There are few places more ideal than the beach to get some quality listening or reading in. For most, a “beach read” tends to be something that is easy to digest (not that we necessarily agree). On HBO’s new hit series The White Lotus, however, that standard is questioned. Throughout the show, characters consume challenging texts from Nietzsche to Malcolm Gladwell while lounging at the luxury resort. If you are looking for an opportunity to up your game for your next beach visit, look no further than this list of books we spotted in the show—in audio, of course, to help them go down easier.
What he really wrote
"Glad I did it. Glad it’s done. Freud of course is one of those foundational writers, important to psychology, philosophy, literature, and art, that everyone thinks they know but no one actually reads. There is some fascinating stuff here, and the narrator at least makes it (relatively) painless."
-Zachary, Audible Listener
Friendship and class
"In this mesmerizing narrative about the friendship between two girls in a working class district of Naples, the author examines the influences of wealth, education, history, and revenge on the social strata of the town and explores how the hunger for freedom expresses itself differently in each character."
-Patricia, Audible Listener
Paglia’s magnum opus
"The firebrand feminist critic brings her cleverly incisive and rollickingly refreshing look at the Western canon. She shows a granular knowledge of cultural archetypes and employs a justified boldness to challenge conventional criticism. One may disagree with facets of her critique or certain conclusions, but they nevertheless make for an interesting listen and encourage a deeper look and appreciation for the West’s cultural patrimony."
-Samuel, Audible Listener
A great communicator
"As usual, Mr. Gladwell has impressive insights. This time he looks at the power of 'thin slicing,' which is essentially making a snap judgment about something. The key to that blink reaction being accurate has much to do with the observer's expertise in an area (you need to have some) and the context in which they are making the determination (you need to have a neutral, unbiased way to make the judgment, or it may be unavoidably affected)."
-CB, Audible Listener
Wonderfully logical
"Butler is thorough in her exploration of gender and this book has the essence of why gender is so complex. Takes only about 10 or 20 listens to put it all together. Admittedly, she could simplify the idea, but I think that would take away from the central reality that the grammar of gender is NOT at all simple, and the language Butler uses to get this across to readers drives the point. Loved the book and feel it should be a required text for every college student of our age. Hopefully, in the future, high school students will be able to tackle it with ease. (Perhaps I'm too hopeful.)"
-RH, Audible Listener
Complicated but fun
"A good amount of this went over my head, not gonna lie. But I got the Great Courses explanation of his philosophy so I'm going to go read that too. Nietzsche is the sassiest philosopher hands down. That's what I learned here."
-Chadlonius, Audible Listener
