Customer Reviews

The Writings of Austin Osman Spare: Anathema of Zos, The Book of Pleasure and The Focus of Life

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3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a rather disappointing edition of Spare's collected writing. Extremely sparse on illustrations and inferior bookbinding means this book is overpriced. The paper isn't that great, and gloss cover (no dustjacket) doesn't even have the book's title written on the spine. An inferior edition that is only desirable to the student because of the relative unavailability of these works.

Potentially devestating, potentially illuminating, potentially frustrating (it is kind of obtuse, but charting the mury waters of consciousness is not always a crystal clear task)...

Much sought after and widely unavailable (which raises prices drastically, making this collected volume an even better deal), these three works of Spare collected into one volume are each a gem in their own right... particularly the sandwhiched in middle "Book of Pleasure / Self Love", which offers a dynamic method and theory for exploring your psyche.

One of the most difficult things about practicing Spare's methods, is that they are so simple. The trappings of Western ceremonial magic(k) are largely intended to train the mind's focus onto a specific task/meditation. Spare's methods largely and dramatically strip magical practice of it's paraphernelia and accessories, paring it down to basics. Ultimately, what is offered here is a shamanistic approach that utilizes various approaches to trance-work and magic: outgoing (overstimulating the mind/body to point of _____) and ingoing (withdrawal and stillness) and artistic (sigils and automatic drawing).

Pervading these writings are a philosophical stance of anti-dogma, skepticism, and demand for personal investigation over faith. Revolutionary, this book is written by a man who was working with and writing about Automatic Drawing technique 10 years before the Surrealists apparently "discovered" it (though, they had never heard of Spare).

The writings can be difficult and definitely abstract, but are definite masterpieces of magical literature. Also helpful- Ramsey Dukes' essay "Spare Parts" is a great exploration of the Book of PLeasure.

It is nice to have many of Spares most famous writings in one place, but to put them together as haphazardly and in such a poor binding is a shame.

The pictures are of the very worst quality and there are many misspellings and words just plain left out of the text.

Did these folks even hire an editor? Didn't they realize that they were focusing on a niche market that is well educated and demanding?

I give it three stars because this info is hard to get.

I just wish they had put more thought into it.

If the publisher reads this please let me edit for you.

At least fire your old one.The Writings of Austin Osman Spare: Automatic Drawings, Anathema of Zos, The Book of Pleasure, and The Focus of Life

Austin Osmond Spare's writings are extremely difficult to come by. A great deal, however, can be found on hermetic.com, and so can the chapters of this particular collection. This certainly does not mean that a fan of Mr. Spare's Writings should not own this book, by all means it is wonderful to have a solid bound hardcover book in one's hands.

I do have some complaints, however:

1. Let's start with the cover, there are some many pictures of AOS out there, why on earth would the publisher use such a poor grainy photograph?

2. No one took the time to edit this work? Not even a commentary on some of the vry obscure refrences made by AOS? In more than one place words run into each other, and the work itself does not yield much information to the casual reader. Lucky for me I obtain my information via osmosis.

Other than its flaws, I am still quite a proud owner of this book, and i would recommend it to any serious student of the occult.

It was nice to find an edition of Spare's works but the presentation is below par.