I love learning about insular, niche subcultures that I know little about. I’m looking for books that are about, or set in such subcultures, which also go into detail about them. Fiction preferred, but nonfiction is fine if it’s not too dry.
Examples would be the world of ballet, professional musicians, academia, artists, art dealers, appraisers, auctions. These are all fairly highbrow but it doesn’t need to be. Something like Silence of the Lambs would qualify for its detailed descriptions of profiling and forensics; Remains of the Day for its inside look at how a large manor house was run; even The Godfather, which showed the inner workings of the Mafia. A lot of books about espionage also have this quality.
I like to learn about professions, fields, hobbies, lifestyles, areas of expertise that aren’t well known. A behind-the-scenes look that is also entertaining.
by ethottly
4 Comments
I read The Feather Thief a while ago, and really liked it for its deep dives into museums and museum security, ornithology, and fly fishing. Really interesting (true) story too!
‘stiff: the curious lives of human cadavers’ by mary roach could appeal to u!
*Fatal Tango* by Wolfram Fleischhauer is a wild mixture of political thriller, love story and family drama that is – you may have guessed it – set in the world of tango. I knew nothing about that subculture but the book is fascinating and it seems to be very popular with tango dancers, so the author must have done a good job.
Among the Thugs by journalists Bill Buford about violent Chav football (soccer) hooligans in 1980s UK. Still very much applicable today about crowd mentality, incitement of violence and grooming.