Sure, I'll Join Your Cult: A Memoir of Mental Illness and the Quest to Belong Anywhere
- Downloads：1308
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2023-11-02 05:19:35
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Maria Bamford
- ISBN：B0BWSHGWVS
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Shani
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Both she and this book are absolute treasures。 This is an enjoyable read that is both funny and relatable。
Samuel Barker
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First off， do the audiobook！ Secondly， check that PDF or grab a print version so you can see everything that supplements the tale。 Maria Bamford is one of the best comedians of the current times。 She has the ability to discuss heavy subjects yet lighten them up a bit with her delivery。 Sometimes， she just makes you laugh with the absurdity that exists in the mundane。 This book captures that and gives a look at dealing with mental illness， life as a comedian， how using your family as a source of First off， do the audiobook！ Secondly， check that PDF or grab a print version so you can see everything that supplements the tale。 Maria Bamford is one of the best comedians of the current times。 She has the ability to discuss heavy subjects yet lighten them up a bit with her delivery。 Sometimes， she just makes you laugh with the absurdity that exists in the mundane。 This book captures that and gives a look at dealing with mental illness， life as a comedian， how using your family as a source of material causes issues with that family and the rollercoaster that is a life spent in entertainment。 You can ramble on and on about the specifics， but in the end， read/listen to this book for yourself。 It's fine in print， but having Bamford tell the stories in the book with her own delivery really takes it to the next level。 。。。more
Lauren （runningonwords）
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Not my cup of tea… funny but in a cringe way。 Though the concept of recovery groups as “cults” drew me to the story， it became repetitive and naggy。
A_R_Wesley
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I have loved Maria's standup， some of which is repeated or expanded upon here—though not too much。I liked the book， but didn't love it like I thought I would。 I found it quite uneven， and really trying too hard， at times。That is， there was often a lack of focus and some pointless stuff that seemed more about forcing a laugh， a certain glibness， and attempts to present narcissism as quirky and almost charming， rather than the destructive and hurtful trait that it is。 I realize a lack of focus can I have loved Maria's standup， some of which is repeated or expanded upon here—though not too much。I liked the book， but didn't love it like I thought I would。 I found it quite uneven， and really trying too hard， at times。That is， there was often a lack of focus and some pointless stuff that seemed more about forcing a laugh， a certain glibness， and attempts to present narcissism as quirky and almost charming， rather than the destructive and hurtful trait that it is。 I realize a lack of focus can be a central problem with many mental health diagnoses， but this is a book， and editors exist for a reason。 Where a clear focus was in place， and turned in the direction of the lived experience of mental illness—alone or in relationships—without too much strained effort to make it funny or to offer insincere apologies， the book was very enjoyable and even valuable。 But there was a lot of it that I could have done without， and I almost gave up a few times—but glad I didn't。 The third part is probably the strongest， IMO， and worth reading。 I think Bamford should be applauded for her openness and advocacy， and I'm sure she's helping more people come to a deeper understanding of the realities of living with serious and persistent mental illness。I think it's good， however， to recognize this as one person's experience with mental health struggles， and that her constellation of experiences and behaviors are not universally applicable， even to those who carry the same diagnoses as the author。 There's more I could say， but then I think I'd lapse into critiquing the author rather than the book， which I try to avoid doing here。 。。。more
Jessica
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Thanks for writing this， Maria 🧡
Gregory Williams
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I first heard Maria Bamford performing her comedy act when my kids were small。 All of us laughed hysterically at her impressions and antics。 I always wondered why her special talent didn’t make her even more famous than she is。In this memoir， Maria uses the topic of joining cults as a thread， through which she details her life and struggles。 She’s playful and funny in her banter， even on the most serious subjects。 From AA to every other anonymous， she skewers each one。Overall， a fun and pithy me I first heard Maria Bamford performing her comedy act when my kids were small。 All of us laughed hysterically at her impressions and antics。 I always wondered why her special talent didn’t make her even more famous than she is。In this memoir， Maria uses the topic of joining cults as a thread， through which she details her life and struggles。 She’s playful and funny in her banter， even on the most serious subjects。 From AA to every other anonymous， she skewers each one。Overall， a fun and pithy memoir。 I wish her happiness。 。。。more
Tom M。
