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The Castle: Adventures in a World of Unravelling Men
Audiobook duration: 8 hours 51 minutes
The million-copy bestselling author of The Psychopath Test returns with a shocking, darkly comic trip to the furthest reaches of the masculinity crisis
I honestly have no clue what is going on.
This is very weird.
We left. Was completely fucked. All good now.
When Jon Ronson received a series of disquieting texts from his son Joel who’d been lured to a mysterious castle in the forests of New England late one night, it sets Ronson Sr. off on an extraordinary adventure into an underworld of unmoored and disaffected men.
As Jon deepens his investigation into the castle and the wider ‘man crisis’ – where some are feeling tossed around in a sea of conflicting ideologies of what it means to be a man – urgent questions come to light. What exactly is ‘Princessing’? Why did a lawncare influencer dress as a baby in front of billions of online viewers, with catastrophic results? And more pressingly, why are two recently released murderers on their way to pay Jon a visit?
From the death of utopian factory towns to the false promise of YouTube influencer culture, Jon shows us our rapidly changing world like never before, and the men caught in the middle. A world drained of purpose, of collapsing institutions, where a new era of disinhibited behaviour has taken hold of our online and real-world selves. And as the castle mystery twists and turns into a cat and mouse story, will Jon be able to discover its terrifying secret hidden from the world?
The Castle marks Jon Ronson’s triumphant return to the written page. Utterly hilarious and criminally entertaining, this is one of our greatest non-fiction writers at the top of his game: diagnosing our societal frailties in a narrative of blistering pace, insight and intensity.
The million-copy bestselling author of The Psychopath Test returns with a shocking, darkly comic trip to the furthest reaches of the masculinity crisis
I honestly have no clue what is going on.
This is very weird.
We left. Was completely fucked. All good now.
When Jon Ronson received a series of disquieting texts from his son Joel who’d been lured to a mysterious castle in the forests of New England late one night, it sets Ronson Sr. off on an extraordinary adventure into an underworld of unmoored and disaffected men.
As Jon deepens his investigation into the castle and the wider ‘man crisis’ – where some are feeling tossed around in a sea of conflicting ideologies of what it means to be a man – urgent questions come to light. What exactly is ‘Princessing’? Why did a lawncare influencer dress as a baby in front of billions of online viewers, with catastrophic results? And more pressingly, why are two recently released murderers on their way to pay Jon a visit?
From the death of utopian factory towns to the false promise of YouTube influencer culture, Jon shows us our rapidly changing world like never before, and the men caught in the middle. A world drained of purpose, of collapsing institutions, where a new era of disinhibited behaviour has taken hold of our online and real-world selves. And as the castle mystery twists and turns into a cat and mouse story, will Jon be able to discover its terrifying secret hidden from the world?
The Castle marks Jon Ronson’s triumphant return to the written page. Utterly hilarious and criminally entertaining, this is one of our greatest non-fiction writers at the top of his game: diagnosing our societal frailties in a narrative of blistering pace, insight and intensity.
9 pages, Audiobook
Published August 20, 2026
About the author
Jon Ronson
32 books5,881 followersJon Ronson is a British-American journalist, author, and filmmaker. He is known for works such as Them: Adventures with Extremists (2001), The Men Who Stare at Goats (2004), and The Psychopath Test (2011).
He has been described as a gonzo journalist, becoming a faux-naïf character in his stories. He produces informal but sceptical investigations of controversial fringe politics and science. He has published nine books and his work has appeared in publications such as The Guardian, City Life and Time Out. He has made several BBC Television documentary films and two documentary series for Channel 4.
He has been described as a gonzo journalist, becoming a faux-naïf character in his stories. He produces informal but sceptical investigations of controversial fringe politics and science. He has published nine books and his work has appeared in publications such as The Guardian, City Life and Time Out. He has made several BBC Television documentary films and two documentary series for Channel 4.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
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July 30, 2026What happened to men?
Ronson dives into the manosphere to investigate the millions of missing men (men who aren't working or in school), what happened, and how millions of them ended up on the internet preaching to one another in echo chambers. Twisty, turny, and terse, this is a work of nonfiction that poses questions and investigates every possible answer to the core question, but sometimes the data itself is lost in the musings.
Interesting and informative!
Ronson dives into the manosphere to investigate the millions of missing men (men who aren't working or in school), what happened, and how millions of them ended up on the internet preaching to one another in echo chambers. Twisty, turny, and terse, this is a work of nonfiction that poses questions and investigates every possible answer to the core question, but sometimes the data itself is lost in the musings.
