Reading the 20th Century discussion
Archive
>
Group Reads -> June 2023 -> Nomination thread (Cults) -> Won by The Followers by Rebecca Wait
Mod
Top 10 books about cults
https://www.theguardian.com/books/201...
100 must read books about life in cults
https://bookriot.com/100-must-read-bo...
The 11 Best Books About Cults
https://www.purewow.com/books/books-a...
The 10 Best Fiction and Nonfiction Books About Cults
https://www.townandcountrymag.com/lei...
Sects Appeal: 5 Books About Cults and Why People Join Them
https://www.rollingstone.com/product-...
Mod
I'd say Educated by Tara Westover is acceptable.
She was born in 1986 so a significant chunk of her memoir takes place within the twentieth century.
Mod
Interesting topic, and looking forward to what everyone comes up with.
Interesting topic. I didn't care much for Educated, but I know I'm in a minority. I felt it was more about cultural deprivation than the cult, but I accept that there's a close link between the two.
Mod
Mod
Mod
by Haruki MurakamiMurakami tells the true story behind an act of terrorism that turned an average Monday morning into a national disaster.
In spite of the perpetrators' intentions, the Tokyo gas attack left only twelve people dead, but thousands were injured and many suffered serious after-effects. Murakami interviews the victims to try and establish precisely what happened on the subway that day.
He also interviews members and ex-members of the doomsdays cult responsible, in the hope that they might be able to explain the reason for the attack and how it was that their guru instilled such devotion in his followers.
Mod
I'm pondering:
The Followers by Rebecca Wait about a religious cult in, er, Yorkshire. But I'm not sure when it's set so trying to see if it's in the twentieth century.
The other one I'm checking out is American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst by Jeffrey Toobin. I know her name but not the story. It's a revolutionary group rather than a religious cult so hope that passes.
Blurbs:
American Heiress
On February 4, 1974, Patty Hearst, a sophomore in college and heiress to the Hearst Family fortune, was kidnapped by a ragtag group of self-styled revolutionaries calling itself the Symbonese Liberation Army. The weird turns that followed in this already sensational take are truly astonishing--the Hearst family tried to secure Patty's release by feeding the people of Oakland and San Francisco for free; bank security cameras captured "Tania" wielding a machine gun during a roberry; the LAPD engaged in the largest police shoot-out in American history; the first breaking news event was broadcast live on telelvision stations across the country; and then there was Patty's circuslike trial, filled with theatrical courtroom confrontations and a dramatic last-minute reversal, after which the term "Stockholm syndrome" entered the lexicon.
Ultimately, the saga highlighted a decade in which America seemed to be suffering a collective nervous breakdown.
The Followers
On the windswept moors of northern England, a small religious cult has cut itself off from society, believing they have found meaning in a purposeless world. Led by their prophet, Nathaniel, they eagerly await the end times. But when the prophet brings in Stephanie and her rebellious daughter Judith, the group’s delicate dynamic is disturbed. Judith is determined to escape, but her feelings are complicated by a growing friendship with another of the children, the naive and trusting Moses, who has never experienced the outside world.
Meanwhile, someone else is having doubts, unleashing a horrifying chain of events that will destroy the followers’ lives.
In the aftermath, the survivors struggle to adjust to the real world, haunted by the same questions: if you’ve been persuaded to surrender your individual will, are you still responsible for your actions? And is there any way back?
Mod
I liked it too and it was my gateway into finding out more about Charles Manson {shudder}.
Mod
"The Girls (on a lot of the lists) is currently 99p if anyone is interested"
I'm interested to such an extent that I have flashed the cash
Look forward to it
And if anyone wants to nominate it then I'm all in
Thanks for sharing the intel Susan
Mod
"I will nominate Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche"
Looks good - thanks again Susan
Mod
I'm going the youth cult route. It's a book I read back in the 1980s and thoroughly enjoyed. Of its time but with plenty of period detail and interesting insights. It is...
