Illuminatus! Part I

The Eye in the Pyramid

By: Robert Shea, Robert Anton Wilson

Narrated by: Ken Campbell, Chris Fairbank

Length: 13 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

"It was the year when they finally immanentized the Eschaton".

So begins this original trilogy of conspiracies, Illuminatus!. For the first time in audiobook form, the unabridged epic is presented in all its grandeur, spookiness, hilarity, and brilliance.

The Illuminati, an inside joke? The lunatic fringe? Or a vast conspiracy hidden for centuries, unleashing it's power on a naive, defenseless world? It was the lousy luck of Saul Goodman, a tough, streetwise New York detective, to smell the trail in a bombed-out office - the heavy case he'd always dreaded. In a breakneck race against an awesome deadline, Goodman plunges down the trail of the ultimate conspiracy as the days fall away toward Apocalypse.

Filled with sex, violence, and rock-and-roll, in and out of time and space, Illuminatus! is only partly a work of the imagination. The trilogy tackles all the cover-ups of our time, from who really shot the Kennedys to why there's a pyramid on the one-dollar bill, and suggests a mind-blowing truth.

Part I: The Eye in the Pyramid is performed by the incomparable Ken Campbell and Chris Fairbank. In 1976, Ken Campbell adapted Illuminatus! for the stage, creating a 10-hour epic that went on to open the Royal National Theatre in London under the patronage of Queen Elizabeth II.

©1975 Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson (P)2006 Deepleaf Productions Inc.

Critic reviews

"If baseball can have a designated hitter, why can't science fiction have a designated underground classic? Well, apparently it can, and Illuminatus! is its name." (Booklist)
"The ultimate conspiracy book...the biggest sci-cult novel to come along since Dune." ( Village Voice) "If you want to read a riddle wrapped in an enigma within a conundrum that turns out to be the best secret in the world, get the Illuminatus! trilogy." ( New Age Journal)

Great Book

This is a great listing that intertwined alot of different knowledge, I'm definitely downloading the 2nd part now, made me feel special my B day 2/23 lol

Illuminate me

If you're looking for a mind-bending, hilarious, and completely bonkers audiobook, look no further than "Illuminatus! Part I: The Eye in the Pyramid."

This book is so packed with conspiracy theories, bizarre characters, and plot twists that it'll make your head spin faster than a ceiling fan on high. But don't worry, because this audiobook is narrated by a team of skilled voice actors who bring each character to life with all the gusto and enthusiasm of a game show host on speed.

From the sarcastic wit of protagonist Hagbard Celine to the deranged ramblings of the Illuminati, this audiobook has it all. But what really sets it apart is its ability to poke fun at conspiracy theories while still managing to be strangely uplifting. It's like a big, goofy hug from the universe telling you to lighten up and enjoy the ride.

So if you're feeling down and need a good laugh, or if you just want to explore the weirder side of literature, give "Illuminatus! Part I: The Eye in the Pyramid" a listen. You won't regret it, and who knows, maybe you'll even learn a thing or two about the secret rulers of the world (spoiler alert: it's probably not who you think).

Why is a drummer from Spinal Tap the narrator?

Seriously, it's so difficult to get through this because the narrator has the most ridiculous voice. There is no way that's his real voice. He has to be playing it up for some reason. What reason? I have no idea. It's just absurd enough that it kinda fits the book in a way if you can bear it. But overall, this is the most annoying narration I have ever heard. I believe there's two people doing the narration and if the other guy is the one who isn't a cartoon version of a Sex Pistol then he's good. But the over the top Brit with throat cancer is like 90% of this and I mean if you can sit through it, this is by far one of my favorite books. I'd recommend reading it yourself, though.

The begining of Operation Mind F**k

the beginning of an artistic project that is the birth of all modern Illuminate conspiracy theories. From Allen Moore to the Assassin's Creed video game series, many other artists " in the know" have pulled heavily from this text to further the project.
Not necessarily an easy read, as it fluctuates from purposefully confusing to unintentionally illuminating, but push through the first few chapters and you will be hooked....or not.

hearing it

great narration, listening to this was much more elucidation than reading the book silently; very fun

A great book, ruined by a terrible production.

The narrator sounds like he's been drunk his entire life, and narrates all of the inner monologues. This makes him difficult to understand during times of narration, and destroys the immersion when he pipes up in the middle of a conversation to provide inner context.

Whoever cast this is absolutely terrible. A narrator should have a clear voice, not a lilting slur and a heavy accent. If I wasn't so interested in the story itself I would have returned this for a full refund.

hilarious

Loved these books since my teens but now I'm not sure if it's the truth

awesome work

absolutely loved the read! definitely need to read the other remaining books in the series!

Inspired, but Dated

I’ve had The Illuminatus Trilogy on my bookshelf for over 20 years. I always intended to read it, but it’s huge and intimidating. So, when I saw there was an audiobook version, I decided to give it a try. Now that I’ve finished the first book, I can’t say I regret listening to it, but I’m also not in a huge rush to start book two.

In short, while there are moments of inspired creativity here, maybe even brilliance, the book itself meanders all over the place. Characters are introduced and seemingly forgotten about, plot threads are abandoned for hours in favor of stream-of-conscious, drug-tinged philosophy. It’s fascinating for a while and what plot exists IS interesting, but halfway through I found all the conspiracy stuff starting to get tedious, and considering the real problem conspiracy theories are actually causing in American society today, I’m not sure this book has aged well. I don’t know yet if I’m going to listen to the next book. Certainly not right away, if I do.

hail discordia, this audiobook is amazing!

the story has always been a fun romp, and the audiobook performance is superb. considering the way the story routinely jumps narrator and timeline in the space of a few sentences, the performers have done an amazing job with this classic.