Books aren’t meant to be judged by their covers, but we’ll make an exception for the books in The White Lotus.
Whether it’s a philosophical study of gender politics or Freud’s theory of the unconscious, the literary choices of the swanky resort guests aren’t exactly what you would call typical beach reads — and there’s a reason why.
The White Lotus books are more than mere props (as Olivia cheekily suggests in one poolside scene whilst casually enjoying Nietzche). Instead, they send a deeper message about the reader. In an interview with Wall Street Journal, creator Mike White explained that the books speak to the image the reader wants to project of themselves to the world around them.
From elitist, cooler-than-thou Gen Z teens Olivia and Paula of Season 1 to alpha-male antagonist Cameron of Season 2, The White Lotus characters can be seen engaging in a varied selection of carefully chosen books. Here are the books they’ve been spotted reading. (Personally, you would never catch me toting Sigmund Freud around while on vacation, but to each their own!)
1. The Portable Nietzsche by Friedrich Nietzsche
In Season 1, college students Olivia and Paula are seen poolside with some less-than-light book choices: Olivia is reading The Portable Nietzsche, a translated collection featuring some of the German philosopher’s most notable works, including Twilight of the Idols, The Antichrist, Nietzsche Contra Wagner, and Thus Spoke Zarathustra.
2. The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud
While Olivia peruses Nietzsche, Paula opts for The Interpretation of Dreams by Freud — a hefty tome that explores the connection between dreams and real life. Originally published in 1899, this is widely considered one of Freud’s most important works and viewed as essential reading in the fields of psychology and psychoanalysis.
3. My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
Rich and immersive, My Brilliant Friend explores the delicate and precious complexities present in female friendships. Set in the slums of 1950s Naples, Ferrante chronicles the ups and downs of the friendship between Elena and Lila as they navigate an upbringing in a violent and poor neighborhood and dream of escaping the cycle of poverty.
The White Lotus’ Rachel, who comes from a working class background and spends much of Season 1 pondering her decision to marry into the wealthy and privileged Patton family, is spotted reading the Italian bestseller. Similar to The White Lotus, the TV adaptation of this novel can be found on HBO.
4. Sexual Personae by Camille Paglia
Another poolside scene with Olivia and Paula features more thought-provoking academic texts. Olivia reads Paglia’s controversial examination of sexual decadence and Western literature. Sexual Personae struck a nerve with modern feminists and drew both praise and heated critical reviews upon its publication in 1990.
5. The Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon
Fanon’s 1961 classic analyzes the intersection of race, imperialism, and colonialism and studies the role of violence in decolonization.
It’s fitting that Paula, who remarks on the injustice of the hotel’s cultural appropriation of native Hawaiians but subsequently puts a local at risk when she helps him steal from Olivia’s family, is seen reading this in Season 1.
6. Gender Trouble by Judith Butler
In a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, Paula pulls Gender Trouble out of her bag. It’s difficult to overstate how much the ideas in Gender Trouble have shaped our modern thoughts around gender and queer theory, performativity theory, and the politics of sexuality.
7. Everything is F*cked by Mark Manson
Manson’s follow-up to his international bestseller The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck focuses on maintaining a sense of hope despite the myriad problems facing the current generation (you know, climate change, extraordinarily divisive politics, etc.).
Ethan, who suddenly came into massive wealth after selling his company in Season 2, is seen reading the self-help book that challenges readers to reassess their relationships with money, consumption, and technology.
8. Gone Bamboo by Anthony Bourdain
Unlike other characters that constantly tote books around, Cameron, one of Season 2’s antagonists, is rarely seen reading at all. The only book he’s seen carrying is Bourdain’s mystery vacation thriller, Gone Bamboo, which, coincidentally, features professional assassins and the mafia. The late Bourdain himself described the novel as a “sociopath beach book.”
