Imaginary Friends

by Alison Lurie

Roger and his all-time hero, Tom McMann, are about to infiltrate the Truth Seekers - a unique small-town cult whose credo involves sex, spiritualism and science fiction. Their flying saucer messiah is Ro, resident of the distant planet Varna, who sends his daily cosmic messages through Venea, a nubile teen-age psychic who lives with her Aunt Elsie in upstate New York. For Roger and McMann the experience is all a bit much, held spellbound by Verena's considerable charms and Ro's imminent trip to Earth, all sense of logic falls apart; and before they know it, the sanity of rational thought is enough to drive both of them out of their minds'

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Novels, The United States Of America, Humor, Science Fiction, Sociology

277 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1967

About the author

Alison Stewart Lurie was an American novelist and academic. She won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her 1984 novel Foreign Affairs. Although better known as a novelist, she wrote many non-fiction books and articles, particularly on children's literature and the semiotics of dress.

Reviews

[Betsy Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh how I wish Alison Lurie were my lifelong friend and I could sit with her and trade stories of being in and observing communities—their bizarre dynamics, the seduction of people by charismatic leaders, the pull to group-think and group-talk, and how, even as a dedicated observer, you cannot escape being a component of what is happening.

In Imaginary Friends, two social scientists infiltrate a spiritual cult in order to study these things. The narrative, written in first person by the assistant sociologist, Roger, records everything in accordance with study methods. But somehow Lurie manages to write fantastic dialogue and build to absurd, laugh-out-loud funny scenes.

I had no idea where this story was going, and I’m in awe of where it went and Lurie’s ability to not only understand the psychological twists and turns of people negotiating sane and insane relationships, but articulate them.

[Joy D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two sociology professors conduct a study of the group dynamics and psychology of cults by pretending to join one. The Truth Seekers are a cult whose members practice spiritualism, “see” auras, and believe their leader, Verena, can communicate with space aliens. The story is told in first person by the assistant sociologist, Roger, who records the proceedings for later academic analysis. The lead sociologist is Tom, renowned in his field, and Roger is at first flattered to be included, but begins to suspect that Tom may have another agenda. They employ a “non-directional” methodology, attempting to participate without interfering. It is a most unusual topic – one I have not often seen in fiction. The novel explores mass delusions, group behavior, ethics in academia, and the line between sanity and insanity. It is surprisingly compelling and amazing that this book was published in 1967 – it reads as a much more contemporary novel. If you are looking for something quirky and offbeat, give this one a try.

4.5

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my fourth Alison Lurie book, and she hasn't disappointed me yet. I love her writing and her characterization, and was amazed by the intelligence and depth of this highly readable novel.

The premise is this: Roger Zimmern is a young sociology professor and a new hire at a university who is flattered when a charismatic senior professor he admires, Tom McMann, invites him to assist him with an exciting study. McMann's plan is to infiltrate a small cult so he can study religious delusions and group dynamics. The two of them begin to spend a lot of time pretending to be participating in this cult, whose beliefs and practices grow increasingly bizarre. To further complicate things, Roger develops a huge crush on Verena, the girl at the center of the cult who is allegedly receiving messages from an outer-space messiah. Verena's behavior encourages this crush, creating complicated professional and ethical conflicts for Roger. McMann, for his part, engages in deviant research behavior of his own but has such a persuasive hold on Roger that Roger must grapple between McMann's rationalizations and his own better judgment.

In the course of telling a very exciting story (who would have thought a story about sociological research could be so dramatic and highly charged?), this novel explores issues of group dynamics, ethics in research, religious belief vs. delusion, and the thin line between sanity and insanity, among other things. While stimulating many questions about these provocative topics, the story is very well-paced -- not at all slow, and a very smooth, enjoyable read.

As a side note, the cult reminded me of a bizarre book Miriam recommended to me in high school -- "Why do Birds," by Damon Knight. I also got a kick out of certain dated aspects of it (it was published in 1967) -- a dime for a cup of coffee, $3.98 as "outrageous" for a shirt, no computers, cell phones, e-mail, etc.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

It felt a little too on the nose to be reading this novel as brief respites from working intensely to finish my thesis corrections, as it concerns academia gone wrong. (I finished my corrections, though, which is more than can be said of the research study ‘Imaginary Friends’ is centred on.) A senior, famous-in-his-discipline academic invites our narrator to infiltrate a local cult with him. The Truth Seekers, as they call themselves, believe in a mashup of spiritualist christianity and alien conspiracy theories. I found the narrator intermittently disagreeable (when lusting after Verena, figurehead of the cult) and sometimes very sympathetic (when trying to determine whether his PI is insane). Not that much actually happens, when it came down to it, but the dynamics of the close-knit cult group are portrayed in a sensitive and distinctly compelling fashion. I really like the insight that they were more like family than friends as such - people who felt like they had to spend time together and support each other, despite having relatively little in common. The narrator’s dilemmas about the extent to which observing and interacting with the group changed it are cleverly done. Issues of class are handled especially neatly. The psychology of small religious groups is deconstructed at the same time as the study of same, which is quite a trick to pull of this tidily. Overall it’s a clever and subtle novel, therefore probably better read when not so tired and preoccupied with your own research as I was.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

From BBC Radio 4 - 15 minute drama:
Alison Lurie's comic novel of academia and alien gurus, dramatised by Melissa Murray.
New York in 1968, and naive young sociology graduate, Roger Zimmern, has just got his first job at a university.

1/10: Newly graduated sociologist Roger Zimmern is delighted to be asked work with his academic hero Tom McCann. They are to investigate the Truth Seekers, a small cult group who believe they are receiving spiritual guidance from the planet Varna.

2/10: Young sociologist Roger Zimmern has made contact with the small cult known as the Truth Seekers. But are they crazy enough for a ground breaking sociological study?

3/10: Sociologists Roger Zimmern and his boss, Tom McCann, have managed to infiltrate the small cult of the Truth Seekers. But now their reasons for being there are about to be exposed.

4/10: Verena, leader of the Truth Seekers, seems to have lost her way. Her aunt Elsie has persuaded professor Tom McCann to speak to her. But McCann has an agenda of his own.

5/10: Sociologist Tom McCann is behaving increasingly strangely, much to the frustration of his young assistant Roger. But they're about to hear some news that will make things a great deal stranger.

6/10: Roger has gone to see Verena, worried that Tom McCann has influenced the announcement that the Varnians are about to visit earth.

7/10: It's the moment the Truth Seekers have been waiting for. Their spiritual guides from the planet Varna are about to arrive.

8/10: Things have taken a bizarre turn, as sociologist Tom McCann has claimed he has been possessed by the spirit of the alien guru, Ro of Varna,

9/10: Following an argument during which a shot was fired, Tom McCann and his fellow Truth Seekers have come to the attention of the local police.

10/10: Roger, on his way to visit Tom McCann in hospital, has stopped off to visit Elsie, where he has heard some terrible news.

Roger ... Jonathan Forbes
McCann ... Nathan Osgood
Elsie ... Barbara Barnes
Verena ... Alex Tregear
Bob ... Simon Bubb

Directed by Marc Beeby

1968. New York State. Newly graduated sociologist Roger Zimmern is delighted to be asked work with his academic hero Tom McCann. They are to investigate the Truth Seekers, a small cult group who believe they are receiving spiritual guidance from the planet Varna. The group is run by middle-aged Elsie and her beautiful niece, Verena. Under cover, the two academics join the Truth Seekers. But things quickly begin to go wrong. Roger's objectivity is tested when he begins to fall in love with Verena. And what is happening to Tom McCann? Why is he behaving so strangely? Poor Roger, desperate to be a success, desperate to be noticed, doesn't know who to trust..

Imaginary Friends is a devastatingly funny look at the foibles of modern times. It's driven by a story that works brilliantly on a number of levels - in part a sharp social satire of the academic profession, in part a witty exploration of the wilder reaches of ' spirituality'. It is also a tender - if slightly skewed - love story, and a touching take on a young man's coming of age.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b012fbvp

[Valerie Mobley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favourite books. The theme of group delusional behaviour is fascinating and Lurie writes in an engaging way with humour and wicked irony. Many of the characters are unforgettable and the story is well structured and pacy. I have read this book three times and always take something new from it. Incidentally, it was suggested reading from my sociologist professor as I embarked on a Masters degree by research.

