Masks of the Illuminati
Masks of the Illuminati, a novel by Robert Anton Wilson’s (co-author of the Illuminatus Trilogy), is a work of fiction that is as luminous and intricate as it sets out to be. Wilson weaves a captivating fiction of the occult around fantastic real life historical characters. Sir John, a young English gentleman, tells the story of his initiation into the Argenteum Astrum and the torment he suffers at the hands of the mysterious Aleister Crowley to Albert Einstein and James Joyce. Together, the poet and the scientist, both matchless artists in their respective areas, set out to solve the mystery behind the enigmatic phenomena that bring Sir John to their door. Wilson uses the beautiful and mysterious lexicon of the occult and the imagery provided by such a subject to pull his us into a tale that is at the same time surreal and historical, tangible and intangible. This fiction weaves together legends that mystify all (Loch Ness monster) and narratives that have been around since childhood (Alice in Wonderland, Old Mother Hubbard) to take us on a haunting journey through dreams and reality. Wilson pulls the veil over our eyes then takes our breath away by showing us how he did it.
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