Since landing her breakthrough in 2013’s Short Term 12, actress and filmmaker Brie Larson has garnered critical acclaim for leading roles in indie films and blockbusters alike. Named one of Times’ 100 most influential people in 2019, she regularly uses her celebrity to advance gender equality initiatives and voice support for victims of sexual assault.
Sharing her best-loved books with Red Magazine, Larson included work by Thoreau, Henry Miller and Hermann Hesse. Find her reading list below, and dive into the bookshelves of other iconic actors right here.
The Magus by John Fowles (also rec’d by St. Vincent)
“I finished it in two days. If you like a story with an untrustworthy narrator, you’ll love this book.” -BL
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant (also rec’d by Julia Roberts)
“There’s a love lost in it, and when I hit that point I was just completely devastated. But it ends up becoming this incredible, great spiritual growth and makes you realise that pain is necessary.” -BL
Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés (also rec’d by Emma Watson & Glennon Doyle)
“It’s a series of folklore tales from all over the world and it makes me want to go to South America, Greece and Japan, and see the roots of all these cultures.” -BL
The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann (also rec’d by Gabriel García Márquez)
“It’s so intelligent and can be read for so many reasons and on so many different levels. It’s so long, yet you never want it to end.” -BL
Rumpelstiltskin by Paul O Zelinsky
“I was absolutely terrified – I would cover his picture on every page – but I was obsessed with the story.” -BL
Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller (also rec’d by Bob Dylan, Paulo Coelho & RATM)
Walden by Henry David Thoreau (also rec’d by Glennon Doyle)
“I remember being 15 and feeling like such an outsider. [Miller and Thoreau] changed my life – I felt understood, as I’d never felt understood before.” -BL
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse (also rec’d by Leonard Cohen)
“You can read it at every stage of your life and there’ll always be something there for you.” -BL
(via Red Magazine)