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Brutally honest in ways that are almost frightening in their description of mental illness， family issues， the US healthcare-ish system， and prescription side effects。 Maria Branford is a very funny comedian who slips in and out of characters to the point where some people might not understand her humor。 （Personally， I think she’s a genius） Her quirky stand-up comedy personae gives you a stretch the surface idea of what to expect in her book。 I’m really glad she’s found the right combination of Brutally honest in ways that are almost frightening in their description of mental illness， family issues， the US healthcare-ish system， and prescription side effects。 Maria Branford is a very funny comedian who slips in and out of characters to the point where some people might not understand her humor。 （Personally， I think she’s a genius） Her quirky stand-up comedy personae gives you a stretch the surface idea of what to expect in her book。 I’m really glad she’s found the right combination of meds and， even better， happiness。 。。。more
Em
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Holy fuck I needed and loved this book。 It was hilarious and devastating and made me both deeply existentially calm and terrified。 I will rabidly recommend this to anyone I see， including strangers on the street （a behavior I think Maria would understand， if not approve）。
Krista
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I never really heard of Maria Bamford before this book。 I wasn’t sure at first， but as I got more into it， it was a bit funnier。 3。5。
Renée Roehl
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Bamford is not my favorite comedienne but I do enjoy her standup。 This book is a little over the top 'Bamford' which is good for major fans but I found to be a little much。 Besides her life history and a lot of humor she's goes deep as well but in a wry & funny way at times。 Definitely worth the read though as she delves into how completely inadequate our medical system is when dealing with mental health。 Geez， book after book of people revealing how broken our medical system is in ALL the ways Bamford is not my favorite comedienne but I do enjoy her standup。 This book is a little over the top 'Bamford' which is good for major fans but I found to be a little much。 Besides her life history and a lot of humor she's goes deep as well but in a wry & funny way at times。 Definitely worth the read though as she delves into how completely inadequate our medical system is when dealing with mental health。 Geez， book after book of people revealing how broken our medical system is in ALL the ways and yet most go back for more， because it appears that what else is out there， right？ There are alternatives。 For a few examples in the psychological field， before anti-depressants people used hypnosis for certain mental health issues （and other things） and bio feedback has helped some and neither of these things can harm you if they're not that effective。 Psychedelics can be used by many people but not those on SSRIs and any legit person would tell you this。 Read the book alone for her take on how to actually deal with suicidal and/or intrusive thoughts， how the system should/could work and how to be with your loved ones who have more severe mental disorders。 I sure wish the psychological system would read this chapter which is near the end of the book。 Throwing pills at mental health is *absolutely* not the answer。 SSRIs don't work for the long term AT ALL and they're dangerous for some， especially teenagers and burgeoning adults。 If I had a dollar for all the times I've seen the harm done in my 49 years of working with folks， I would have a LOT of dollars。 。。。more
Janine
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One thing I am learning about myself is that I am willing to read a celebrity memoir even when I'm barely familiar with the celebrity in question。 And， honestly， I don't know that I've been disappointed in that choice yet。 Similar to Betty Gilpin's memoir， Bamford's was featured on a celebrity book club podcast I follow （Chelsea Devantez's Glamorous Trash podcast）， and after listening to the episode I decided that， even though I wasn't actually familiar with Bamford， I was going to check out the One thing I am learning about myself is that I am willing to read a celebrity memoir even when I'm barely familiar with the celebrity in question。 And， honestly， I don't know that I've been disappointed in that choice yet。 Similar to Betty Gilpin's memoir， Bamford's was featured on a celebrity book club podcast I follow （Chelsea Devantez's Glamorous Trash podcast）， and after listening to the episode I decided that， even though I wasn't actually familiar with Bamford， I was going to check out the book。 I chose to do the audio， which was a good choice。 Hearing Bamford tell the story herself was helpful since， as a comedian， there's a lot that comes across in listening that I think I would have missed trying to read the physical book。 Especially since I wasn't actually familiar with Bamford's voice。 This is a very funny and very vulnerable book， with Bamford ultimately talking through her career， successes and struggles through the lens of someone who has struggled with mental illness her entire life。 As an outside reader， it's easy to see the ways in which her family possibly contributed to her struggles （and even had their own）， but Bamford doesn't seem to blame them for much along the way。 Particularly her mother， who I personally found a bit problematic。 That said， Bamford is writing this book in the immediate aftermath of her mother's death - so maybe she was unable to really step back in a way that would have allowed her to view her upbringing more honestly。 At the same time， Bamford is very honest about her mental health struggles。 She touches on her eating disorder， OCD， participation in various 12-step programs over the years， and her eventual breakdown and stay in a mental health facility。 One thing that stood out to me as she talked about these experiences is that， as she herself points out， she is a pretty privileged， well-off white woman with insurance， which gave her access to a lot of resources that others might not have。 AND YET -- the journey she goes on as someone who KNOWS they need help and the challenges she faces in actually getting help that。。。。helps。。。。 is a bit disheartening。 I think she also talks about suicide in a way that is so different than it is usually discussed or viewed， and I really appreciated that。 She's also just really， really damn funny。 She pokes fun at herself and the world， exposing very real truths in a way that is relatable and hilarious。 It made me disappointed in myself for not being more familiar with her work up to this point。 I found my experience with this audiobook to be thoroughly enjoyable and I think there was a lot in it that I will think about for a long time to come。 。。。more