[m d · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read this book few times now and I've enjoyed it every single time. But I wonder whether I like it so much because I've studied sociology and attempted participant observation in the past (with all its benefits and pitfalls...)? Maybe.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book, and it's true I enjoyed it quite a bit, but there were some intellectual opportunities that I would have liked to see more developed. The book was written in the golden age of sociology, 1967. As a sociology graduate student from the 2000s, seeing the evolution of sociological thought was really entertaining. Right after this came post - modernist theory which basically negates the neutral and 'non-directional' methodology of group participation without influence. In a sense, it was like a case study of the time period and the practice of sociolgy, a historical sociological analysis if you will. Unfortunately I wanted more. I was disappointed that the 'mad' McMann only truly appeared for a few pages art the end. I felt after all the build up about methodological breakdown and the squishy inability to prove a theory that was infected by those doing the styudying; that finishing the book with a question on the reality of madness somewhat missed the mark. I'm not saying the theme had not been touched upon earlier, Roger questions his own sanity, and the definition of sanity as compared to group norms did surface earlier, but somehow it didn't glue together. All in all, fascinating read, and a bit of a time capsule.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story of two sociologists who embark upon a research project to infiltrate and observe a small cult which claims to be in contact with higher beings from outer space. Instead of focusing too much on the exact identities of the members of the cult itself and its somewhat ridiculous belief system, the story hones in on the reactions and behaviors of the two sociologists who try (with varying degrees of success and failure) to participate "non-directively" in the group. Each researcher finds himself struggling (consciously or not) with the ideas of how much of group belonging can determine identity, and how much identity which emanates from within can influence the group identity.

It's not clear by the end of the story just what separates faith and determination from delusions of grandeur and compulsion. But it was this question, not the story itself, that remained in my mind long after I finished the book.

[Rachel Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought the concept sounded really interesting, but I actually found this book to be pretty dull. I never got pulled in to the plot, and found the main characters to be pretty uninteresting. I kept hoping for it to get better, but it never really worked for me.

[Bettie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bettie's Books

[David]

Just about everything said about this one in the round of reviews listed is fair comment, from the praise to the criticism. It is a very dated book, working with both costs and academic methodology of the later 1960s, neither of which are much the same today. The characters are interesting, but not superbly so, the plot components believable though also stretched, and the conclusion effective and dissatisfying. Beyond argument is that the novel provokes thought about the wide range of reaction in popular culture to spiritual matters--everything from the ethereal divine to the earthly insane.

[Tina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Certainly a good idea for a novel. But it doesn't work in this case. I was bored nearly to death, towards the end I skipped most of it.

[Eugenea Pollock · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once upon a time, many years ago, I knew an elderly woman who genuinely believed that she received messages from extraterrestrials through her TV. She was harmless, but very strange, obviously. Well, she would have fit right in with the Truth Seekers of Sophis, NY. These folks received instructions from their spiritual guides on the planet Varna through the automatic writing of their charismatic prophetess Verena. All is well until a couple of sociology professors, Tom McMann and Roger Zimmern, from a local college get wind of them and construct a small-group study of their activities. Eventually, Roger asks, "How many people have to have a common delusion before it stops being a delusion and becomes a religion?" I enjoyed this book, but occasionally it dragged through too much dysfunction.

[Roslyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

The core of the plot: two university sociology academics (one moderately famous senior, one green junior) join a small spiritualist group over several months in order to study them. The academics hope that what they find out and publish out of those findings will advance their own academic careers. The closed nature of the spiritualist group, and the groups inward-facing concerns and sense of self-importance, reminded me of the academy in general. Was this an analogy?

I found the book overly long and repetitive through the middle part; their seemed to be little plot or character development here to motivate the narrative. The end section is interesting, with the senior academic being 'annointed' and coming to see himself as the 'god' of this new spiritual movement.

[Jeanne Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Une ambiance façon film de Woodie Allen très réussie.
Une (longue) scène qui m'a fait franchement rire.
L'histoire tient bien debout, m'a tenue en haleine, et ne manque pas de profondeur.
La satire du milieu universitaire américain évoque Conflit de famille et Liaisons étrangères.
Le changement d'aspect des personnages au cours de l'histoire évoque La vérité sur Lorin Jones, en beaucoup plus réussi. C'est généralement léger, drôle et intelligent. J'ai passé de très bons moments à lire ce roman, ce qui n'est pas si souvent le cas.

[Tom Marcinko · Rating 3 out of 5]

"If I had been accused of theft, fraud, or murder, I wouldn’t have minded, but somehow, even from a madman, the charge that one is stupid and unlucky hits home."

