My Life in Orange
Encyclopedia
My Life in Orange: Growing Up with the Guru is an account of a child growing up in the Rajneesh movement
led by Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh
. The book is a firsthand account, written by Tim Guest
years after his experiences, at the age of 27. The book was published in 2004 by Granta Books. The book's title is a reference to the term "the orange people", which was used to refer to members of the Rajneesh movement due to the color they dyed their clothes.
Guest describes how his mother was initially raised in strict Catholicism
but later turned to a tape of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh after going through a period of experimenting with sex and drugs. She dyed all of her clothes orange, took on the name of "Ma Prem Vismaya", and "Yogesh" for her son, and moved to an Rajneesh movement commune near Bombay. Guest's mother moved to many different communes, and had leadership roles within the movement, eventually running a commune in Suffolk
. Guest recounts how he regretted the absence of his mother's presence during this time, and describes controversial living conditions with other children at the various ashrams. Guest and his mother moved to the 64000 acres (259 km²) commune in Oregon
, but his mother was demoted in position and sent to live at a different commune in Cologne
. His family later disassociated from the Rajneesh movement and moved back to north London
, where they each encountered difficulties reintegrating back into mainstream society.
My Life in Orange received generally positive reviews, and was highlighted in a "Top 20 non-fiction" list by The Daily Telegraph
, and a "50 Best Books for the Beach" by The Independent
. Kirkus Reviews
called the book "a rightly disturbing record of malignant child neglect by people who sought a heaven, but made a hell", and William Leith of New Statesman
described it as "an excellent study of what happens when a charismatic leader comes into contact with a group of rudderless, dispirited people". Publishers Weekly
called it "an absorbing book about survival and good intentions gone awry".
, and obtained a M.A.
degree in creative writing
from the University of East Anglia
. Guest was a journalist
for The Guardian
and The Daily Telegraph
. After the publication of My Life in Orange, Guest later wrote a book about the phenomenon of electronic virtual worlds and video games, titled Second Lives: A Journey Through Virtual Worlds
, published in 2008 by Random House
. On 31 July 2009, Guest died of a suspected heart attack at 34 years old. He was found dead by his wife Jo; despite her efforts to resuscitate him, she was unable to revive him. It was later determined that Guest had died of a morphine
overdose.
at the University of Sheffield
. His father was a psychologist
on staff at the university. Guest's mother fell in love with another man when he was six months old. She became a feminist, studied Ronald David Laing
, and experimented with sex and drugs. She gave birth to Tim Guest in 1975. Guest's mother became a follower of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh when Guest was a toddler, after listening to a cassette tape of Rajneesh which displayed the cover text "Surrender to me, and I will transform you", and was titled: "Meditation: the art of ecstasy". Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh taught his followers his perspective on chaotic therapy, sexual freedom and mysticism. She brought her son into the movement in 1979. She was given the name of "Ma Prem Vismaya" (Sanskrit
: Mother Love Wonder), and dyed all of her clothes orange.
In 1981, his mother took him to live on an ashram
operated by Rajneesh in Poona
, India
. Guest was renamed as "Yogesh" by Rajneesh. As the Rajneesh movement
grew in influence and became involved in controversy, Guest's mother became more involved in the movement. Guest was moved to various Rajneeshee commune
s, including London, Devon
, India, Oregon
and Germany
. Guest was moved at times to communes and sent to live without his mother. Guest's mother was involved in running the commune and his father lived in the United States. He was raised by other members of the Rajneesh movement, and lived with other children in the ashrams.
His mother ran a commune called "Medina Rajneesh" in Suffolk, and Guest went to a school run on the commune where no history classes were given. Guest describes multiple rules he disliked which he had to observe while living on the Osho commune, including a restricted diet and mandated worship. His stuffed animal
s and books were taken away from him. He did not spend much time with his mother, because she was frequently working for the movement. When Rajneesh moved from India to Oregon, Guest and his mother moved to Oregon as well, and though Guest enjoyed roaming on the 64000 acres (259 km²) commune he still wished to spend time with his mother.
His mother was later demoted in leadership status by other members of the female leadership of the commune, and sent with Guest to a commune in Cologne. Guest had difficulty learning German
, and spent time hiding behind a pile of mattresses with a book and playing with Lego
s. He describes his childhood in the Rajneesh movement as "somewhere in between Peter Pan
and Lord of the Flies
", and writes that he had 200 "mothers", but did not spend time with his own mother. According to Guest, group leaders in the Rajneesh movement often initiated fourteen and fifteen-year-old girls into sex. Guest and his mother left the movement when he was a teenager, and she burned all of her orange clothing. Guest himself left at first; he phoned his mother at age 10 to inform her he was leaving to live with his father in San Francisco.