Absolute Beginners (1959)
by
Colin MacInnes
London, 1958. In the smoky jazz clubs of Soho and the coffee bars of Notting Hill the young and the restless - the absolute beginners - are forging a new carefree lifestyle of sex, drugs and rock'n'roll. Moving in the midst of this world of mods and rockers, Teddy gangs and trads., and snapping every scene with his trusty Rolleiflex, is MacInnes' young photographer, whose unique wit and honest views remain the definitive account of London life in the 1950s and what it means to be a teenager. In this twentieth century cult classic, MacInnes captures the spirit of a generation and creates the style bible for anyone interested in Mod culture, and the changing face of London in the era of the first race riots and the lead up to the swinging Sixties
Mod
Mod
Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche by Haruki Murakami (Susan)
Absolute Beginners by Colin MacInnes (Nigeyb)
Mod
"You haven't nominated yet, Nigeyb. I would definitely re-read The Girls and it's definitely a bargain at 99p."
Our messages overlapped
I am 100% up for a read of The Girls Susan, so if it doesn't get a nomination (and wins) we could do it as a buddy
I'd also read the Murakami you nominated
Mod
Mod
I have the feeling we will again emerge with some excellent buddy reads from this theme.
Mod
"The Followers which RC mentioned is also 99p. I have snapped that one up too."
Yes, it does look good and I would read it if it is nominated and goes on to win. I'm holding off buying it though as I'm still vainly trying to decrease my unread book pile.
Mod
Mod
Haha, of course it's a sign in a thread about cults! Ok, I'll nominate The Followers, blurb posted above.
I'd also read Underground and re-read The Girls. I didn't think Absolute Beginners was for me but then that super-cool cover made me do a double take - is that an early model Vespa?
Mod
Nominations so far...
Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche by Haruki Murakami (Susan)
Absolute Beginners by Colin MacInnes (Nigeyb)
The Followers by Rebecca Wait (Roman Clodia)
Mod
Mod
Mod
I read an earlier version of the book in The New Yorker a few years ago and have listened to an interview with her. Her firsthand account of life in her church is very interesting and it's impressive that she found her way out of their way of thinking and "escaped", but there are two others nominated that I prefer.
There's another fascinating account of a cult/ashram in Oregon ("Rajneeshpuram") that doubled as a real estate empire and took over the government of the town. They had their downfall when they poisoned their local opponents, among other things.There was an excellent article about them in The New Yorker (yes, again) but I haven't heard about a great book about it. The Frances Fitzgerald book mentioned in this article https://bookriot.com/wild-wild-countr... probably comes closest.
Mod
There is a fairly new book (January) on Waco by Jeff Guinn, Waco: David Koresh, the Branch Davidians, and A Legacy of Rage, we just passed the 30th anniversary. He also has written Manson: The Life and Times of Charles Manson but I think this group recently read Chaos, and The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple. I previously read his Go Down Together on Bonnie and Clyde. Not sure if I am nominating yet since all three of the above "cult" books are still relatively expensive, as far as kindle books go. So I'm still thinking.
Roman Clodia wrote: "I was quite sceptical about Educated - it just seemed to fall into all kinds of impossible-to-believe exaggerations though I think the core story was likely true."Never underestimate how utterly insane White Christian Evangelicals and Polygamy cults in the US can be, RC. I read some very disturbing articles about Christian Domestic Discipline last week. It was so weird and so icky I deeply regret reading it. The worst part is these are the same people banning books and drag shows and any mention of LGBTQ lives.
Mod
"Not sure if I am nominating yet since all three of the above "cult" books are still relatively expensive, as far as kindle books go. So I'm still thinking"
Thanks Jan
There's a documentary series on Netflix about the Rajneeshpuram. Unbelievable
And Louis Theroux has done a few docs on the Westboro mob.
Remarkable and chilling. I certainly don't remember rampant hate and homophobia featuring much during Sunday school
WndyJW wrote:
"Never underestimate how utterly insane White Christian Evangelicals and Polygamy cults in the US can be"
No
Mod
The Waco book looks fascinating. Definitely on my tbr list.
Mod
As you say, so much hate is involved but also so much craziness in apocalyptic and doomsday groups. I hope we get some insight into where the appeal lies, whichever nomination wins.
Mod
"I'm sort of amazed at how many of these weird cults there are, particularly in the US where there's already, it seems, more of a religious, church-going culture than is generally the case in the UK (or is that me being blinkered?)"
The 2021 census in England and Wales showed that less than half of the population (46.2% described themselves as "Christian"). 37.2% described themselves as "no religion".
