Cult book
In a cult book , the attitude towards life of a special (mostly young) group is particularly vividly reflected and is highly valued by this group.
The term emerged in (West) German usage in the 1970s and is the analogue education to cult film . Cult books are unmistakable works, are aimed at a specific readership and can become bestsellers . They serve as a distinguishing feature for the initiated (“You also read Michael Holzach ?”) And often take on unconventional or rebellious topics.
In the German Sturm und Drang epoch, Goethe's The Sorrows of Young Werther developed into a cult novel ( avant la lettre ). The Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse or The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams are further examples of works that have been variously referred to as cult books.
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- Severin Corsten, Stephan Füssel, Günther Pflug, Friedrich Adolf Schmidt-Künsemüller (ed.): Lexicon of the entire book industry . 2nd, completely revised edition. Volume IV., Hiersemann, Stuttgart 1995, ISBN 3-7772-9501-9 (complete edition: ISBN 978-3-7772-8527-6 ), p. 359.
- Rainer Moritz: The book to the book. An ABC of reading pleasure. Hanser, Munich / Vienna 2002, ISBN 3-7254-1251-0 , p. 72 f.
- Frank Schäfer, Hartmut El Kurdi: cult books . From “ Schatzinsel ” to “ Pooh's Corner ”, a selection… Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf , Berlin 2000, ISBN 3-89602-330-6 .
- Christian Klein: Cult Books. Theoretical approaches and exemplary analyzes. Wallstein, Göttingen 2014, ISBN 978-3-8353-1265-4 .