When his mother left the group, Guest moved back with her to the United Kingdom. Guest, his mother and stepfather Martin moved to north London, and he began the process of experiencing adolescence
in a society different from that inside the Rajneesh movement. Guest reentered society at age 11, and faced confusion over the contrast in experiences between his childhood in the Rajneesh movement and his new experiences as a teenager in London. He enrolled in the Haverstock School in north London, but had trouble during his teen years with drugs and alcohol. He had difficult relations with his stepfather, and had not spent much time with him prior to the move to London. Anne and Martin went through a period of time where they thought they were beings from a different world, and read books on UFOs. Guest fostered his interest in reading, and went on to study at university.
critic John Lahr
characterized My Life in Orange as "one of the best autobiographies of the decade". The Daily Telegraph
placed the book in its "Top 20 non-fiction" list of "the year's best biographies, histories and memoirs" for 2004, and The Independent
highlighted the book among its "50 Best Books for the Beach". A review in Reference & Research Book News commented that participants in the Rajneesh movement created "adults like Guest who are marked by the neglect suffered in a childhood among the completely self-absorbed". Kirkus Reviews
described the book as "a rightly disturbing record of malignant child neglect by people who sought a heaven, but made a hell". My Life in Orange was highlighted among Kirkus Reviews "Best books for reading groups". In his review of the book for M2 Best Books, Peter Haswell concluded: "A thoroughly enjoyable read and a fascinating insight into the workings of a commune along with the people, their beliefs and their attitudes. Both amusing and sad. Pretty much something for everyone."
The book received a favorable review in New Statesman
, and William Leith wrote: "This is an excellent study of what happens when a charismatic leader comes into contact with a group of rudderless, dispirited people. They follow him blindly. They let him get away with anything." Montagu Curzon of The Spectator
wrote that "Guest makes an astonishingly mature debut (he is 27) and has the rare ability to describe childhood as a small child lives it; accepting, helpless, curious." Lois Kendall gave the book a positive review in Cultic Studies Review
, and wrote: "The book is deep, yet light and readable, both for those who have had similar life experiences and who, I am sure, will find solace in this book, and for those with no such personal experience, who will find the narrative fascinating." Publishers Weekly
characterized My Life in Orange as "Honest and vivid, this is an absorbing book about survival and good intentions gone awry." Gillian Engberg of Booklist
called the book a "stirring memoir", and wrote: "Guest writes with a reporter's sense of economy and restraint, letting absurd, even shocking details speak for themselves." Christopher Hart gave the book a positive review in The Sunday Times
, and wrote: "Tim Guest’s extraordinary account of his childhood in the communes of Bhagwan, the notorious Indian guru, is a survivor’s tale, poignant, funny and wise."
A review in The Daily Telegraph commented that "the main failure of Guest's otherwise excellent book is the absence of character: even his mother comes across rather as a history than a personality." "My Life in Orange, though slightly patchwork in its construction, is an absorbing piece of writing, all the more compelling for begging as many questions as it answers and for the author's refusal to ask for pity," wrote Geraldine Bedell in a review of the book in The Observer
. Director of the Cheltenham Festival of Literature, Christopher Cook, characterized My Life in Orange as "the most extraordinary account of his [Tim Guest's] childhood and the bravest writing I've read in ages". Sudipta Datta of the Indian Express described the book as "a postcard from the past that the Osho ashram may not rave about." Datta noted though that after having been angry with his mother and Rajneesh, Guest had reconciled with his family, reclaimed his childhood and come to see Rajneesh as "a loveable rogue who got away with doing his own thing". Catherine A. Powers of The Boston Globe
characterized the book as a "moving, superbly written account of growing up in the midst of ... cruel madness". Michael E. Young of The Dallas Morning News
gave the book a favorable review, and wrote: "The book offers a glimpse into the thoughts of the followers, and examines the fine line between spirituality and insanity, between religion and cult." Shane Hegarty of The Irish Times
characterized the book as "an intriguing and often humorous mix of straightforward 1980s nostalgia and cult delusion".
