I’ve started pairing a fiction book with a non fiction one to read alongside it and explore the themes a bit more deeply. So far I’ve matched Pride & Prejudice with The Second Sex, Dracula with Orientalism, and The Picture of Dorian Gray with The Society of the Spectacle. It’s been such a good way to understand classics better and see how their ideas still connect to the modern world.
I’m about to start The Count of Monte Cristo, which I haven’t read before, and I haven’t found a non fiction match yet. I’m also a bit nervous about Googling too much in case I spoil it for myself, so I thought I’d ask here instead. I’d love any non fiction recommendations to pair with it, ideally something I can easily buy in the UK.
And if you’ve done similar pairings with other novels, I’d really love to hear what worked for you. Thanks so much in advance!
by Safe-Buddy0112
4 Comments
I don’t have a pair for Count of Monte Cristo, but I do have a suggested pair:
Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck
The Will to Change, bell hooks
The Black Count by Tom Reiss. The true story of Dumas’s father.
I have not read the book yet, but I believe it does cover the range of human emotions, so maybe The Cultural Politics of Emotions or The Promise of Happiness by Sara Ahmed?
I don’t have a specific nonfiction rec, but something about Napoleon, especially his later years/exiles, would be good.