Our Name is Melancholy: The Complete Books of Azrael [Paperback]

Leilah Wendell (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0944087140 | ISBN-13: 978-0944087145 | Publication Date: May 1, 2002 | Edition: 4 Revised

In 1988, readers and reviewers hailed the First Edition of The Book of Azrael "the most fascinating book of the 20th century". A 16 years Best Seller of occult non-fiction, it sparked a subtle revolution in the way we deal with death in general, and Death the entity. It brought us up close and personal with the melancholy spectre commonly known as the Grim Reaper. The book's aim is to bring humanity to a greater understanding of His purpose here, and hereafter. This latest edition of OUR NAME IS MELANCHOLY - The Complete Books of Azrael has been revised, re-edited and expanded to include an all-new Book 3 and 4 as well as additions to the original manuscript. Through the Angel of Death's own words and the writings of His incarnate soul mate, this awesome spirit reveals to all His true nature and purpose. A haunting "autobiography" of the Angel of Death, this revelationary testament is both mighty in sorrow, and joy. Azrael is an eerie herald who has come to enchant the world with a divine danse macabre. For the ultimate tale of Love and Death is, indeed, a True Story.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"It might shock, intimidate, seduce, sadden you, sound unbelievable, or make perfect sense. But it will not leave you unaffected..." --Fortaen Times, UK 2002

"This is an expression of love that is all encompassing between two spirit halves separated by the Ultimate Mystery..." --Balder Magazine, UK 2002

"A story of, quite literally, love from beyond the grave." --Insights Magazine 2003

About the Author

As a child, Leilah Wendell grew up shadowed by a powerful & dark entity. Unremembered to her at first, this spirit became the host of numerous paranormal & extraordinary occurrences. These haunting events led her on a life-long excursion into the astral world. More precisely, into the "Valley of the Shadow." She has spent most of her life researching, writing & teaching matters pertaining to the necromantic & metaphysical, particularly the grey areas where light & darkness merge in a most necessary & important balance. Through her unique relationship with the Angel of Death, Leilah endeavors to impart His message to all. A member of the Author's Guild/Author' League of America, Leilah Wendell is the world's foremost recognized researcher of Death personifications and encounters. Author of 14 books and scores of articles on the subject, she is also a fine artists, poet and proprietor of The Westgate Museum in Louisiana, the first and only gallery devoted exclusively to Necromantic Art & Literature. Dedicated to Azrael, the Angel of Death, the gallery features fine art, prints, posters, books, cards, sculpture, artifacts, jewelry & one of a kind items. Born in New York and best known for her ground-breaking title Our Name is Melancholy- The Complete Books of Azrael, and over 35 years of research and documentation via The Azrael Project, she currently resides in Western Louisiana, in what is commonly referred to as "The House of Death"

Product Details

• Paperback: 435 pages
• Publisher: Westgate Pr; 4 Revised edition (May 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0944087140
• ISBN-13: 978-0944087145
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,475,520 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Still Pondering This One....................., September 29, 2004

By 

An Amazon Reader - See all my reviews

This review is from: Our Name Is Melancholy the Complete Books of Azrael (Paperback)

I am a huge fan of raw channeled work. But even this one raised my brows more than a few times. The poetry in this book is nice, the art work gothic and dark which I liked as well, but it's a hard read at best. There are a LOT of grammar errors in this book. It appears to be self edited by Leilah Wendell AKA Westgate Press, but I have to give her an A for the effort there.

This is a hard read, even for someone like me who holds several doctrines. It is an intimate portrayal of the author and the "Death Angels" relationship. I could have found it plausible had she given some form of validating information, but she did not. You would think that "Azrael" would have given her at least one outstanding futuristic validation, but atlas there are none. I also found the rituals in the back for Necromancy a bit unnerving. This certainly isn't a book for the weak hearted or closed minded :P .

With that said I am giving this book three stars for it's poetry and art work. I would buy at least one future work from this author if she could provide some form of validation in it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not for everybody, December 7, 2005

By 

Stefan Isaksson "www.stefanisaksson.se" (Malmoe, Sweden) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Our Name is Melancholy: The Complete Books of Azrael (Paperback)

Our Name is Melancholy is a strange book, because it's more than just a book. In one sense it's a declaration of love from Leilah Wendell to Azrael, the angel of Death. On the other hand it's a declaration of love from Azrael to Wendell. It's also a biography of Wendell's life and childhood, how and why she founded Westgate and opened the House of Death in New Orleans. Furthermore, it has attributions from Wendell's husband Daniel Kemp. And, it's filled with spiritual discussions about the true nature of Death and what happens when our lives on earth finally come to an end.

Does this confuse you? Good, because it really IS confusing. Put shortly, Wendell's relation with the angel of Death, which she has met both physically and spiritually (whatever that means) is quite unusual. Azrael is her one true love; but in this life in this body she's married to Daniel Kemp, who she lives with in the House of Death.

Not surprisingly, Wendell isn't afraid of death - after all, she and it shares something so special that she's unable to really describe it in words - but still, Our Name is Melancholy is definitely not a pro-suicide book. What Wendell tries to explain is that we don't really have any real reason to fear death, since it's not an evil thing in itself. Whether or not one chooses to believe in this is up to the reader, but the message isn't very much different from other books of the New Age that all talk about how this particular life on earth is but one of many lives).

Hmm... Well, that might be, but the truth is that in case you don't really care much about the New Age in general and spirituality in particular, then Our Name is Melancholy probably isn't the right book for you.

However, the declarations of love that appear throughout the book are written in very beautiful English. The words chosen by Wendell, Azrael (through Wendell) and Kemp are all very delicate and exquisite, and most of the time it feels as if one is reading a collection of love poems. The authors are very skilled in what they're doing, no doubt about that, but is this enough for anyone to invest in the book? Maybe, maybe not. Westgate has published other works that are real collections of poems, and if it's poems you want, than maybe these books are a better choice (for instance Eros in Exile). But in case you want to learn more about Wendell, Kemp, their view of Death, and the House of Death, then the book can be worth looking up.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Masterpiece!, April 3, 2001

By 

Rev. Lord Dellamorte (Colorado Springs, Colorado United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Our Name Is Melancholy : The Complete Books of Azrael (Book and Pamphlet) (Paperback)

This is one of the very first books that I ever bought regarding Azrael when it was first published! The vast information that graces the pages is invaluable, and the purest knowledge behind the writing is unbeatable. Leilah Wendell has put together a fabulous package here, and it more than worth a few reads if one is interested in Death, Azrael, The Grim Reaper, or just how to commune with an Angel. If you seek information regarding the Azraelites, this book is for you.