Society of Lies: A Novel

At Princeton, eating clubs are social clubs structured around dining halls and other facilities for undergraduate upperclassmen (third- or fourth-year students) studying at the university. There are 11 eating clubs at Princeton, six of which interview undergraduates and seven of which allocate places on a lottery basis. The book draws on this factual background, although Lauren Ling Brown creates fictional clubs, including the Sterling Club. This centers in her novel as the most exclusive club and the eponymous “society of lies.” The club takes on the nature of a secret society, drawing on speculation and conspiracy theories that have surrounded the Princeton eating clubs over their 150-year history.

Belonging to a particular club at Princeton confers a particular status to an undergraduate and partly determines their social set, and there is some social pressure on students to join. The clubs are not officially affiliated with the university and have received criticism for elitism. In Society of Lies, Maya details the different clubs on The Street (the street where the clubs’ mansions reside) and why students feel compelled to join one: “There were a few who chose to be ‘independent,’ but you had to be confident in yourself and your campus meal plan to make that choice” (63). The clubs provide the students with a sense of belonging. Contemporary journalist Nicole LaPorte describes the pressure to join a Princeton eating club as a “form of social survival” (LaPorte, Nicole. “Why Ivy League Secret Societies and Clubs are More Popular than Ever.” Town and Country, 2 Apr. 2024). Before Maya joins her club, she doesn’t have much of a social life. After she joins, she feels a strong sense of belonging.

The application and interview process of many of these clubs is covered in the novel. Naomi feels “exhilaration and fear” during the process (18), feelings that are confirmed in LaPorte’s article. The exclusivity of these clubs themselves are already attractive, and the secret organizations add an extra thrill. LaPorte argues that the clubs—secret or otherwise—counter norms that celebrate inclusivity and transparency: “[T]he desire to feel ‘selected’ frequently trump[s] equity ideals” (LaPorte). Though Maya and Naomi showcase principles, neither turns down Sterling or Greystone. Maya embraces the forceful “selected” feeling, declaring, “I felt different. I was different. Something changed in the way I carried myself” (255). The clubs in the novel empower and transform the protagonists despite their dangerous nature and deadly consequences, driving the narrative’s thriller plot.