Foreign Affairs left such a good impression on me that I decided it was past time to read more Lurie. I’m guessing this isn’t one of her best. Though I did like the juxtaposition of the weird views of the UFO cult with mundane details like their penchant for jello salads. It was probably funnier when it came out, in 1967.

[Maeve · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was just "okay", but I don't feel like I wasted my time.

I loved seeing how someone can influence a group with just a thought, and how it can grow from there. It only takes one charming leader to get a group of seemingly normal people to do their bidding.

Bigger choices in storytelling could have been made, but I think the book reflects the time it was written in.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was intrigued by the premise and wanted to like it, but each scene was told in such excruciating detail that even as a fairly short book it seemed to drag on. The end was appropriately disturbing, though.

[Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pleasant surprise

While browsing through a list of book reviews, I came across the cover of "Imagery Friends."

It was not Sci-Fi as I expected, but I was hooked after just a few pages in.

[Masha]

Recommended by Dodie/Kevin

[Elise · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure how this book ended up on my list. It was very odd. Not unenjoyable, just weird. Never thought I would be reading a book about sociologists and cults, written in the 60s. But I did.

[Е. Айртон · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't believe the end of McMann. Jeje

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

An all right 1967 book.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific. I was really absorbed in the development of the story and the characters. I'm still not sure who is sane and who is not. And it made me think about research.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hoot! Alison Lurie brings her unfailing sense for the absurdities of human behavior and self-justification to a small town in upstate New York. Newly appointed professor Roger Zimmern is delighted when he's invited by his older, respected colleague Tom McMann to join him in the sociological study of a small cult that is germinating in an otherwise unremarkable town. The Seekers believe that their leader, pretty teenager Verena Roberts, communicates with higher beings on the planet Varna through automatic writing and trances. Otherwise, their beliefs are a hodge-podge of New Age and Protestant theology, with a dash of self-improvement.
Roger tries to maintain a proper scientific distance, which is difficult because he's more than a little attracted by Verena. The accepted sociological practice of non-directed interactions, which can be summarized as "observe but don't influence" seems to mean something else to him than to Tom, and the younger academic starts to doubt his mentor's detachment. Then Verena announces that visitors from Varna will be arriving soon and that all adherents must prepare themselves for this joyous event by meditation and fasting. Roger hopes that the inevitable non-arrival of spaceships will lead to the breakup of the cult, at which point he may encourage Verena to study sociology, perhaps under the tutelage of a young, promising professor, say, Professor Zimmern?

I loved it! The pretensions of academic life with its petty squabbles, the self-delusions of a motley band of provincials, and the strange rituals of an emerging cult - the author skewered them all good and proper. The Seekers are no hippies, but middle-aged Protestants or naive college students, and their middle-class habits keep on clashing with the New Age diktats of Ro, Mo, Lo and all the other spiritual guides from Varna. Just the descriptions of the meals and snacks that Elsie, Verena's virago of an aunt, prepares for the weekly gatherings, read like parodies of 1950s gastronomy. Suffice it to say that jell-o salads feature prominently! The scene in which Verena announces that the preparations for the arrival of the envoy from Varna should include the removal of all natural fibers, which leads to a frantic shedding of cotton shirts and pants and ends with Roger clad in a nylon bedspread, was hilarious.

Two literary notes :

1. Is it coincidence that the medium/priestess/leader of this cult is called Verena Roberts? She reminded me of Verena Tarrant in Henry James' "The Bostonians". That was another pretty young woman whose charisma and eloquence are put to the service of a cause - and who becomes the center of a tug-of-war between two different individuals who want all her attention.

2. Alison Lurie was close friends with the poet James Merrill and his partner David Jackson. This couple became fascinated by the Ouija board and experimented with it for decades, as described by Alison Lurie in her memoir "Familiar Spirits". James Merrill's long poem "The Changing Light at Sandover" was reportedly dictated to him by his spirit guide.

[Nikki Boisture · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apparently, although people like to hear that they and the universe are good and getting better all the time, they like even more to be told that they are wicked sinners in a dark pit, and can only be saved through great effort, the repetition of magic formulae, and the aid of invisible beings.

