The Devil's Notebook by Anton Szandor LaVey
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Book Reviews of The Devil's Notebook
Book Review: Lavey as a Syndicated Columnist
Summary: 3 Stars
The Devils Notebook is a collection of short essays by Anton Lavey. I liked The Satanic Bible better than this but it was a decent read. Most of these are very short. Lavey often writes in a very misanthropic way. Because Lavey in spite of his "scary" image was more or less a oddball nerd type of guy I think a lot of what the root of what he was getting at was instead of having a sense of shame or inferiority about being a weirdo or having odd interests was to turn it around on the sheeple and have a elitist attitude and look at your quirks and oddities as a sign of your superiority and if other people don't get it then thats a sign of their inferiority.
Although it never would have happened in a million years for a myriad of reasons even though over all I'm luke warm to the guy I think Lavey would have been an interesting syndicated newspaper columnist. Laveys opinion pieces would certainly have been more entertaining than the phony system approved left, phony system approved right or the token affirmative action black columnist that every major newspaper has one of that only writes about being black. Lavey if he didn't sell out would have made peoples heads spin. He would have offended the uptight conservatives with his anti-Christianity and pro-sexual freedom stuff and he would have offended the feel good liberals with his misanthropic stance on the masses but I know people would have bought newspapers just to read his columns, even if they wouldn't admit it.
Book Review: An Entertaining Read
Summary: 3 Stars
This book is a collection of essays, written by Mr. (pope?) Lavey. Judging by the introduction, written by Adam Parfrey, it is some sort of tribute to him - though I am not for sure. It is good for entertainment, though not a whoooole lot else... but then again, books are a form of media, and the whole purpose of media is to entertain, so...Alright, this is deffinatly a great read! I totally, TOTALLY loved the Diabolica, Duck-Billed Platitudes, and How to Be a God! They are all very entertaining and humorous (though I'm not sure whether or not they're supposed to be). Also, the whole book is pretty motivational for that little screaming, raving satanist in all of us.
That's about all there is to say about it. I mean, honestly, at only 147 pages, it's not a huge chunk of reading. I read it over one weekend. Not great, but not bad - not by any means bad - hence three stars.
Book Review: Babble of a bitter man
Summary: 3 Stars
Anton LaVey was an intelligent man. This book however has sparse intelligent thoughts amidst a book full of babble by an angry man turned bitter by age. Often I found myself skimming thru pages wondering if Anton was simply trying to fill this already thin book. Most of the paragraphs are noticeably elongated as if he were being paid by the word. The problem is this book has little to say. While there are some very good thoughts in this book there are simply to few to justify the printing process. Like his past works, he often falls into his own traps. Most of the points he makes in this book could easily be turned upon himself. Any religion is simply a point of view and Satanism is no different. I think Mr. LaVey started believing his own hype.Book Review: A little different
Summary: 3 Stars
This was not what I expected it to be.
First the Satanic Bible was more a fluent read. I got the Devil's Notebook and it was more of compiled essays and thoughts.
The thoughts and essays themselves are both comical and has a very different view on people, thinking and that sort thing. I have enjoyed reading this book.
I have liked to pick this one off and on because really you don't have to read it from beginning to end, so I read chapter whenever...just sort of picking it out of the contents page.
A good read
Thanks :-)
Book Review: Has Moments.
Summary: 2 Stars
This book is not LaVey's best. The best thing about it is the humour that LaVey manages to weave into his writing -- at times it can get a bit childish, but at it's best, the irreverance can be quite amusing. Unfortunately, it doesn't really reddem the book, as it seems quite obvious that he has nothing to say here. LaVey seems much bitterer and full of himself in a rather narcissistic way than he was earlier in his life and this lack of perspective makes him seem sort of absurd. In this collection of essays, LaVey is indulging himself -- but it is largely the indulgence of a two year old throwing a temper tantrum rather than the indulgence of the artist, which was the ideal that he had in mind when he wrote the Satanic Bible. There are essays about playing dumb jokes on people, on how much he hates everyone, and so on. But there are some gems here. His aphorisms are worse than useless, but ideas of the "Law of the Trapezoid" are interesting, as are his sharing of his musical tastes with everyone (and rather good taste it is!). He shares his interest of the odd and unusual, inlcuding several little-known but interesting people and the rip-roaring humour of "Hatha Toilet Seat meditation". Still, these little snippets are not quite enough to redeem this volume and the foreward by Kenneth Anger certainly adds nothing to the book (he mentions that lamentable fact that the popular media had chosen to ignore LaVey -- but does not mention that LaVey has plagiarised so much of his "work" that he has got basically what he deserved). The sheet music for the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" is included, as well as various original musings which really aren't worth anyone's time except for the most enthusiastic LaVey worshipper. If your library has it, it might be worth a read, but it's not worth the price. If you want laVey at the height of his powers, check out the Satanic Bible; this is just the rantings of a bitter old man.