Jenny
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Books by comedians are really hit and miss for me and I feel like Maria's memoir achieves everything a good memoir by a comedian sets out to do。 She bares it all while still managing to entertain。 I am a fan of her truly unique brand of humor， and I really admire her ability to find the humor in the darkest and scariest moments of her mental health journey。 Books by comedians are really hit and miss for me and I feel like Maria's memoir achieves everything a good memoir by a comedian sets out to do。 She bares it all while still managing to entertain。 I am a fan of her truly unique brand of humor， and I really admire her ability to find the humor in the darkest and scariest moments of her mental health journey。 。。。more
Becca
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This book made me laugh out loud several different times and do a lot of giggling。 Her humor and honesty are so refreshing。 Her issues make you feel totally normal and sane and I love hearing her perspective on them and how she has helped herself through the years。 Good stuff。
Kelley May
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If you’re familiar with Maria Bamford， some of this book will be familiar， but she really dives deeper and still gives you something new。 I’m glad I chose the audiobook version because hearing her do all her unique voices and impressions really makes the book shine。 I love her brutal honesty and her kind words and empathy towards others who have also struggled with mental illness。 Maria is an inspiration to me as both a creative and someone who suffers from OCD。 Thank you Maria for never being a If you’re familiar with Maria Bamford， some of this book will be familiar， but she really dives deeper and still gives you something new。 I’m glad I chose the audiobook version because hearing her do all her unique voices and impressions really makes the book shine。 I love her brutal honesty and her kind words and empathy towards others who have also struggled with mental illness。 Maria is an inspiration to me as both a creative and someone who suffers from OCD。 Thank you Maria for never being afraid to overshare your story！！ 。。。more
Grace DiChristina
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I love Maria bamford and she is so cool for being so open and funny but also very real about mental illnesses 🫶🏼
April
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Since Maria Bamford uses her life in so much of her art， if you’re a fan， you may think there isn’t going to be a lot in this book you don’t already know。 But you’re WRONG， she was so vulnerable and chaotic and while I ordered the signed copy of the hardback， I really REALLY enjoyed the Audiobook where you get to hear her characters。 Loved every second of it！
Amy
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I didn’t actually finish this audiobook。 I made it about twenty minutes and quit。 Utterly annoying and ridiculous
Ryan Collins
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Listened to this one！ True to her stand-up， this was hysterical。
Lisa Lewton
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I was not familiar with the author， but the book was recommended by Adam Grant。 I listened to the audio， and both laughed and gained a renewed understanding of mental health。
Whitney FI
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A review that is more about me than the book。As someone with OCD， it's very refreshing to hear someone who also struggles with OCD to talk about it in a relatable way。 And not in the popular， colloquial way people talk casually about OCD or intrusive thinking。 But in the way that it can be simultaneously funny & devastating。 Most people I know with OCD started out the process by being afraid they are a psychopath。 Once you realize you're not， laughing about it is critical。Do you know the amount A review that is more about me than the book。As someone with OCD， it's very refreshing to hear someone who also struggles with OCD to talk about it in a relatable way。 And not in the popular， colloquial way people talk casually about OCD or intrusive thinking。 But in the way that it can be simultaneously funny & devastating。 Most people I know with OCD started out the process by being afraid they are a psychopath。 Once you realize you're not， laughing about it is critical。Do you know the amount of times I've thought about murdering my family？ Specifically by throwing them off tall buildings。 Always heights with me。 Once you realize that the reason your brain keeps it on a continual loop like the worst earworm that won't go away， is because you consider this the worst thing that could ever happen， and not because you are truly a crazed killer， it becomes a lot more easy to deal with， even if you occasionally still lose sleep over it。I also have a deep， all-consuming fear of open ocean and deep water。 I talk about this more than throwing my loved ones off tall things， because I'll be real - I know how that sounds。 And for folks who think OCD is just vacuuming daily， it can be alarming。That being said， when I catch myself off guard when I relate to others， and then realize I can't。 There is this popular meme format "the neurodivergent urge to。。。" and then say the most basic， relatable human behavior， and I'm left thinking "is that neurodivergency， or is that just being a person？"So， for example， when people talk about how they have OCD and I'm like， "Meee too！ Lately I have been struggling with compulsive thinking about toenail fungus， and I'm having trouble sleeping because it freaks me out， and I've been ripping out my toenails， and now have to wear Band-Aids on all my toes to make me stop。 But the good news is， I've only had one panic attack so far over it！" And they're like。。。 "Uh， I just meant I like to keep my kitchen clean，" or something and I'm like， "Ha ha， yeah， I like keeping my kitchen clean too！"Anyway， at this stage in my life， I find it funny more than I don't。 You have to laugh at it （more difficult with bleeding toes， I'll be honest）。 It is routine at this stage for my husband and I to joke about my panic attacks - especially when they happen in public because for some reason the thing I decided to eat （and have been planning for all day） isn't available。 Most of my panic attacks are food related。 Once I went to a Pizza Inn and wanted the buffet， only I went at a time they didn't have the buffet， and I was asked what pizza I wanted to order， but I hadn't spent hours thinking about this choice， and had a full-on， crying， disassociated， panic attack。 The poor guy at the register was at an absolute loss。 As I faded from all control， I remember feeling very guilty for putting him through this， but at that point my brain was on its own journey。My husband just pushed me out of the way and said， "we'll order a medium pepperoni。" And found me a dark corner to sit in until my brain decided it was more hungry than traumatized。Get you a partner who will not only help you reorganize the utility room at 2 am， but also will take over calmly and expertly when you spiral out of control。 It's the best。I cannot imagine though living with both OCD and Bipolar。 Or having a 12-step program addiction， because oof。 Bless you， Maria Bamford， both for hanging in there， and making it funny， because you have to laugh at this shit。 You just do。 。。。more
Peter Megyeri
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It was fun and witty and sometimes sad。 Also， it tried to do a bit too much at times but in a nonchalant way so I didn't mind。 I liked to listen to it。 It was fun and witty and sometimes sad。 Also， it tried to do a bit too much at times but in a nonchalant way so I didn't mind。 I liked to listen to it。 。。。more
Candice M
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I love， love， love Maria Bamford。 She is one of the funniest， creative and wacky human beings alive。 I found her book to be part trip through another dimension （her brain is definitely wired differently and is hard to follow at times） to a full out baring of her soul。 Anyone who has ever had mental health challenges will feel a kindred spirit with Maria and empathize with her experiences。 It was great relief to hear that the meds are working！The only downside for me was a little bit of tmi regar I love， love， love Maria Bamford。 She is one of the funniest， creative and wacky human beings alive。 I found her book to be part trip through another dimension （her brain is definitely wired differently and is hard to follow at times） to a full out baring of her soul。 Anyone who has ever had mental health challenges will feel a kindred spirit with Maria and empathize with her experiences。 It was great relief to hear that the meds are working！The only downside for me was a little bit of tmi regarding Scott- but that's just a preference for privacy。 。。。more
Tessa
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This memoir is all over the place in a good way。 The choice to put discussion of suicide in comic sans kind of sums up the book。 The “recipes” punctuating the book had me laughing as did some other parts。 I had heard the name Maria Bamford before but never watched her comedy or shows and couldn’t have put a name to her face。 I still really liked this memoir。 It’s very funny but has insight into mental health issues。 I found the OCD stuff so relatable especially。 There are some very sharp grains This memoir is all over the place in a good way。 The choice to put discussion of suicide in comic sans kind of sums up the book。 The “recipes” punctuating the book had me laughing as did some other parts。 I had heard the name Maria Bamford before but never watched her comedy or shows and couldn’t have put a name to her face。 I still really liked this memoir。 It’s very funny but has insight into mental health issues。 I found the OCD stuff so relatable especially。 There are some very sharp grains of truth in there including that behind every joke is the truth。 Something my dad would always say and something Bamford says in the context of male comedians who joke about rape and sexual assault usually turning out to be rapists and sexual assaulters！ Also， that if someone steps into your life saying it’s time to burn everything to the ground and start fresh， that’s a bad sign！ Recommend because I love a mental health memoir especially if it’s funny。 。。。more
Jessica Homer
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Long time fan of this comedian and this did NOT disappoint。
Panagiotl
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I devoured this book。
Bek
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I would give this 20 stars if I could。
Jen
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Not feeling this one， so will set it aside
Tracy Hipp
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*Audio Book*If you have the mentals I think you'll appreciate her humorous take on dealing with mental health illnesses。 I definitely laughed a lot and I always enjoy a book read by the author。 *Audio Book*If you have the mentals I think you'll appreciate her humorous take on dealing with mental health illnesses。 I definitely laughed a lot and I always enjoy a book read by the author。 。。。more
Debra T。
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Raw and really funny。 Stand-up comedy in written form！ Loved this！
Mandy Nasty
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