50 Best Cult Books, from the Telegraph

One good book list deserves another. The UK Telegraph has already described their version of the "perfect library" (a far, far too conservative selection for many but worthwhile selections just the same), so now they weigh in with their votes for the "50 Best Cult Books."

It’s an interesting  list, considering what got in and what was left out. Ayn Rand’s "The Fountainhead" got in, but "Atlas Shrugged" did not. (Not that I understand what the big deal about Rand’s work was in the first place, but that’s just me.) Kerouac’s "On the Road" got in but Burroughs’ "Naked Lunch" did not; neither did Ginsberg’s "Howl" which, yes, I know, is not a novel, but surely it was a "cult book."  Meanwhile, "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath got in; Colin Wilson’s book "The Outsider" got in, but his biography of Aleister Crowley did not, and if Crowley wasn’t a cult figure, then I don’t know who is. On the other hand,  "Dianetics" by L. Ron Hubbard got in but there were no biographies of him either, so maybe omitting Crowley makes sense.

Anyway, it’s a fun list (although I could have done without the snippy commentary from the reviewers), and it deserves a look. Enjoy!