Interesting and informative!
June 23, 2026
I waited 11 years for a new Jon Ronson book and it was WORTH THE WAIT.
Macabre as it sounds, it’s good news for narrative nonfiction when strange things happen to Jon Ronson. In this case, his son is lured to a mysterious castle in suburban Connecticut where a wealthy older man is recruiting young women to be his “princesses.” Alarmed by the situation and drawn to deviant characters, Ronson does what he does best: follows the thread until it leads somewhere much darker and indicative of a cultural underbelly.
The result is a portrait of several men—the castle owner, a town historian, a lawn-care influencer, a culture-war YouTuber—who share a common predicament. They are all searching, perhaps destructively, for purpose.
The Castle raises questions at the root of the manosphere: How does the 21st-century man go from being a little lonely to dangerously uninhibited? What happens when once-tolerated behavior is no longer tolerated? And what is a man’s worth when the thing that once gave him value—money, innovation, authority, expertise—becomes the thing that alienates him from society?
In his trademark style, Ronson inserts himself into the narrative, scrutinizing his own motivations and facing his mortality. Throughout, he acknowledges his maniacal compulsion to work, and how he’s a razor’s edge away from being like the subjects of our scorn:
“Everyone I met for this book had, I think, a similarly dysfunctional relationship with purpose, hunting too desperately for it. And now there’s a generation of men, unanchored from society and going it alone.”
Ronson is also disarmingly aware of the uncomfortable boon his son’s encounter provides his reporting. He ruefully notes that the danger his son faced “had, after all, given me something to do.”
And what a thing he’s done. Ronson, who has made of career of embedding himself with the fringes of society (extremists, psychopaths, cancel culture’s outcasts), has now dipped a toe into the manosphere and exposed the privilege-to-disenfranchisement-to-disinhibition pipeline only as he could tell it.
It’s illuminating, unsettling, and genuinely funny. I only wish there were more of it.
Macabre as it sounds, it’s good news for narrative nonfiction when strange things happen to Jon Ronson. In this case, his son is lured to a mysterious castle in suburban Connecticut where a wealthy older man is recruiting young women to be his “princesses.” Alarmed by the situation and drawn to deviant characters, Ronson does what he does best: follows the thread until it leads somewhere much darker and indicative of a cultural underbelly.
The result is a portrait of several men—the castle owner, a town historian, a lawn-care influencer, a culture-war YouTuber—who share a common predicament. They are all searching, perhaps destructively, for purpose.
The Castle raises questions at the root of the manosphere: How does the 21st-century man go from being a little lonely to dangerously uninhibited? What happens when once-tolerated behavior is no longer tolerated? And what is a man’s worth when the thing that once gave him value—money, innovation, authority, expertise—becomes the thing that alienates him from society?
In his trademark style, Ronson inserts himself into the narrative, scrutinizing his own motivations and facing his mortality. Throughout, he acknowledges his maniacal compulsion to work, and how he’s a razor’s edge away from being like the subjects of our scorn:
“Everyone I met for this book had, I think, a similarly dysfunctional relationship with purpose, hunting too desperately for it. And now there’s a generation of men, unanchored from society and going it alone.”
Ronson is also disarmingly aware of the uncomfortable boon his son’s encounter provides his reporting. He ruefully notes that the danger his son faced “had, after all, given me something to do.”
And what a thing he’s done. Ronson, who has made of career of embedding himself with the fringes of society (extremists, psychopaths, cancel culture’s outcasts), has now dipped a toe into the manosphere and exposed the privilege-to-disenfranchisement-to-disinhibition pipeline only as he could tell it.
It’s illuminating, unsettling, and genuinely funny. I only wish there were more of it.
August 23, 2026
My love for Jon Ronson continues. I recommend listening to the audiobook for bonus content + feeling like you’re listening to another great JR podcast (so pleased to hear that season 3 of Things Fell Apart is on the way). Now to go down a Chris Mark Google hole…
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August 21, 2026I have enjoyed Jon Ronson’s books in the past and I did get through this one very quickly. The instigating event is very intriguing and quintessentially Ronsonian. I was unconvinced by his wider thesis.
I think the most interesting/revealing part was the Linehan section. I would’ve read a long essay/book on that relationship breakdown, but I understand why Ronson might not want to give L that kind of undivided attention.