Roger Zimmern is a brand-new sociology professor and is pleased to be working alongside Tom McMann, a well renowned sociologist with a best selling book. McMann reads about a group of people in the small town of Sophis, New York calling themselves the Truth Seekers, who believe they are receiving messages from advanced beings on a planet called Varna. McMann and Zimmern team up to infiltrate the group for a study on small isolated group behaviors. Zimmern, a quiet Jewish man from New York attempts to maintain a distance from their subjects, but McMann who is gregarious and at home with small town WASPs acts the part of a cult member with believable veracity. As the day of the Coming (when the beings from Varna will get to Earth), things go sideways and the roles of Zimmern and McMann in this group come to a head.

This is told from the first person point of view of Zimmern, which is a good choice as he does manage to remain the most detached from the characters in the Truth Seekers, even as he maintains a harsh judgment of their small-town ways. The author has a solid grasp on the workings of groups like this, the personality of the members, and what it takes to keep people believing in the unbelievable. The ending is something I truly did not see coming, and even a day after finishing, I am left wondering exactly what was going on.

This is a novel, published in the late sixties, that could easily be mistaken for modern.The only thing that made it feel old-fashioned were the lack of computers and cell phones, but that was so minor I often forgot all together I was reading a book from half a century ago.

[Jesse Field · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just finished the adaptation for BB4 15-minute drama, directed by Melissa Murray. This had a very radio show feel to it, as when Roger first enters the services of the Truth Seekers and hears them worshipping with oohs and ahs -- you can just picture the voice actors standing in a circle, mouths right by their mics, dramatic sound and musical effects controlled by sound production in a booth on the other side of a glass window.

Jonathan Forbes as Roger and Nathan Osgood as Professor McCann work well together in the class pairing of the older and toxic masculine figure with the young and callow pushover. After seeing Crispin Glover again in the first Back to the Future movie, I can easily picture Glover in the role.

Except there isn't a real dramatic theme to the Roger character. Sorry for the spoiler, but he doesn't seem to snap and either grow up or turn mean or weird. (Like rat-loving Crispin Glover in Willard, for example.) Maybe Roger is supposed to be an everyman figure, at least in the world of academia. But he insults our intelligence with his lack of critical thinking, believing in McCann far too long, and not seeming to actually know much about social science.

Mildly intriguing if you want that vibe of studio-recorded radio drama -- this accompanied me on a few bicycle commutes, and cooking and washing dishes Sunday evening. But the characters were suprisingly limited. I thought the famously pedantic Laurie would handle professorial dialogue better. Perhaps the BBC adaptation dumbs down a better novel?

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never read a book like this! It felt natural as if I were to be a part of the seekers I would have believed it too. If one's life is mundane and dull, seekers can give a solace and connection and encouragement that we all want. A being from another planet has a specific well crafted message for you!!! To be treated as such is a dream.

It definitely was scary at times but I love how she has created this world where I almost got lost. It could be relaxing to be a part of such a religious group if done right, no matter how scientific your beliefs are. Because when science cannot offer you the happiness you were looking for, you'd have to look somewhere else. Even if it's just to be a part of partly insane and low-minded individuals because at least there you'll have a sense of community.

Can't wait to read her other books. I picked it up at a book fair sale and had no idea what I was in for. Definitely not disappointed.

[Φερειπείν · Rating 2 out of 5]

Φανταστικοί φίλοι. Alison Lurie.

Η σύλληψη είναι πρωτότυπη και ενδιαφέρουσα, ωστόσο πάσχει σοβαρά στην λογοτεχνική της απόδοση, μετριάζοντας κατά πολύ, αν όχι ακυρώνοντας, το εγχείρημα στην πρόθεση της πλοκής του.
Κυρίως αναλώνεται σε ανούσιες περιγραφές ιεροτελεστιών σε μια εσκεμμένη προφανώς προσπάθεια γελοιποίησης ομάδων, που επιδίδονται σε αυτές με μανία στην Αμερική, καθιστώντας ευάλωτη την πλοκή, που χάνει το μέτρο και τη λειτουργικότητά της και καταντά μια παιδαριώδης προσπάθεια μεταφοράς στο χαρτί μιας πραγματικότητας με ισχυρές βάσεις στην αμερικανική κοινωνία. Το κείμενο εξαιτίας των πανομοιότυπων επαναλήψεων γίνεται κουραστικό και ο αριθμός των σελίδων υπερκαλύπτει την πραγματική ανάγκη της περιγραφής προκαλώντας μια αίσθηση κόπωσης στην προσπάθειά σου να τις καλύψεις και να ολοκληρώσεις την ανάγνωση.