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PoorMonger

(844 posts)
28. Cult X by Fuminori Nakamura
Sat Aug 11, 2018, 07:51 PM
Aug 2018

The magnum opus by Japanese literary sensation Fuminori Nakamura, Cult X is a story that dives into the psychology of fringe religion, obsession, and social disaffection.

When Toru Narazaki’s girlfriend, Ryoko Tachibana, disappears, he tries to track her down, despite the warnings of the private detective he’s hired to find her. Ryoko’s past is shrouded in mystery, but the one concrete clue to her whereabouts is a previous address in the heart of Tokyo. She lived in a compound with a group that seems to be a cult led by a charismatic guru with a revisionist Buddhist scheme of life, death, and society. Narazaki plunges into the secretive world of the cult, ready to expose himself to any of the guru’s brainwashing tactics if it means he can learn the truth about Ryoko. But the cult isn’t what he expected, and he has no idea of the bubbling violence he is stepping into.

Inspired by the 1995 sarin gas terrorist attack on the Tokyo subway, Cult X is an exploration of what draws individuals into extremism. It is a tour de force that captures the connections between astrophysics, neuroscience, and religion; an invective against predatory corporate consumerism and exploitative geopolitics; and a love story about compassion in the face of nihilism.

Recommendations

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Just finished "Primordia' by Greig Beck. Trying to decide what is next. dameatball Aug 2018 #1
Ah, decisions decisions... hermetic Aug 2018 #5
yes, I already ordered it on Amazon. The first book was better than I expected. dameatball Aug 2018 #15
Trumps speech transcripts Soxfan58 Aug 2018 #2
Trumps tweets.... Glamrock Aug 2018 #3
I agree about your Connelly book Ohiogal Aug 2018 #4
Nice, thanks! hermetic Aug 2018 #7
Um, C.J. is a "him" Ohiogal Aug 2018 #8
Ooops hermetic Aug 2018 #9
Just finished Blackout, murielm99 Aug 2018 #6
I've GOT to read this one hermetic Aug 2018 #10
You need to read Blackout first, murielm99 Aug 2018 #16
One of all my all time favorites... Ohiya Aug 2018 #18
I've tried Connie Willis matt819 Aug 2018 #20
I'm reading old Agatha Christies.... dawg day Aug 2018 #11
I like your logic hermetic Aug 2018 #13
Me too! Basic LA Aug 2018 #26
I was disappointed with Origins dhol82 Aug 2018 #12
Thanks hermetic Aug 2018 #14
You could try The Lost Symbol or Inferno dhol82 Aug 2018 #17
Let's see matt819 Aug 2018 #19
David Rosenfelt hermetic Aug 2018 #21
I'm deep into the Gaslight Mysteries PennyK Aug 2018 #22
Lots of good stuff there hermetic Aug 2018 #23
Thanks for the thread, hermetic. Will put the Michael Connelly book on my list to japple Aug 2018 #24
I always get 3 books from the library each week, Tracer Aug 2018 #25
The Long Silence by Gerard O'Donovan PoorMonger Aug 2018 #27
Cult X by Fuminori Nakamura PoorMonger Aug 2018 #28
Latest Discussions»Culture Forums»Fiction»What Fiction are you read...»Reply #28