Rajneesh movement
The Rajneesh movement is a term used by Hugh B. Urban and other commentators to refer collectively to persons inspired by the Indian mystic Osho , particularly initiated disciples who are referred to as "neo-sannyasins" or simply "sannyasins", also formerly known as Rajneeshees or "Orange People",...
led by Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh
Osho (Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh)
Osho , born Chandra Mohan Jain , and also known as Acharya Rajneesh from the 1960s onwards, as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh during the 1970s and 1980s and as Osho from 1989, was an Indian mystic, guru, and spiritual teacher who garnered an international following.A professor of philosophy, he travelled...
. The book is a firsthand account, written by Tim Guest
Tim Guest
Tim Guest was an English author and journalist.-Early childhood:...
years after his experiences, at the age of 27. The book was published in 2004 by Granta Books. The book's title is a reference to the term "the orange people", which was used to refer to members of the Rajneesh movement due to the color they dyed their clothes.
Guest describes how his mother was initially raised in strict Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
but later turned to a tape of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh after going through a period of experimenting with sex and drugs. She dyed all of her clothes orange, took on the name of "Ma Prem Vismaya", and "Yogesh" for her son, and moved to an Rajneesh movement commune near Bombay. Guest's mother moved to many different communes, and had leadership roles within the movement, eventually running a commune in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
. Guest recounts how he regretted the absence of his mother's presence during this time, and describes controversial living conditions with other children at the various ashrams. Guest and his mother moved to the 64000 acres (259 km²) commune in Oregon
Rajneeshpuram
Rajneeshpuram, Oregon was an intentional community in Wasco County, Oregon, briefly incorporated as a city in the 1980s, which was populated with followers of the spiritual teacher Osho, then known as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.- History :...
, but his mother was demoted in position and sent to live at a different commune in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
. His family later disassociated from the Rajneesh movement and moved back to north London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
, where they each encountered difficulties reintegrating back into mainstream society.
My Life in Orange received generally positive reviews, and was highlighted in a "Top 20 non-fiction" list by The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
, and a "50 Best Books for the Beach" by The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
. Kirkus Reviews
Kirkus Reviews
Kirkus Reviews is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus . Kirkus serves the book and literary trade sector, including libraries, publishers, literary and film agents, film and TV producers and booksellers. Kirkus Reviews is published on the first and 15th of each month...
called the book "a rightly disturbing record of malignant child neglect by people who sought a heaven, but made a hell", and William Leith of New Statesman
New Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
described it as "an excellent study of what happens when a charismatic leader comes into contact with a group of rudderless, dispirited people". Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
called it "an absorbing book about survival and good intentions gone awry".
Author
Tim Guest attended Sussex University where he studied psychologyPsychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
, and obtained a M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree in creative writing
Creative writing
Creative writing is considered to be any writing, fiction, poetry, or non-fiction, that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic, academic, and technical forms of literature. Works which fall into this category include novels, epics, short stories, and poems...
from the University of East Anglia
University of East Anglia
The University of East Anglia is a public research university based in Norwich, United Kingdom. It was established in 1963, and is a founder-member of the 1994 Group of research-intensive universities.-History:...
. Guest was a journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
for The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
and The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
. After the publication of My Life in Orange, Guest later wrote a book about the phenomenon of electronic virtual worlds and video games, titled Second Lives: A Journey Through Virtual Worlds
Second Lives: A Journey Through Virtual Worlds
Second Lives: A Journey Through Virtual Worlds is a book about virtual community, written by author Tim Guest.-Contents:Tim Guest examines life in virtual worlds...
, published in 2008 by Random House
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
. On 31 July 2009, Guest died of a suspected heart attack at 34 years old. He was found dead by his wife Jo; despite her efforts to resuscitate him, she was unable to revive him. It was later determined that Guest had died of a morphine
Morphine
Morphine is a potent opiate analgesic medication and is considered to be the prototypical opioid. It was first isolated in 1804 by Friedrich Sertürner, first distributed by same in 1817, and first commercially sold by Merck in 1827, which at the time was a single small chemists' shop. It was more...
overdose.
Contents
Tim Guest's mother Anne was born in 1950 into a Catholic family. She took courses in psychologyPsychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
at the University of Sheffield
University of Sheffield
The University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities...
. His father was a psychologist
Psychologist
Psychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
on staff at the university. Guest's mother fell in love with another man when he was six months old. She became a feminist, studied Ronald David Laing
Ronald David Laing
Ronald David Laing was a Scottish psychiatrist who wrote extensively on mental illnessin particular, the experience of psychosis...
