gogul: She is dense reading and even the earlier "Isis Unveiled" has its tough spots. The "Secret Doctrine" can be well nigh impenetrable in places. No surprise it was a dust catcher. A fairly accessible book by her is "The Key to Theosophy," and well worth reading.

After Blavatsky's passing, The Theosophical Society splintered and its largest branch became a forerunner of the New Age movement and all sorts of hocus-pocus. But from a smaller branch, the writings of G. de Purucker, mainly philosophical but varied, are pretty excellent.