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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
dark
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
I really enjoyed this. Jon Krakauer is an excellent, immersive journalistic writer, and he weaves together the threads of this narrative with aplomb. It's difficult for me to say how my experience of the book would have been if I had read it before watching the new Hulu show starring Andrew Garfield - the show certainly helped me follow some of the major players, while also leaving me missing the human and mystery elements that the show does really well. Through no fault of Krakauer's own, the sections on Mormon history or the FLDS sects are sometimes difficult to follow because of the similar names, large families, and rampant incest. And at times the book is simply difficult to read because of the horrible exploitation and violence against women and girls that it frequently describes. My biggest issue with the book stems from its greatest strength: while intelligent and well-researched, this is not an academic book per se, and when Krakauer moves from reporting to philosophizing I found him occasionally eye-rolling and college-freshman-in-philosophy-101 in some of his generalizations. Over all, however, a really compelling book about the darkest chapters of Mormon history.
This was a fascinating and extremely disturbing read about the Mormon fundamentalist movement and extreme religion’s effect on society. How religion captivates people so strongly is fascinating to me.
What I’m still thinking about: “In a democratic republic that aspires to protect religious freedom, who should have the right to declare that one’s person’s irrational beliefs are legitimate and commendable, while another person’s are crazy? How can a society actively promote religious faith on one hand and condemn a man for zealously adhering to his faith on the other?”
What I’m still thinking about: “In a democratic republic that aspires to protect religious freedom, who should have the right to declare that one’s person’s irrational beliefs are legitimate and commendable, while another person’s are crazy? How can a society actively promote religious faith on one hand and condemn a man for zealously adhering to his faith on the other?”
Entertaining and well researched, but parts three and four lagged for me for the same reason - I just don't know how fair it is to the Mormons to tie the violence of the 1800s to their doctrines/faith rather than acknowledging that so much of the violence that Krakauer describes is just normal for US imperial expansion during that same time period. (Also he never quite manages to figure out how to deal with the fact that a lot of the violence in current fundamentalist Mormon sects is just US fundamentalism cultural norms, but he does make more of an effort to draw those connections.) I don't think it's ENTIRELY unfair (hence the three star review and the fact that I finished it) but there's a lot of nuance that is lacking and the third section in particular felt lazy in a structural sense.
dark
informative
medium-paced
Well, he warned us in the title, didn’t he? Scenes of violence and abuse driven by religious fervor pepper every chapter. It’s a very uncomfortable read in that respect. The book offers much, much more than the 7-episode TV series, which only scratches the surface on the origins of Mormonism and the extremist practices of the Laffertys and those in their circle. Ultimately I’m left with many questions about the purpose of any religion and what constitutes a “legitimate” religion, but those questions and their answers could fill another book.
Very readable, well put together look at fundamentalism.
52 Book Club Challenge: Prompt 24- Addresses a specific topic
I wanted to read this before starting the Hulu show inspired by this book but really, you don't need to read this. This book is 90% about the Mormon religion, especially the Fundamentalist sects of the religion who practice polygamy and follow the earlier views of Joseph Smith. The crime is barely touched on (IMO). Jon Krakauer is definitely a great writer but i liked this one the least of his books that I've read so far but is probably because I have no interest in learning about the Mormon religion.
I wanted to read this before starting the Hulu show inspired by this book but really, you don't need to read this. This book is 90% about the Mormon religion, especially the Fundamentalist sects of the religion who practice polygamy and follow the earlier views of Joseph Smith. The crime is barely touched on (IMO). Jon Krakauer is definitely a great writer but i liked this one the least of his books that I've read so far but is probably because I have no interest in learning about the Mormon religion.
informative
reflective
slow-paced
To seek comfort and assurance that there is a purpose to the problem of life. It is fascinating to me how potent faith is to many people, and how at the end of it all, we are consumed with fear of the unknown. Our coping mechanisms range from accepting being pointless to standing in the hands of God, begging for life to have some sort of order.
I really love John Krakauer’s writing style, the quotes at the start of each chapter go well with understanding the content. The chapter about defining psychosis and religion is incredibly interesting, and I found myself thinking about cultural definitions and how flimsy they are in makeup.
Supes interesting, lurved it
I really love John Krakauer’s writing style, the quotes at the start of each chapter go well with understanding the content. The chapter about defining psychosis and religion is incredibly interesting, and I found myself thinking about cultural definitions and how flimsy they are in makeup.
Supes interesting, lurved it