, and experimented with sex and drugs. She gave birth to Tim Guest in 1975. Guest's mother became a follower of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh when Guest was a toddler, after listening to a cassette tape of Rajneesh which displayed the cover text "Surrender to me, and I will transform you", and was titled: "Meditation: the art of ecstasy". Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh taught his followers his perspective on chaotic therapy, sexual freedom and mysticism. She brought her son into the movement in 1979. She was given the name of "Ma Prem Vismaya" (Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
: Mother Love Wonder), and dyed all of her clothes orange.
In 1981, his mother took him to live on an ashram
Ashram
Traditionally, an ashram is a spiritual hermitage. Additionally, today the term ashram often denotes a locus of Indian cultural activity such as yoga, music study or religious instruction, the moral equivalent of a studio or dojo....
operated by Rajneesh in Poona
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Guest was renamed as "Yogesh" by Rajneesh. As the Rajneesh movement
Rajneesh movement
The Rajneesh movement is a term used by Hugh B. Urban and other commentators to refer collectively to persons inspired by the Indian mystic Osho , particularly initiated disciples who are referred to as "neo-sannyasins" or simply "sannyasins", also formerly known as Rajneeshees or "Orange People",...
grew in influence and became involved in controversy, Guest's mother became more involved in the movement. Guest was moved to various Rajneeshee commune
Commune
Commune may refer to:In society:* Commune, a human community in which resources are shared* Commune , a township or municipality* One of the Communes of France* An Italian Comune...
s, including London, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, India, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Guest was moved at times to communes and sent to live without his mother. Guest's mother was involved in running the commune and his father lived in the United States. He was raised by other members of the Rajneesh movement, and lived with other children in the ashrams.
His mother ran a commune called "Medina Rajneesh" in Suffolk, and Guest went to a school run on the commune where no history classes were given. Guest describes multiple rules he disliked which he had to observe while living on the Osho commune, including a restricted diet and mandated worship. His stuffed animal
Stuffed animal
A stuffed toy is a toy sewn from cloth, plush, or other textiles, and stuffed with straw, beans, plastic pellets, cotton, synthetic fibres, or other similar materials. Stuffed toys are also known as plush toys A stuffed toy is a toy sewn from cloth, plush, or other textiles, and stuffed with straw,...
s and books were taken away from him. He did not spend much time with his mother, because she was frequently working for the movement. When Rajneesh moved from India to Oregon, Guest and his mother moved to Oregon as well, and though Guest enjoyed roaming on the 64000 acres (259 km²) commune he still wished to spend time with his mother.
His mother was later demoted in leadership status by other members of the female leadership of the commune, and sent with Guest to a commune in Cologne. Guest had difficulty learning German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, and spent time hiding behind a pile of mattresses with a book and playing with Lego
Lego
Lego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts...
s. He describes his childhood in the Rajneesh movement as "somewhere in between Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie . A mischievous boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with...
and Lord of the Flies
Lord of the Flies
Lord of the Flies is a novel by Nobel Prize-winning author William Golding about a group of British boys stuck on a deserted island who try to govern themselves, with disastrous results...
", and writes that he had 200 "mothers", but did not spend time with his own mother. According to Guest, group leaders in the Rajneesh movement often initiated fourteen and fifteen-year-old girls into sex. Guest and his mother left the movement when he was a teenager, and she burned all of her orange clothing. Guest himself left at first; he phoned his mother at age 10 to inform her he was leaving to live with his father in San Francisco.
When his mother left the group, Guest moved back with her to the United Kingdom. Guest, his mother and stepfather Martin moved to north London, and he began the process of experiencing adolescence
Adolescence
Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood , but largely characterized as beginning and ending with the teenage stage...
in a society different from that inside the Rajneesh movement. Guest reentered society at age 11, and faced confusion over the contrast in experiences between his childhood in the Rajneesh movement and his new experiences as a teenager in London. He enrolled in the Haverstock School in north London, but had trouble during his teen years with drugs and alcohol. He had difficult relations with his stepfather, and had not spent much time with him prior to the move to London. Anne and Martin went through a period of time where they thought they were beings from a different world, and read books on UFOs. Guest fostered his interest in reading, and went on to study at university.
