“White Lotus” style book suggestions and all the books featured on the show

If you are anything like me, you are binge watching White Lotus. I am deep in the fan theories for this season. I wanted to compile a list of book suggestions.

Books About Wealth, Privilege & Satire

  • The Vacationers by Emma Straub – A dysfunctional family travels to Mallorca for a supposedly relaxing vacation, but old secrets and tensions come to the surface.
  • Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty – A mix of dark humor, murder, and wealthy suburban drama.
  • The People We Hate at the Wedding by Grant Ginder – A witty novel about a dysfunctional family navigating a high-society wedding in England.
  • Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan – A comedic, lavish exploration of ultra-wealthy families and their power struggles.

Dark, Suspenseful Vacation Novels

  • The Guest List by Lucy Foley – A destination wedding on a remote island turns deadly.
  • The Club by Ellery Lloyd – A thriller set at an exclusive members-only luxury resort where dark secrets lead to murder.
  • Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney – A couple’s troubled marriage unravels during a secluded getaway in Scotland.

Books With Social Commentary & Class Conflict

  • Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid – Examines race, privilege, and performative allyship through a sharp and engaging story.
  • The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney – A darkly comedic look at a wealthy New York family grappling with inheritance drama.
  • The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller – A privileged summer retreat becomes the setting for deep personal turmoil and past secrets resurfacing.

Dark Satire & Social Commentary

  • Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead – A WASPy New England wedding weekend is full of class tensions, family dysfunction, and scandal.
  • Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson – A sharp and witty exploration of old money privilege in Brooklyn.
  • Fleishman Is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner – A biting critique of wealth, marriage, and gender roles in NYC’s elite social circles.
  • The New Me by Halle Butler – A darkly comic novel about millennial dissatisfaction, privilege, and workplace horror.

Vacation Thrillers & Mysteries

  • Sun Damage by Sabine Durrant – A con artist and a group of wealthy vacationers on the French Riviera collide in a web of deceit.
  • They All Fall Down by Rachel Howzell Hall – A group of strangers lured to a private island, where their pasts catch up with them.
  • We Were Never Here by Andrea Bartz – A girls’ trip turns deadly, with secrets and betrayals unraveling across exotic locations.
  • The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles – A historical fiction novel with a luxurious setting and a deeper look into class and power.

Wealth & Privilege Gone Wrong

  • A Special Place for Women by Laura Hankin – A journalist infiltrates a secret club for elite women, discovering dark truths.
  • The Heiresses by Sara Shepard – A wealthy family dynasty is torn apart by secrets, lies, and murder.
  • The Gilded Life of Matilda Duplaine by Alex Brunkhorst – A journalist enters the mysterious and exclusive world of Hollywood’s elite.

All the books featured on the show. Season 3 is not complete yet. I will update this after the season ends!

Season 1:

  • Olivia (Sydney Sweeney) and Paula (Brittany O’Grady):
    • The Portable Nietzsche by Friedrich Nietzsche: A collection of Nietzsche’s significant works, indicating their intellectual aspirations. ​BuzzFeed
    • The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud: Explores the meaning and psychology of dreams, aligning with their philosophical interests. ​BuzzFeed
    • Sexual Personae by Camille Paglia: Analyzes the connections between art and pagan ritual, reflecting their engagement with complex feminist critiques. ​Literary Hub+1BuzzFeed+1
    • The Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon: A study on race, colonialism, and psychological trauma, mirroring Paula’s growing awareness of social issues. ​Vogue+3What Is Quinn Reading?+3Literary Hub+3
    • Gender Trouble by Judith Butler: Discusses the performative nature of gender, resonating with themes of identity explored by the characters. ​Literary Hub
    • Discourse on Colonialism by Aimé Césaire: Examines the impact of colonialism, aligning with Paula’s contemplation of cultural exploitation. ​
    • Écrits by Jacques Lacan: A collection of Lacan’s psychoanalytic essays, suggesting Olivia’s deep dive into complex theories. ​What Is Quinn Reading?
  • Rachel (Alexandra Daddario):
    • My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante: A novel about a lifelong friendship between two women, possibly reflecting Rachel’s own relational introspections. ​Literary Hub
  • Shane (Jake Lacy):
    • Blink by Malcolm Gladwell: Explores rapid cognition and decision-making, perhaps subtly commenting on Shane’s superficial understanding of complex matters. ​Literary Hub

Season 2:

While Season 2 continues the series’ tradition of embedding literary references, specific titles and their corresponding characters are not detailed in the available sources.​

Season 3:

  • Lochlan Ratliff (Sam Nivola):
    • Hunger by Knut Hamsun: A novel delving into existential struggles, mirroring Lochlan’s own identity crisis. ​The Guardian
  • Victoria Ratliff (Parker Posey):
    • The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald: Reflects themes of wealth and moral decay, paralleling Victoria’s obsession with status and her obliviousness to her husband’s struggles. ​The Guardian+1Vogue+1
  • Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood):
    • The Essential Rumi: A collection of poems exploring love and spirituality, aligning with Chelsea’s star-sign-obsessed and spiritual persona. ​The Guardian
  • Laurie Duffy (Carrie Coon):
    • Modern Lovers by Emma Straub: A novel about friends grappling with aging and relationships, reflecting Laurie’s own experiences. ​The Guardian+1Vogue+1
  • Jaclyn Lemon (Michelle Monaghan):
    • My Name Is Barbra by Barbra Streisand: An autobiography, possibly indicating Jaclyn’s identification with Streisand’s life and career. ​Vogue
  • Belinda Lindsey (Natasha Rothwell):
    • Surrounded by Narcissists by Thomas Erikson: Suggests Belinda’s coping mechanism in dealing with challenging guests at the resort.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *