The Castle Author: Jon RonsonISBN-13: 9780241754771Publisher: VikingGuideline Price: £20; 320ppJon Ronson is curious, again. He’s curious about masculinity and how it’s evolving in the digital age. He’s curious about the forces shaping perceptions of masculinity and why more and more men are being drawn into isolation, finding themselves purposeless and adrift. To be clear, The Castle is no apologia for toxic masculinity (a term notably absent from the text). Rather, it is an exploration of the different ways in which masculinity is being shaped by current trends, and how it presents itself in the real lives of men.This is his first book in 11 years and it’s as good a read as any of his previous big hits. A Jon Ronson book is never clear-cut, there are no neat finishes or satisfying conclusions. The Castle is no different. But like all of his writing, this book will open new insights for you, and it will linger long after you’ve closed the final chapter. Dare I say that books like this, coming from journalists, can sometimes feel like a series of long reads stitched together, intentionally or not. But that’s never the case with a Ronson publication. He painstakingly knits together the various explorations and analyses that his work entails into a compelling story for us to read. Based in upstate New York, the story begins in 2023 when Ronson’s son takes up an invitation to a fairytale-style castle in Connecticut from a man called Chris Mark, only to be confronted with some creepy and disturbing behaviour. The first two chapters stay focused on Mark and his castle before Ronson broadens his perspective to introduce us to the bigger question of masculinity in the modern age. The cast of characters come in two forms. First, as real people, beginning with Mark; a YouTube star called Greg Chism with a truly bizarre rise-and-fall story; some better-known names such as Graham Linehan and Armie Hammer; and a parade of curious and intriguing bit-part extras. Alongside these individuals, Ronson introduces the reader to a series of male archetypes, embodied to varying degrees by the aforementioned. You will meet ‘doofus man’, ‘vulnerable man’, ‘manosphere man’, ‘separatist man’ and ‘disinhibited man’ as Ronson explores the landscape. His self-deprecating humour is as sharp as ever, and disarmingly endearing. On more than one occasion Ronson reflects on whether this very pursuit, the investigation of a mysterious and sketchy castle owner, is in itself an example of the same pressures that his cast of characters have fallen prey to.“I realised I had actually exhibited a bunch of those traits just while researching this book. My journey to Chris Mark’s castle and his subsequent threats to set his murderers on me had felt adventurous and risky. I was pleased with those chapters and considered them an achievement. Plus I’d done it all within weeks of major colon surgery, which – not to brag – had involved some stoicism.”[ The Quickening by Claire McGowan: A powerful novel of motherhood, cowardice and courageOpens in new window ]The chapter that deals with the unfolding of Linehan’s aggressive campaign against the transgender community is genuinely sad. Having been a friend and peer of Linehan, Ronson’s emotion here is palpable. Again, he’s not apologising, but he does lament the demise of a great talent. “It never stopped being shocking. It felt like sometime around 2018 he had made the decision to basically rip off his face – rip away any semblance of polite, mannered civility – and instead allow his id, that disinhibited part of his psyche, to take over.”Technology features heavily in The Castle. Many characters are driven entirely or partially by online success. Chris is influenced by sycophantic AI chatbots; Greg found success then crushing failure because of search engine optimisation. Overall, Ronson points out, men are turning to online fame to find purpose. For a sharp glimpse into young male panic about their futures, in the US “Gen Z males (20%) are more likely than females (13%) to believe that being a social media influencer is the only choice of career for them”. Honestly, this book will make me a better male ally. Without wanting to sound too patronising (pun intended), it’s vital that we understand the real experiences of men as public discourse and scrutiny of masculinity intensify. Toxic masculinity is no longer a helpful term because it is too absolute. The Castle is a great attempt to unpick modern masculinity and to see what is prompting a real mental health crisis in men. Only when we understand it will we be able to address it.Sinéad Gibney is a Social Democrat TD for Dublin-Rathdown