Brian Cox recommends 6 classic reads about life and love
The actor suggests works from Sidney Poitier, Leo Tolstoy, and more
![Brian Cox.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dtF9HzJivh7T3obCG58PFJ-415-80.jpg)
Screen and stage actor Brian Cox won his most recent Golden Globe Award for his starring role in the HBO drama "Succession," which concludes May 28. His 2022 memoir, "Putting the Rabbit in the Hat," is now out in paperback.
When you make a purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission
The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy (1886)
One of the great novels about fate. Michael Henchard is a mayor with a past. And because he hasn't dealt with his past, it slowly catches up with him, to his own peril. It's why we can't ignore this: that our past will always haunt us. Buy it here.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.jpg)
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Measure of a Man by Sidney Poitier (2000)
Poitier became a major star of cinema, but this book is about roots and never forgetting who one is. His life was an amazing odyssey, taking him from Cat Island in the Bahamas to America. Poitier created a character of himself, but he never forgot his origins. One of the best autobiographies I have ever read. Buy it here.
In Search of Being by G.I. Gurdjieff (2012)
We are in such a strange time in our evolution, where we're so busy projecting outward, through belief systems, and becoming attached to things. In this collection of philosophical teachings, Gurdjieff encourages us to look inward and to be present and conscious. Buy it here.
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (1861)
Two of the great things about Dickens are his social awareness and the innocence of his heroes — they become observers of their own life's journey. This novel is a reflection of early Victorian England. Despite impossible class divides, Pip manages to make the jump socially. Buy it here.
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (1877)
Tolstoy is always showing us the truth so that we're capable of seeing what passes before our eyes — that life is truly lived in moments of great intensity and that romantic love is only one kind of love. Anna is told that love is romantic, not prosaic. She doesn't recognize that what she feels for Karenin is also love and that she has a choice. Buy it here.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The Dice Man by Luke Rhinehart (1971)
In this novel, a psychiatrist decides his daily decisions will be ruled by a roll of the dice. Once you hand over your life to the dice, anything can happen. Humorous, scary, shocking, and extremely subversive, it's probably one of the best cult books of all time, and it has not dated one bit. Buy it here.
This article was first published in the latest issue of The Week magazine. If you want to read more like it, you can try six risk-free issues of the magazine here.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Big Tech's answer for AI-driven job loss: universal basic income
In The Spotlight A new study reveals the strengths and limitations
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
'I will not be silent' on Gaza, says Kamala Harris
Speed Read In a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Harris supported Israel's right to defend itself while expressing a desire to end Palestinian suffering
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
'How long can TikTok dominate as a social network?'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Peng Shepherd's 6 favorite works with themes of magical realism
Feature The author recommends works by Susanna Clarke, George Saunders, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Laura van den Berg's 6 favorite books with hidden secrets
Feature The author recommends works by Patricia Lockwood, Gillian Flynn, and more
By The Week US Published
-
26 of America's most unexpectedly banned books
In Depth From 'Harriet the Spy' to 'Little Red Riding Hood,' these books have all fallen afoul of censors
By The Week Staff Published
-
Conn Iggulden recommends 6 unforgettable books with historical themes
Feature The British author recommends works by Patrick O'Brian, Richard Dawkins, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Five books chosen by Nina Stibbe
Feature The author recommends works by David Sedaris, Alba de Céspedes and more
By The Week UK Published
-
Julia Phillips' 6 favorite books that explore the beauty and brutality of life
Feature The Novelist recommends works by Alice Walker, Colson Whitehead, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Joseph Earl Thomas's 6 favorite books that tackle social issues
Feature The author recommends works by Fernanda Melchor, Adania Shibli, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Ivy Pochoda's 6 favorite books that explore the dark side of human nature
Feature The thriller writer recommends works by Cormac McCarthy, Rachel Kushner, and more
By The Week Staff Published