The Hell-Fire clubs a history of anti-morality

In Rabelais' work Gargantua (which sadly, I have not yet read, but just ordered after reading this) , there is a section in which the author imagines a Utopian "abbey" named Theleme; the only rule of living there is "Do what you will." Ashe looks at this rule, and asks the question of what happened

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when people have tried living by this motto, both in reality and in fiction. Furthermore, he examines the question of libertinism being the same as liberty -- and the result is a look through a slice of history. I will tell you at the outset that this is not a book for the average reader, and it's not a titillating tell-all about the much misconstrued and notorious Hellfire Clubs.

Ashe takes the theme of Theleme through the book, looking into various individuals & organizations who have practiced the "do what you will" theme. Taking a road that leads from Rabelais, he examines John Dee and his assistant Edward Kelley, then moves to different erotic literature characters (and authors) of the 18th century, then the various Hell-fire Clubs, spending quite a bit of time with the one organized by Sir Francis Dashwood. His examination takes him into the world of politics, since most the highest-ranking members of this group were also members of government. Then it's on to Gothic literature, the Marquis de Sade, Lord Byron, Aleister Crowley, Anton LaVey (founder of the Church of Satan) and a wee bit about the "family" of Charles Manson.

Very well done, but it is important to realize that this is a book of history and as such, not something that a reader wants to choose lightly. It takes a while to get through it, but it is well worth it. I'd recommend it to anyone seriously interested in the topic, and anyone who is looking for a resource on the subject.

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