I think the most interesting/revealing part was the Linehan section. I would’ve read a long essay/book on that relationship breakdown, but I understand why Ronson might not want to give L that kind of undivided attention.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
My thanks to NetGalley and Riverhead Books for an advance copy of this work about strange men, what makes them, the Internet, our expectations, those that influence them, and those that need help more than enablers.
I have learned that nothing good comes from text streams late at night, but for the writer Jon Ronson, a series of texts from his son about a strange situation, set him on the path for a book. Ronson is both lucky and in some ways cursed for his ability to find stories, usually featuring odd people doing odd things. These odd things can be quirky like finding a fortune making Youtube videos, or building a castle deep in the Connecticut woods. Unfortunately these can lead to far darker things. The Castle Adventures in a World of Unraveling Men by Jon Ronson is a book that looks at what is driving so many people to act so weird, be it mental problems, social media, a mob mentality, and where this is taking us as a society.
Jon Ronson was recovering from surgery, when his son sent him a series a texts about a trip to a castle. This castle was in Connecticut, and supposed to be a party. Instead it got weird, with girls being dressed as princesses, talks of a reality show and more. Ronson's son left with no problem, but the text intrigued Ronson enough that he decided to investigate. This lead to a visit and the idea for a book. From a Castle in Connecticut to a destroyed factory town, based on an English idea. To Nantucket investigating a possible muder, to talking to a man who made Youtube videos, popular ones, that suddenly went bad. Ronson looks at what is making men act in strange ways. One wanting the Playboy lifestyle, and doing anything to get it. Another destroying their career by trolling social media, defending women, while driving his wife and children away. Ronson talks to people who promote trolls, but don't really believe them, and celebrities who admit that no one ever told them to stop what they were doing. Even when things were getting worse.
A book that was different than I expected, but one I really enjoyed. I had no idea I missed Ronson's take on the world as much as I do. Ronson has a real skill at finding people, and like I said a bit of a curse, and letting them tell their tale. And what a tale many of the tell. The Man in the Connecticut Castle is the focus of the story, but from him many plots are followed. Ronson looks at social media, and the toll it takes on people. That need to be accepted, even if being accepted means being hated by those around you. The promise of good factory jobs lost to the capitalist system, leaving more people at a loss in the world. The retreat of many men from life. There is a lot in this book, and much to think about.
A book really about responsibility. Most of these men, causally blaming women for their problems, The clerk in town, the woman on the tv show, the woman, the woman. The casual way they do this is something that should be more explored. As is the fact that these people are responsible for their own actions. Some need mental help, yes, but others have enabled so many, for their celebrity, for their wealth, just because it is easier. That is the real crisis. Something that Ronson touches on quite a bit. Again, not the book I expected, but one I could not put down, and even now still miss. Perfect for fans like myself who have missed his writing, and can't wait for the next book.
I have learned that nothing good comes from text streams late at night, but for the writer Jon Ronson, a series of texts from his son about a strange situation, set him on the path for a book. Ronson is both lucky and in some ways cursed for his ability to find stories, usually featuring odd people doing odd things. These odd things can be quirky like finding a fortune making Youtube videos, or building a castle deep in the Connecticut woods. Unfortunately these can lead to far darker things. The Castle Adventures in a World of Unraveling Men by Jon Ronson is a book that looks at what is driving so many people to act so weird, be it mental problems, social media, a mob mentality, and where this is taking us as a society.
Jon Ronson was recovering from surgery, when his son sent him a series a texts about a trip to a castle. This castle was in Connecticut, and supposed to be a party. Instead it got weird, with girls being dressed as princesses, talks of a reality show and more. Ronson's son left with no problem, but the text intrigued Ronson enough that he decided to investigate. This lead to a visit and the idea for a book. From a Castle in Connecticut to a destroyed factory town, based on an English idea. To Nantucket investigating a possible muder, to talking to a man who made Youtube videos, popular ones, that suddenly went bad. Ronson looks at what is making men act in strange ways. One wanting the Playboy lifestyle, and doing anything to get it. Another destroying their career by trolling social media, defending women, while driving his wife and children away. Ronson talks to people who promote trolls, but don't really believe them, and celebrities who admit that no one ever told them to stop what they were doing. Even when things were getting worse.
