Illuminatus! Part II: The Golden Apple

According to R.A.W's autobiography "The Cosmic Trigger", Illuminatus! was intended by the authors as a single work and artificially split into a trilogy by the publisher. Therefore, the three individual parts do not stand alone. If you liked "Eye in the Pyramid", you'll like this one. Heck, you'll need it.

This time around, Deepleaf gives the work much better production values and expands the cast in order to better bring the work to life. For the most part, the extra effort pays off. The addition of female voices and a special sound effect for Howard are especially welcome improvements.

That being said, I still miss Ken Campbell and Chris Fairbank, who do not appear anywhere on this one. They gave "Eye in the Pyramid" a specific mood that is missing here.

Good news - Leviathan (pt. III) is out and hopefully will be available here soon, and Ken Campbell returns to perform the Appendices, which all fans of this book know are good reading in their own right.

The first book in the trilogy, The Eye in the Pyramid (I reviewed it favorably too), was performed by two actors (with some "walk ons," if I recall). In this second book, the gruff-voiced narrator has been replaced by a broader cast of performers. The multiple voices help to keep track of the many characters, which, with the sudden segues, can be a challenge.

The content of the book remains as over the top as ever. The conspiracies reach back thousand of years, but are only "reported" through the 1970's, considering the books were written then. Can't really fault the authors for a lack of omniscience. Regardless, it is only when plot elements of that time, J. Edgar Hoover, Nixon, the JFK assassination, are utilized that the books remind us when they were written. The fact that one wishes the authors had been able to see the future, or had written the books last year, confirms how well they played with history and conspiracy.

I don't want to discourage a potential listener. This isn't like reading outdated speculative literature where we have moved past anything the writers imagined and nothing of value remains. Wilson and Shea were true to their story, weaving a conspiracy myth that is only strengthened by the events since they published.

Google the trilogy and you will find that the K.L.F. (1980's "acid house band," per Google, but read about their own over the top history) and the Church of the Subgenius (still in business) grew from or were fundamentally influenced by the trilogy. The authors played with history and played it well. The story has legs.

This performance of Part 2 is great. Part 3 is due to be released this winter, a present for fans.

the story, if one can call it that, is just as fragmented and mindbending as the first segment, but, unfortunately in this segment some of the reading seems forced and wooden.

I have listened to many audio books and even some of the old radio programs that are now available, but this is without a doubt the most boring story I have ever listened to. To think I blew 2 credits on both books is amazing to me. I will definitely check more closely before using my credits again.