 978-1840681000
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,443,856 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible Book, April 13, 2007

By 

Micki P "Micki P" (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heliogabalus: Or, the Crowned Anarchist (Paperback)

This book is Antonin Artaud's prose-history of the emperor Heliogabalus in which he explores philosophically the world of sperm cults, sun-worship, castration rituals, sodomy and extravagant theatrics in which the child king rose to his bizarre and decadent reign. This book has only recently become available in the English language - a tremendous contribution for anglophone readers. Rest assured that Artaud's arcane poetry has been translated with mastery by Lykiard. An excellent read for anyone interested in themes of anarchy, mysticism, or avant-garde theater.

4 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars YAWN!, August 8, 2008

By 

C. Jones (Beaverton, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Heliogabalus: Or, the Crowned Anarchist (Paperback)

If you buy this book, be prepared for DULL. Lots of boring filler about the religious landscape at the time and not that much content about Heliogabalus until the second half of the book. I actually tried to read this book but eventually gave up and turned to skimming it. It's now in the pile of books heading for the used book store.