Regarding regular church attendance, the Religious Trends survey of 2005 reported it was 9.1% weekly and 15.1% monthly.
A recent Compassion UK survey reported the current regular monthly attendance figure at 10.9%
By contrast a recent survey by statista reported 22% of Americans attend church or synagogue every week, and 11% almost every month. 31% reported they never attend church or synagogue
My perception is that America has far more extreme, fundamentalist and hardline versions of Christianity, but that might be because they garner the publicity and maybe they only represent a tiny minority.
If you want more of a deep dive there's loads of info here...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christi...
That was a major British export in the 17th century Nigeyb!
Susan wrote: "Me neither, Nigeyb and I went to a convent school!The Waco book looks fascinating. Definitely on my tbr list."
I saw him do a 3-hour show talking about the "cult" books the other week on C-SPAN. I hadn't been that interested in reading the three books until I got sucked into this show. I have a couple of his other books - The Last Gunfight: The Real Story of the Shootout at the O.K. Corral--And How It Changed The American West and War on the Border: Villa, Pershing, the Texas Rangers, and an American Invasion.
Susan wrote: "Me neither, Nigeyb and I went to a convent school!The Waco book looks fascinating. Definitely on my tbr list."
Had no knowledge of it and I was a pk. I don't think the United Presbyterian Church in the US really follows those things. There is also a more conservative presbyterian church, primarily found in the deep South, I think.
Mod
I’ll give it another 24 hours before putting the poll up
I'll nominate the Waco book. Although it is a little pricey - being that it is new.
Mod
I am trying to read authors appearing at the book festival I am going to this year, otherwise I would like to read all of them. I'm just trying not to get too tempted at the moment....
Mod
Thanks Jan
Poll coming later this morning
I've switched my nomination to The Girls by Emma Cline which I think might have more appeal than Colin MacInnes
Nominations...
Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche by Haruki Murakami (Susan)
The Girls by Emma Cline (Nigeyb)
The Followers by Rebecca Wait (Roman Clodia)
Waco: David Koresh, the Branch Davidians, and A Legacy of Rage by Jeff Guinn (Jan)
Mod
The Girls (2016)
by
Emma Cline
Northern California, during the violent end of the 1960s. At the start of summer, a lonely and thoughtful teenager, Evie Boyd, sees a group of girls in the park, and is immediately caught by their freedom, their careless dress, their dangerous aura of abandon. Soon, Evie is in thrall to Suzanne, a mesmerizing older girl, and is drawn into the circle of a soon-to-be infamous cult and the man who is its charismatic leader. Hidden in the hills, their sprawling ranch is eerie and run down, but to Evie, it is exotic, thrilling, charged—a place where she feels desperate to be accepted. As she spends more time away from her mother and the rhythms of her daily life, and as her obsession with Suzanne intensifies, Evie does not realize she is coming closer and closer to unthinkable violence, and to that moment in a girl’s life when everything can go horribly wrong.
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post, NPR, The Guardian, Entertainment Weekly, San Francisco Chronicle, Financial Times, Esquire, Newsweek, Vogue, Glamour, People, The Huffington Post, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Time Out, BookPage, Publishers Weekly, Slate
Mod
Tempting is right RC
Have a think and then vote for the one you'd most like to read and discuss
You can always change your mind later if you decide to
VOTE HERE....
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2...
Mod
Mod
I must have picked it up at some time as I do have it on kindle.
Both The Girls and The Followers are currently 99p on kindle if that helps anyone make up their minds.
Reading the 20th Century
Books mentioned in this topic
The Girls (other topics)Waco: David Koresh, the Branch Davidians, and A Legacy of Rage (other topics)
Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche (other topics)
The Followers (other topics)
The Restless Republic: Britain Without a Crown (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Rebecca Wait (other topics)Emma Cline (other topics)
Haruki Murakami (other topics)
Jeff Guinn (other topics)
Jeff Guinn (other topics)
More...
Our June 2023 theme is...
Cults
Please nominate a 20th century book (either written in the 20th century or set in it) that is centred around cults, and that you would like to read and discuss. It could be fiction or non-fiction
Feel free to interpret the theme however you choose... it could be religious cults, youth cults, or something else.
Please supply the title, author, a brief synopsis, and anything else you'd like to mention about the book, and why you think it might make a good book to discuss.
Happy nominating