If one piqued my interest, I looked it up and more often than not, learned something entirely new. Unlike other reviewers, I did not find the numerous asides and allusions to be distracting. Some parts were better than others, but there are many parts to be considered. I can certainly say I liked it, but it's hard to say how much. There are so many aspects which one could address, so many points of divergence, ideas, philosophies, and influences, but at it's heart, it's a rollicking adventure story that, despite its many political and social themes, rarely takes itself too seriously. You really don't need to start reading until the words 'Egyptian Mouth-Breeder' appear on the page.Ī sprawling, many-faceted, satirical series, Illuminatus! is difficult to rate and more difficult to review. You really don't need to start reading until the words 'Egyptian Mouth-Breeder' appear on the page.Īctually, that might be the simplest and best review of all: But they're never referenced again (well, until the last 100 pages, which you really just skim looking for jokes), so skim them or skip them. In the end, they'll probably come to a happy medium, but they'll always be gratefull for getting that damned uncomfortable thing out of their butt. You have to forgive them for believing the viewpoint for a few years and then you have to forgive them for rejecting it for a few. A young person hiding their creativity and trying to be 'serious' so they can make it through life will get a huge amount of value from this book. * This book is one of the best tools for an adolescent or young adult (not YA-young adult) colonostickectomy. It inspired two (excellent) card games and a wide variety of 'bits' of other games, books, comics, and so forth. Much like it's worth seeing Monty Python even if you don't 'get' the humor to understand the 'code.' The terms and phrases that come out of this (fnord, illuminati, AUM, 'You'll like it inside the apple,' All Hail Discordia, Law of Fives, Aneristic Illusion, Paratheoanametamystichood, etc.) may not all be original, but they have built a part of a culture. The Roberts nailed the experience of believing you're different and believing that what you want or experience is different and wanting to share it with the world. * Cultural references that make points and explain things in the SF/geek/outcase/introvert subcultures.

As a good guide to things to research for yourself, it's a solid 4 (great game: open to a random page and pick 5 things to look up in a library) As philosophy it would get 1 (the world-view it argues for is much better discussed in other books-some of them even by RAW)

The illuminatus trilogy books