I think it's fair to say that, despite what political stance you take, including none, Douglas Murray is endlessly interesting with his opinions and refreshing in his ability to seek out things that would be instantly rejected by some of his contemporaries if they were the other way round (such as entertaining a film that promotes gay reversion, being gay himself). Not to name-drop, but I have also met him (along with Maajid Nawaz), and he is as charming (if more so) in real life as on paper or screen. Plus, he giggles like a schoolgirl, it's wonderful.
That being said - and make no mistake, I am a big fan of his work - I think he is a little too late with this book, and doesn't go deep enough.
I don't want to compare his previous book to this although, ultimately, they are linked at a much deeper level, but The Strange Death of Europe was something that had culminated from a large portion of his career to that point. He was really, very experienced about the issue of Islam in the West (even though, again, I don't think in hindsight the work went deep enough) and he spoke and debated endlessly on the subject before writing it, and though I do believe he has always spoken on issues in this book plenty of times to some degree, I don't think The Madness of Crowds reveals anything new to those others who have been following the cultural breakdown over the years.
I think what is important is that he is someone with a strong platform, plus the integrity, keen intellect and verbal clout to be able to speak so openly about what many would laughably term as "hate speech", and it means that his views, and the views of so many across not only Britain but the rest of the subdued West, can and are heard on major outlets. He is also not in politics, so it means he is not preserving a political manifesto or toeing a party line, and he is also incredibly likeable (well, he is).
So, the problem? It feels too much like scraping back the wallpaper that's covering the rot, but not going further to find the woodworm even if you know, deep down, that's the problem. Murray did do the same thing in The Strange Death of Europe - we all know Angela Merkel is working for masters we can't see, but it still seems to be the case to someone as sharp as him that she made the decision to flood Europe with economic migrants as an isolated incident that turned out to be just a mistake. I'm not sure if I believe he doesn't really see what happened, or he chooses to stay at surface level, but The Madness of Crowds is certainly only a drop in the ocean compared to the already huge amounts of material out there relating to similar subjects by a vast number of people, professional and amateur alike.
Why four stars then? Because if you aren't like me and many others who have already delved into multiple rabbit holes, there is value in this work. You may have noticed it gradually, these things that have crept up in workplaces, in schools, in government organisations that intend to restrict your thinking and your liberty, but can't really pin it down. How many people get called Nazi, racist, bigot, transphobe and other, now basically defunct, insults on TV on a daily basis? Murray does a good job of collating the societal impact of the social engineering process that is currently happening across the world - yes world - but never quite hits the nail's head. He does an excellent job of persistently exposing those who would attempt to remove your liberty of free speech, but doesn't point out who is truly responsible. He does, as he says himself, speak of "uncomfortable things", certainly if you are one of those affected by your self-expression being limited by your governments, but these things are not uncomfortable to those who have already sought out the truth and discovered how much red tape is superglued to it. Don’t take my word for it, or Murray's - plenty of experience can be seen in the companies you work for, and council that steals your income and the police monitoring your Twitter feed.
For someone new to this subject it is an excellent starting point for your colloquial red-pilling, and long may it prosper, but for others already down beyond the sediment, it is clear Murray's finger is on the pulse, but he is not quite - yet? - aiming at the heart of the matter.
By the way, L.P. Hartley did write an excellent dystopia (Facial Justice) about a post-social justice era where women forcibly, or voluntarily, have their faces made standardised as betas because other women (yes, women) get jealous. Don’t think this happening? See the Gillette Girls who were made redundant due to “Feminists” who decided it was their decision if these women were being objectified (which they were, by choice, and for money), to take it upon themselves to be “insulted”, and therefore pushed to get the Girls out of work instead. Truth stranger than fiction?
Anyway, I’ll recommend the Audible version because hearing all the quotes Murray recites, with cursing and everything, is hilarious in his polite, middle-class accent.
As Dr. Seuss said - "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind."
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