The Cult (novel)
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.jpg) First edition | |
| Author | Max Ehrlich |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Lawrence Ratzkin |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Horror fiction |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
Publication date | April 1, 1978 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Paperback & Hardback) |
| Pages | 332 pp (first edition, paperback) |
| ISBN | 0-583-13093-3 (first edition, paperback) |
| OCLC | 4912889 |
| 813/.5/4 | |
| LC Class | PZ3.E334 Cu PS3509.H663 |
The Cult is a novel by Max Ehrlich, published in 1978 by Simon & Schuster. It was the author's tenth book. The book follows a couple's attempt to deprogram their son after he falls under the influence of a cult. The book received mixed reviews, with reviewers criticizing its writing quality and the plot as predictable, but praising it for its entertainment value.
Jeff Reed falls under the influence of a religious cult called Souls for Jesus (SFJ), led by Reverend Buford Hodges. His parents hire deprogrammer John Morse, whose daughter committed suicide after becoming a member of SFJ. They kidnap him from the SFJ, and Morse uses Chinese brainwashing techniques on him, but SFJ in turn re-kidnap and re-brainwash him, and he sues his parents and Morse. The novel ends with a court scene revealing deep penetration of the US justice system by SFJ.