Reception
My Life in Orange received generally positive reviews in book trade publications and in the media. The New YorkerThe New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
critic John Lahr
John Lahr
John Lahr is an American theater critic, and the son of actor Bert Lahr. Since 1992, he has been the senior drama critic at The New Yorker magazine.-Biography:...
characterized My Life in Orange as "one of the best autobiographies of the decade". The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
placed the book in its "Top 20 non-fiction" list of "the year's best biographies, histories and memoirs" for 2004, and The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
highlighted the book among its "50 Best Books for the Beach". A review in Reference & Research Book News commented that participants in the Rajneesh movement created "adults like Guest who are marked by the neglect suffered in a childhood among the completely self-absorbed". Kirkus Reviews
Kirkus Reviews
Kirkus Reviews is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus . Kirkus serves the book and literary trade sector, including libraries, publishers, literary and film agents, film and TV producers and booksellers. Kirkus Reviews is published on the first and 15th of each month...
described the book as "a rightly disturbing record of malignant child neglect by people who sought a heaven, but made a hell". My Life in Orange was highlighted among Kirkus Reviews "Best books for reading groups". In his review of the book for M2 Best Books, Peter Haswell concluded: "A thoroughly enjoyable read and a fascinating insight into the workings of a commune along with the people, their beliefs and their attitudes. Both amusing and sad. Pretty much something for everyone."
The book received a favorable review in New Statesman
New Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
, and William Leith wrote: "This is an excellent study of what happens when a charismatic leader comes into contact with a group of rudderless, dispirited people. They follow him blindly. They let him get away with anything." Montagu Curzon of The Spectator
The Spectator
The Spectator is a weekly British magazine first published on 6 July 1828. It is currently owned by David and Frederick Barclay, who also owns The Daily Telegraph. Its principal subject areas are politics and culture...
wrote that "Guest makes an astonishingly mature debut (he is 27) and has the rare ability to describe childhood as a small child lives it; accepting, helpless, curious." Lois Kendall gave the book a positive review in Cultic Studies Review
Cultic Studies Review
International Journal of Cultic Studies is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by the International Cultic Studies Association.- External links :* , Don Lattin, San Francisco Chronicle, Religion Writer, February 13, 2001...
, and wrote: "The book is deep, yet light and readable, both for those who have had similar life experiences and who, I am sure, will find solace in this book, and for those with no such personal experience, who will find the narrative fascinating." Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
characterized My Life in Orange as "Honest and vivid, this is an absorbing book about survival and good intentions gone awry." Gillian Engberg of Booklist
Booklist
Booklist is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. It is geared toward libraries and booksellers and is available in print or online...
called the book a "stirring memoir", and wrote: "Guest writes with a reporter's sense of economy and restraint, letting absurd, even shocking details speak for themselves." Christopher Hart gave the book a positive review in The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
, and wrote: "Tim Guest’s extraordinary account of his childhood in the communes of Bhagwan, the notorious Indian guru, is a survivor’s tale, poignant, funny and wise."
A review in The Daily Telegraph commented that "the main failure of Guest's otherwise excellent book is the absence of character: even his mother comes across rather as a history than a personality." "My Life in Orange, though slightly patchwork in its construction, is an absorbing piece of writing, all the more compelling for begging as many questions as it answers and for the author's refusal to ask for pity," wrote Geraldine Bedell in a review of the book in The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
. Director of the Cheltenham Festival of Literature, Christopher Cook, characterized My Life in Orange as "the most extraordinary account of his [Tim Guest's] childhood and the bravest writing I've read in ages". Sudipta Datta of the Indian Express described the book as "a postcard from the past that the Osho ashram may not rave about." Datta noted though that after having been angry with his mother and Rajneesh, Guest had reconciled with his family, reclaimed his childhood and come to see Rajneesh as "a loveable rogue who got away with doing his own thing". Catherine A. Powers of The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
characterized the book as a "moving, superbly written account of growing up in the midst of ... cruel madness". Michael E. Young of The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News is the major daily newspaper serving the Dallas, Texas area, with a circulation of 264,459 subscribers, the Audit Bureau of Circulations reported in September 2010...
gave the book a favorable review, and wrote: "The book offers a glimpse into the thoughts of the followers, and examines the fine line between spirituality and insanity, between religion and cult." Shane Hegarty of The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
characterized the book as "an intriguing and often humorous mix of straightforward 1980s nostalgia and cult delusion".
See also
- Breaking the Spell: My Life as a Rajneeshee and the Long Journey Back to FreedomBreaking the Spell: My Life as a Rajneeshee and the Long Journey Back to FreedomBreaking the Spell: My Life as a Rajneeshee and the Long Journey Back to Freedom is a non-fiction book by Catherine Jane Stork about her experiences as a Rajneeshee, a follower of Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. It was published in April 2009 by Pan Macmillan...
- Child neglectChild neglectChild neglect is defined as:# "the failure of a person responsible for a child’s care and upbringing to safeguard the child’s emotional and physical health and general well-being"...