What ‘The White Lotus’ Characters Are Reading

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.”

While Olivia peruses Nietzsche, Paula opts for “The Interpretation of Dreams” by Sigmund 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.

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. 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.