review of The Magician in which he accused Maugham of having plagiarised the following books in writing the novel: The Island of Dr Moreau by H. G. Wells Kabbalah Unveiled by Christian Knorr von Rosenroth, translated by Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers The Life of Paracelsus by Franz Hartmann. Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie by Eliphas Levi, translated by A. E. Waite The Blossom and the Fruit, by Mabel Collins Most critics consider that the above works were merely sources for an original story, and that Crowley's accusation was motivated by malice. The large body of original work turned out by Maugham before and after 1908 tends to support this. In A Fragment of Autobiography Maugham writes he had not read Crowley's review, adding, "I daresay it was a pretty piece of vituperation, but probably, like his poems, intolerably verbose." References Vanity Fair (magazine), 1908, How to Write a Novel! (After W. S. Maugham) by "Oliver Haddo" (Aleister Crowley) A Fragment of Autobiography, W. S. Maugham, included as a foreword in some modern versions of The Magician External links 1908 British novels 1908 fantasy novels British fantasy novels Novels by W. Somerset Maugham British novels adapted into films Heinemann (publisher) books Novels involved in plagiarism controversies