You have heard about film adaptations, but what about book adaptations? Today I will be assigning you a book based on what your favourite movie/show is. To begin with, if you enjoyed watching The Queen’s Gambit, then you are probably drawn to academic-related topics with a bit of unhingedness to them, which makes it mandatory for you to read The Secret History by Donna Tartt. A group of weird and pretentious nerds whose ambition and arrogance get the best of them. This book has changed not only the way I read but the way I write, from its plot twists to the development of the characters’ undergo, this book is a must-read if you want to dive into themes of psychological dread.
Now I know this must seem obvious, but if you enjoyed Call Me By Your Name and have not gotten your hands on its second part, go read Find Me by André Aciman. If you are like me and cannot wait for the second part of the movie, which is not even certain they will make, then I suggest reading the book. Aciman’s descriptive skills will make you feel as if you have teleported yourself to the bustling European streets. Another novel which deeply fits this summery and tranquil vibe is Foster’s A Room With a View, which embodies the perfect mixture of social critique and politics with the warmth of a summer breeze.
Now getting into more twisted recommendations, if you enjoyed Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut (and not only because of Nicole Kidman’s performance), then I reckon you will find the plot of Venus In Furs by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch just as interesting. The two stories are very different, but the part that erotism and sexuality play in relation to the protagonists’ psyche mirrors some of the most important aspects of Kubrick’s film.
Now getting a little bit more dystopian and existential, if you enjoyed the film Matrix, then you must probably have read 1984 by George Orwell or The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. However, you might have skipped reading Bartleby, The Scrivener, a short story by the infamous Herman Melville, which deserves just as much recognition. Through a quiet and passive rebellion, Bartleby is met with the consequences of standing up against a working system that slowly drains the life out of its subjects, showing that no form of resistance against the higher spheres goes unpunished.
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