A book that was different than I expected, but one I really enjoyed. I had no idea I missed Ronson's take on the world as much as I do. Ronson has a real skill at finding people, and like I said a bit of a curse, and letting them tell their tale. And what a tale many of the tell. The Man in the Connecticut Castle is the focus of the story, but from him many plots are followed. Ronson looks at social media, and the toll it takes on people. That need to be accepted, even if being accepted means being hated by those around you. The promise of good factory jobs lost to the capitalist system, leaving more people at a loss in the world. The retreat of many men from life. There is a lot in this book, and much to think about.
A book really about responsibility. Most of these men, causally blaming women for their problems, The clerk in town, the woman on the tv show, the woman, the woman. The casual way they do this is something that should be more explored. As is the fact that these people are responsible for their own actions. Some need mental help, yes, but others have enabled so many, for their celebrity, for their wealth, just because it is easier. That is the real crisis. Something that Ronson touches on quite a bit. Again, not the book I expected, but one I could not put down, and even now still miss. Perfect for fans like myself who have missed his writing, and can't wait for the next book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Castle is a strange, unsettling, and ultimately fascinating book and I mean "strange" as a compliment, mostly. Jon Ronson has always had a gift for walking into the darkest corners of human behavior and coming back with something that makes you laugh, wince, and think all at once. This one is no different, though it goes to darker places than I expected.
The book circles around the ways advertising, social media, and online culture have hollowed out and distorted the male ego, producing men who are disconnected from reality, disinhibited, and increasingly dangerous to themselves and others. Chris Marks is the most vivid example at the center of the narrative, and Ronson renders him with the same careful, non-cartoonish empathy he brings to all his subjects, even when they're clearly unwell. Other conspiracy-minded individuals orbit the story as well, each one illuminating a different facet of the same troubling phenomenon.
Structurally, the multiple threads took some getting used to. This isn't the lean, propulsive narrative of The Psychopath Test or So You've Been Publicly Shamed. It sprawls, it doubles back, it follows seemingly strange tangents. Honestly, it's not the kind of book I would have naturally gravitated toward. But here's the thing about Jon Ronson: he's such a compulsively readable writer that I found myself completely engrossed anyway. His voice carries you through even the weirdest detours.
If you're a Ronson fan, go in knowing this one is darker and more diffuse than his earlier work. If you're new to him, maybe start with The Psychopath Test first. But either way, The Castle is asking genuinely important questions about where all these unmoored men are headed, and that alone makes it worth your time.
The book circles around the ways advertising, social media, and online culture have hollowed out and distorted the male ego, producing men who are disconnected from reality, disinhibited, and increasingly dangerous to themselves and others. Chris Marks is the most vivid example at the center of the narrative, and Ronson renders him with the same careful, non-cartoonish empathy he brings to all his subjects, even when they're clearly unwell. Other conspiracy-minded individuals orbit the story as well, each one illuminating a different facet of the same troubling phenomenon.
Structurally, the multiple threads took some getting used to. This isn't the lean, propulsive narrative of The Psychopath Test or So You've Been Publicly Shamed. It sprawls, it doubles back, it follows seemingly strange tangents. Honestly, it's not the kind of book I would have naturally gravitated toward. But here's the thing about Jon Ronson: he's such a compulsively readable writer that I found myself completely engrossed anyway. His voice carries you through even the weirdest detours.
If you're a Ronson fan, go in knowing this one is darker and more diffuse than his earlier work. If you're new to him, maybe start with The Psychopath Test first. But either way, The Castle is asking genuinely important questions about where all these unmoored men are headed, and that alone makes it worth your time.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I'll be writing a longer Substack piece with more detail, but prepub: I strongly recommend Jon Ronson's latest as a worthwhile and entertaining entry in the ongoing conversation about toxic masculinity and the impact of social media. In contrast to "Louis Theroux: In the Manosphere" (Netflix), Ronson tells a much deeper and more vulnerable story. Instead of quick gotcha interviews with publicity-hungry influencers, he spends significant time with his subjects, trying to understand them and place them in a larger cultural context. His insights are provocative and new, creating a nice bookend with his book about shaming, now that we seem to be in a post-shame era. As in his previous books, he is willing to include himself in the storyline in surprising, humorous, and heartfelt ways. I laughed out loud and interrupted my partner's reading often to read him passages, even though he'd already gotten to the digital ms ahead of me. Ronson's prose is that enjoyable.
