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The Call of the Weird
 
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The Call of the Weird (Hardcover)

by Louis Theroux (Author)
4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)

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6 new from £6.00 44 used from £0.01 6 collectible from £3.99
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Hardcover (1st Da Capo Press Ed., American Ed) 15 used & new from £1.50
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Product details

  • Hardcover: 280 pages
  • Publisher: Macmillan (3 Oct 2005)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1405049502
  • ISBN-13: 978-1405049504
  • Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 15.8 x 2.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 121,304 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Rachel Redford, The Observer, 8 January 2006

Theroux's apparently disingenuous questioning works well on audio --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.


Product Description

For ten years Louis Theroux has been making programmes about off-beat characters on the fringes of US society. Now he revisits America and the people who have most fascinated him to try to discover what motivates them, why they believe the things they believe, and to find out what has happened to them since he last saw them. Along the way Louis thinks about what drives him to spend so much time among weird people, and considers whether he's learned anything about himself in the course of ten years working with them. Has he manipulated the people he's interviewed, or have they manipulated him? From his Las Vegas base, Louis revisits the assorted dreamers and outlaws who have been his TV feeding ground. Attempting to understand a little about himself and the workings of his own mind, Louis considers questions such as: What is the difference between pathology and 'normal' weirdness? Is there something particularly weird about Americans? What does it mean to be weird, or 'to be yourself'? And do we choose our beliefs or do our beliefs choose us?

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Customer Reviews

21 Reviews
5 star:
 (7)
4 star:
 (10)
3 star:
 (4)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.1 out of 5 stars (21 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Funny, light, educational, eye-opening, 9 Nov 2005
By Normen Maler (San Francisco) - See all my reviews
This is a really entertaining book, actually very funny at times - the bit with the alien medium was hilarious.
Theroux writes well - in a light and effortless to read style.
While it isn't too serious, he does pause to muse on the nature of weirdness, the origins of abnormal beliefs and behaviours in his subjects, and his own motivations for covering them. This is done without pretentious psychobabble.
The people covered are really fascinating and Theroux's interactions with them, as viewers of his TV series will know, are always revealing and amusing.

I really recommend this book.

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16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent debut, 17 Oct 2005
By primitivegrrl "primitivegrrl" (Glasgow, Scotland) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   
The word 'debut' seems a little weird for Louis, after all, most of the people who pick up this book will be long familiar with Louis and his collection of mad hatters from across the pond. Settling down with Louis' journey feels like rekindling some long lost friendships. I was most interested to catch up with Hayley, who I am sure had a bit of a thing for Louis - who wouldn't? Not even Christine Hamilton was impervious. Louis writes as he talks: charming, self efacing and respectful of his interviewees despite them having some horrific views. Ah...with the exception of Marshall Sylver who was a bit of a scumbag anyway. More power to you Louis and don't let anyone call you a poor man's Jon Ronson.
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14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A funny and fascinating read!, 11 Oct 2005
I'm a bit of a fan of Louis Theroux's TV documentaries, but I came to this book not sure what to expect. Was it a travel book, a study in weirdness, a confessional, quirky, serious? But I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it and how quickly I ploughed through it.
The title is a bit mis-leading - "travels through American sub-cultures" - as this isn't really a travel book but a study of ten characters who Louis has met over the course of his journalism.
Louis moves to America and spends almost a year on a kind of road trip seeking out his favourite "weird" subjects. A porn performer, an alien-hunter, a pimp(!), Ike Turner and some scarey racist neo-nazis to name just a few. The chapter I found most fascinating was one about a woman called April. She's a neo-nazi and has two young blonde twins who she trains to sing nazi songs.
Somehow the humanity of even the most reprehensible of these people shines through. And Louis obviously has quite a close, affectionate bond with a lot of these people.
I recommend this to anyone who wants to figure out what compels people to believe outlandish things or to choose bizarre modes of life. Keep an open mind, and you wil love this book as i did!
Am I the first person to read this??? BUY IT!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Good if you've seen the TV shows. Less interesting if not.
I've seen and enjoyed most of Louis Theroux's TV shows and in this book he revisits a number of his American subjects a few years later, to see if and how they and their lives... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Nobody Famous

4.0 out of 5 stars Riding in my Fiat, you really have to see it
If you enjoyed Louis' TV series, then you'll almost definitely enjoy his follow-up book.

I hadn't actually seen the episodes that a couple of the subjects featured... Read more
Published 2 months ago by GMT BRISTOL

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it
Having not seen all of Louis' documentaries (but thoroughly enjoying the ones I have) I was unfamiliar with many of his 'oddballs' but honestly, I don't think this made much of a... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Owlface

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Insights, Enjoyable Romp
In this book, Louis Theroux revisits 10 of the participants from his documentary series, 5 years after the series was filmed. Read more
Published 5 months ago by David McGuire

4.0 out of 5 stars Worthwhile Read
I got this book for my Christmas and have just recently got around to reading it. I loved most of it - I got a bit bored with the political stories - so skipped them but for... Read more
Published 8 months ago by L. Lockhart

5.0 out of 5 stars An Addictive, quirky and thought provoking insight into sub-cultures.
As a Louis Theroux fan, I will try my best to give a honest non-biased opinion on this book.

Although before buying any book, I normally only read the negative... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Stephen Rafferty

4.0 out of 5 stars A different America not everyone wants to know about
Louis Theroux takes a interesting look at life's of some of America most interesting and dangerous people.
The book is the sequel to his TV show weird weekends. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Daniel Storey

4.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant
Loved this book, very enjoyable especially if you have seen the documentaries. Full of intersting observations. Brilliant debut book.
Published 10 months ago by Mr. T. Butcher

3.0 out of 5 stars Insight or voyeurism?
There are some great features to Amazon: competitive prices, the chance to browse for a vast selection of books at any hour of the day, generally good service. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Andrew Walker

3.0 out of 5 stars Hit and miss
Louis Theroux's television persona and subject matter are always engaging, warm and interesting. He comes across as a thoroughly nice chap and treats his weird and wonderful... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Paul Holland

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