Review by Lucille27 -- The Cult Next Door
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Lucille27
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Review by Lucille27 -- The Cult Next Door
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Cult Next Door" by Elizabeth R. Burchard, Judith L. Carlone.]
The Cult Next Door, by Elizabeth R. Burchard and Judith L. Carlone, is a memoir that follows, precisely, Liz’s (Elizabeth’s) life. We learn how she was a bullied and lonely child, who had to put up with her mother’s strange ideas. From a very young age, Liz had to follow the diets and alternative therapies that her mom tried. This becomes a defining trait in her life when both, Liz and her mother, meet George, a therapist who promises to relieve their stress. For the first time, both seem to agree and enjoy his therapies. However, his presence starts lurking in their lives.
The book presents and follows how Liz’s story transforms from being a promise of salvation to a story of abuse. She enters a cult, but she cannot name it as such until she gets out of it. For almost 25 years, her life will become a constant need to please and accept everything that George says, wants, demands, and asks. His words are the law. He starts isolating Liz and the other cult members (mostly women), by telling them not to go to the doctor, to cut relationships with friends and family outside the group, and to give him all their money to let go of their material boundaries. Isolation was just the first step. Violence and mental abuse followed the alleged “therapies” and stress-relief sessions. Luckily, Liz meets Judy, an outsider who, despite all odds, becomes her friend and helps her question the doctrine she has been following for so long.
What I like the most about this book is how it depicts mental abuse and control. George does not seem to be an incredible person. He is very normal. Moreover, at some points, he is also described as very antipathic and repulsive. Elizabeth Burchard presents the power of an abusive figure with many details. She shows how it works. It is not pleasant all the time. Liz knew that not everything inside the therapy sessions was real, she had her doubts, and she stayed because of the mental control George had over her. After years and years of abuse, of being convinced that none of them could exist without him, they all felt it was true. Fear was stronger than her rational impulse to escape. She saw all her money go to the trash. She saw the abuse. She knew things were wrong, yet she did not realize the magnitude of it all until Judy came to the scene and showed her, very slowly, the greater picture. These two sides of the abuse make it so complex to escape. I liked the clear and raw depiction of it. Also, I liked that it presents two narrative perspectives: Liz’s and Judy’s narratives.
What I dislike about this book is that, at the same time they depict how a cult works, Elizabeth turns to religion thanks to Judy. I do not think this is propagandistic. I think Judy’s beliefs are respectable. However, how it presents religion as the other option seems, to me, as just escaping into another cult: escaping from one addiction to another. However, at some point, Judy acknowledges this when she mentions that she knows that her own faith relies upon mere trust. Like I mentioned, I do not think this is propaganda for religion. I just felt this parallelism a bit strange.
The book was professionally edited since I only found a couple of mistakes that can be considered more a matter of style. The book questions how cults work, and it also talks about religion. For me, this was not an inconvenience, but it might trigger some radical believers since both things operate in similar ways. However, I do not think the book does this disrespectfully. I think it just presents the facts, and it is up to the reader to question and find answers alone. This book contains some descriptions and mentions of sex abuse, although nothing explicit. Given the topics it portrays, it could be best suited for mature teenagers and older audiences.
I would rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because it was interesting to read, and I enjoyed it. I think it is a very raw portrayal of how cults work. I also believe it is a very brave act from Burchard to have written this book and narrate her story. As a memoir, it helps as a warning, a cautionary tale, for saying that anyone can become part of a cult. This also helps to build down myths around cults and Messiah-like figures. I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in abuse and how it works. Also, readers who like coming-of-age stories might find this interesting, despite it being nonfiction. I think it is not pleasant to read, but it deals with an important topic.
******
The Cult Next Door
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The Cult Next Door, by Elizabeth R. Burchard and Judith L. Carlone, is a memoir that follows, precisely, Liz’s (Elizabeth’s) life. We learn how she was a bullied and lonely child, who had to put up with her mother’s strange ideas. From a very young age, Liz had to follow the diets and alternative therapies that her mom tried. This becomes a defining trait in her life when both, Liz and her mother, meet George, a therapist who promises to relieve their stress. For the first time, both seem to agree and enjoy his therapies. However, his presence starts lurking in their lives.
The book presents and follows how Liz’s story transforms from being a promise of salvation to a story of abuse. She enters a cult, but she cannot name it as such until she gets out of it. For almost 25 years, her life will become a constant need to please and accept everything that George says, wants, demands, and asks. His words are the law. He starts isolating Liz and the other cult members (mostly women), by telling them not to go to the doctor, to cut relationships with friends and family outside the group, and to give him all their money to let go of their material boundaries. Isolation was just the first step. Violence and mental abuse followed the alleged “therapies” and stress-relief sessions. Luckily, Liz meets Judy, an outsider who, despite all odds, becomes her friend and helps her question the doctrine she has been following for so long.
What I like the most about this book is how it depicts mental abuse and control. George does not seem to be an incredible person. He is very normal. Moreover, at some points, he is also described as very antipathic and repulsive. Elizabeth Burchard presents the power of an abusive figure with many details. She shows how it works. It is not pleasant all the time. Liz knew that not everything inside the therapy sessions was real, she had her doubts, and she stayed because of the mental control George had over her. After years and years of abuse, of being convinced that none of them could exist without him, they all felt it was true. Fear was stronger than her rational impulse to escape. She saw all her money go to the trash. She saw the abuse. She knew things were wrong, yet she did not realize the magnitude of it all until Judy came to the scene and showed her, very slowly, the greater picture. These two sides of the abuse make it so complex to escape. I liked the clear and raw depiction of it. Also, I liked that it presents two narrative perspectives: Liz’s and Judy’s narratives.
What I dislike about this book is that, at the same time they depict how a cult works, Elizabeth turns to religion thanks to Judy. I do not think this is propagandistic. I think Judy’s beliefs are respectable. However, how it presents religion as the other option seems, to me, as just escaping into another cult: escaping from one addiction to another. However, at some point, Judy acknowledges this when she mentions that she knows that her own faith relies upon mere trust. Like I mentioned, I do not think this is propaganda for religion. I just felt this parallelism a bit strange.
The book was professionally edited since I only found a couple of mistakes that can be considered more a matter of style. The book questions how cults work, and it also talks about religion. For me, this was not an inconvenience, but it might trigger some radical believers since both things operate in similar ways. However, I do not think the book does this disrespectfully. I think it just presents the facts, and it is up to the reader to question and find answers alone. This book contains some descriptions and mentions of sex abuse, although nothing explicit. Given the topics it portrays, it could be best suited for mature teenagers and older audiences.
I would rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because it was interesting to read, and I enjoyed it. I think it is a very raw portrayal of how cults work. I also believe it is a very brave act from Burchard to have written this book and narrate her story. As a memoir, it helps as a warning, a cautionary tale, for saying that anyone can become part of a cult. This also helps to build down myths around cults and Messiah-like figures. I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in abuse and how it works. Also, readers who like coming-of-age stories might find this interesting, despite it being nonfiction. I think it is not pleasant to read, but it deals with an important topic.
******
The Cult Next Door
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Zonas de quema by Jorge P. Newbery
