The Castle: Adventures in a World of Unraveling Men

"Fantastic and intensely of-the-moment... It's a dogged feat of investigation from one of our greatest non-fiction storytellers." --Patrick Radden Keefe

"Brilliant... A blockbuster portrait of men gone mad." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

From the bestselling author of The Psychopath Test and So You've Been Publicly Shamed comes a darkly comic trip to the furthest reaches of the masculinity crisis

His only child is lured to a mysterious castle in the forests of New England late one night, sending Jon Ronson on an extraordinary adventure into a dark world of unmoored men desperately searching for purpose and control--whatever the cost.

With zero warning, the crisis of masculinity and its bizarre, wrecking-ball manifestations had crashed into Jon's life. As his investigation deepens, urgent questions come to light: What exactly is "Princessing"? Why did a lawn care influencer dress as a baby in front of billions of online viewers? How did a paid-up member of the Skeptic Society derail his life in the name of a warped vision of chivalry? And, more pressingly, why are two recently released murderers on their way to pay Jon a visit?

In our rapidly changing society, many men have become detached from reality; some are behaving like separatists, while others have fallen deep down ideological rabbit holes. Is this a complete fracturing of society, a new era of disinhibition where anything goes?

Drawing on his trademark brand of humor, psychological insight, and unrivaled prescience, The Castle marks Jon Ronson's long-awaited return to the written page in his darkest and most insightful book yet--one where he throws open the doors to the Castle and reveals a new lost generation of men.

Author: Jon Ronson
Publisher: Riverhead Books
Published: 09/01/2026
Pages: 336
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.95lbs
Size: 8.20h x 5.80w x 1.20d
ISBN: 9781594634208


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 06/22/2026
Library Journal 08/01/2026 pg. 92
Booklist 08/01/2026
Kirkus Reviews 08/15/2026

About the Author
Jon Ronson is an internationally best­selling author, journalist, and filmmaker whose books have been translated into more than thirty languages. His nonfiction titles include So You've Been Publicly Shamed, The Psychopath Test, and Them: Adventures with Extremists. Two of his books, The Men Who Stare at Goats and Frank, have been adapted into feature-length films, and his TED talks have amassed more than thirty mil­lion views. Ronson is also the host and producer of multiple radio programs and chart-topping pod­casts. He is a regular contributor to This American Life and lives in New York.