My only quibble is that the book seemed on the short side and ended a little abruptly. It's a compliment to Ronson's writing that the reader is left wanting just a little more.
https://romanolax.substack.com/
My only quibble is that the book seemed on the short side and ended a little abruptly. It's a compliment to Ronson's writing that the reader is left wanting just a little more.
https://romanolax.substack.com/
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I have been a keen reader of Ronson since The Men Who Stared Goats. His faux-naïve schtick works perfectly to explore the bizarre and incredible, as the castle and its owner surely are. As that story
develops, it goes to darker places than I expected from some dangerously imbalanced middle-aged child of wealth who tries to entice young women to become his princess.
That story would have been enough for most authors, but Ronson is too savvy. This is not a story about one twisted man. But how manhood has been twisted, and how it twists us. The other men he interviews make us squirm because they do so well to underscore the A-plot. The genius of this is that Ronson puts the magnifying glass on himself. He isn't the castle owner, the man who ran afoul of obeying the YouTube algorithm with his daughters in brainrot, the one who destroyed towns, the one whose pride made him a social media troll, but isn't he a little? Are any of us wholly clear of these rabbit holes?
develops, it goes to darker places than I expected from some dangerously imbalanced middle-aged child of wealth who tries to entice young women to become his princess.
That story would have been enough for most authors, but Ronson is too savvy. This is not a story about one twisted man. But how manhood has been twisted, and how it twists us. The other men he interviews make us squirm because they do so well to underscore the A-plot. The genius of this is that Ronson puts the magnifying glass on himself. He isn't the castle owner, the man who ran afoul of obeying the YouTube algorithm with his daughters in brainrot, the one who destroyed towns, the one whose pride made him a social media troll, but isn't he a little? Are any of us wholly clear of these rabbit holes?
Review of advance copy
Really enjoyed listening to a new Jon Ronson, and already eager for more. I love most of this book, but am not entirely convinced that his overall point tracks. It occasionally like to fit the thematic arc some pieces of the jigsaw that don't quite fit have been hammered into place, while bits of the important internet/culture war context that would make more sense are skimmed over (possibly because he has talked much more in depth about them elsewhere). That barely matters though, as the stories are really interesting, and he writes this stuff so well. It's also very satisfying in the way it feels like a sequel to multiple of his other books, building on 'publically shamed' and 'them' in ways that are really interesting, even if it's all made a little bit too neat to fully buy into.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
There is a compelling story in this book of a mentally imbalanced Caligula-like figure who owns the titular castle. It provides the majority of the book. There are other plotlines about a YouTuber who takes the path of least resistance and various disgraced men (including Armie Hammer). In the first half of the book, Ronson tries to tie these stories together by indicating that something is happening to men in general. It feels like a half-baked idea and fades in the second half of the book. There were some British figures noted in the book who seemed famous, but who I had not heard of. I find Ronson to be an intriguing figure and I'd like to read his back catalog.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This is what happens when the guardrails are off and excess meets privilege. Not the only focus but the accounting of Chris Mark is the primary subject in this one. A wannabe Hugh Hefner in the 21st century. Often times while reading all I could think is “hurt people hurt people.” With all of his excess I don’t believe he is a psychopath but he doesn’t understand the damage he is doing. While this does have a specific subject matter I do think it has a lot to say to add to the conversation on gender roles, privilege and how we have gotten to such a dysfunctional place.
August 24, 2026
I liveeee for a Jon Ronson audiobook. One of the few writers that can make me laugh out loud listening to the bizarre situations he’s gets himself into with the strangest people in the world. I feel like this was a bit scattered, but I found it so engaging and gripping and I finished it all in one day, so I felt like it deserved 4 stars just for that. It doesn’t really go deep enough into being a treatise of modern manhood though, I think it is more interesting as a bizarre case study of some unnerving characters.
Review of advance copy
A welcome return to the published word from a master journalist and storyteller. Ronson looks at the unraveling of men, the manosphere, the madness — and like a true polymathic brain pulls threads in all directions but spins a yarn that never ties itself in knots. One of his very best. Things Fall Apart (his podcast) and So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed are the seeds for this latest. And it’s every bit as good, possibly better, certainly even more disturbing.
Review of advance copy
Another hugely entertaining (and unsettling) trip down the rabbit hole. How does Jon Ronson get himself into these situations?
Review of advance copy
Another deranged but fascinating look into the manosphere. Jon Ronson talks about the degradation of some men's mindsets in modern society.
August 21, 2026
Will read anything this man writes
Review of advance copy
I am just a man sitting on a bench
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