Books to Read if You Liked Saltburn
Are we over this yet? I’m not.
Listen, I will keep it so real with you– I started writing this one a while back and forgot about it. Then I rediscovered it amongst my drafts, and despite the fact that Saltburn came out approximately 3 months ago, I still wanted to finish it because I was having fun writing it! Also, a core tenet of my personal brand is waiting for everyone to be over something so that I can start engaging with it, so I figured, why not keep with tradition? Also also, maybe it’ll prompt you to (re)watch Saltburn and read something great. Alright, away we go:
Unless you were living under a rock at the end of last year, you’ve heard of the film Saltburn. Directed by Emerald Fennel of Promising Young Woman acclaim, it’s a movie about an unpopular student at Oxford named Oliver, played by Barry Keoghan. Oliver pointedly works his way into the popular crowd by befriending the number one popular guy/golden boy, Felix, played by Jacob Elordi. Oliver is invited to spend the summer with Felix and his family at their estate in the countryside, Saltburn. However, behind the sparkling veneer of this wealthy family, things are not as they seem– though, nor is our Oliver. Relations between Oliver, Felix, and the rest of Felix’s family intensify and begin to crack across the course of the summer, bringing violent delights to violent ends.
People had FEELINGS about this movie. It was (is?) a cultural moment, from the babygirl-ification of Barry Keoghan to the graveyard scene; it got the people talking. Some people (my friend whose text I’m referencing for this) love to profess how much they hated it, saying it was vapid, unbelievable, and lacked substance.
Me, on the other hand? Loved it. It’s beautifully shot, has a killer soundtrack, and has some excellent comedic moments. However, I am a bibliophile, not a cinephile. Let it be known I never claimed to have any taste in film!
Whether or not you’ve seen the movie, though, is less relevant to this post. What I really want to talk about is how watching Saltburn reminded me of some literary themes I enjoy most: obsession, lust, and just how far we’ll indulge our darkest impulses. Books where characters could be any of us at our very worst, where we disagree with the choices of the protagonist, but can identify a part of ourselves in them and can understand the choices. Not to mention dark humor and hot people– what’s not to love? And if that’s not for you, this newsletter will probably not be your cup of bathwater.
But! If you like dark shit with complicated characters, this is the list for you. If you don’t like dark shit with complicated characters… well, idk just stick with me here; I promise you’ll like one of these. Here’s a list of books I have read and loved that share some of the same compelling themes as Saltburn, and will be just as– if not more– gripping than the film.
The Secret History by Donna Tartt. Ok, Saltburn aside, this one is truly required reading. That said, this is probably the most similar to Saltburn regarding plot points and themes. It’s a dark academia story about a middle-class student named Richard who goes away to school at a small, elite liberal arts college in Vermont known as Hampden College. He tries in vain to get into a Classics class, which is mysteriously limited to a close-knit clique of five posh students who seem to operate above and outside the college life norm. Richard manages to ingratiate himself with the crew by helping them with a Greek translation, ultimately earning himself a place in the class and amongst' the clique ranks. But as he becomes closer with this group, things get darker and more dire– and lives are at stake.
This book swallowed me whole. I could not put it down, and I am, to this day, devastated to have finished it. It’s Donna Tartt’s best work and some of the most incredible character development I have ever read. She has constructed a wholly engrossing, entirely believable cast of characters; everything is vivid and hyper-real, you feel like you’re experiencing the storyline alongside the main character. It's an honest-to-god masterpiece. Let’s be clear– I’m almost doing this book a disservice by comparing it to Saltburn; it’s so much better. If you read any of these recs, this is the one to read.
Boy Parts by Eliza Clark. This one is more of a departure from Saltburn in terms of plot, but the troubled characters, the sex, obsession, self-destruction, and sadism/masochism are all there. The book follows Irina, our narrator, who is a photographer. Her subject matter is men, whom she photographs in compromising, violent, and sexual positions. While on leave from her job, she’s asked to show her work at an art gallery in London, the stress of which triggers memories that begin to eat away at her sanity.
The story leaves little room for empathy for Irina on behalf of the reader, but it’s also hard to look away as she unflinchingly inflicts cruelty and masochism on everyone in her life, including herself. It’s like watching a very brutal, very intentional car wreck. Eliza Clark’s writing painfully and starkly captures the life of a traumatized, unstable, and unreliable narrator. It’s hard to know who or what to believe when reading this novel, but you definitely won’t forget it.
Damage by Josephine Hart. My GOD, this will ruin your life; it’s spectacular. This is about a man who has an affair with his son’s fiancé. I read this a few years ago, and it was easily one of my favorite books of the year, and now it is one of my all-time favorites. The narrator is the adulterer, who calmly and fastidiously lays out his affair and what drives him to do it. He is fully aware that his obsession will lead to the demise of his perfectly crafted life and destroy his family, and yet he cannot stop.
I love it when writers can capture feelings you’ve had before yet feel impossible to put into words. Josephine Hart captures the subtle nuances of emotion so precisely, you will feel it viscerally as you read this. She forces you to empathize with the main character, despite yourself, even as he commits horrific, deliberate indecencies that destroy lives. The writing is gorgeous and gut-wrenching; this one will alter your brain chemistry.
The Guest by Emma Cline. The story of a young woman, Alex, who’s living with her client/boyfriend for the summer out east. She has no money or support system, so when she finds herself with the wealthy, handsome Simon, she’s thrilled to have found a place to relax for the summer. However, they quickly get into a fight, and Alex is excused from the house and sent back to the city. But she doesn’t go back. Instead, Alex stays in the Hamptons, drifting and grifting through the days, using the people she comes across until she can make her way back to Simon’s house for his Labor Day party, where she’s sure she can win him back.
If this sounds like a romance, I must correct you because it decidedly is not. I held my breath the entire time, tension knotting my shoulders as Alex walked a tightrope of staying under the radar and staying in the good graces of those she was preying on. Like Oliver in Saltburn, Alex is an outsider who’s had a taste of the good life and is not about to let it go that easily. Your blood pressure will be RAISED. Emma Cline evokes emotion so well here, it’s a stressful yet fun (???) reading experience.
Have you read any of these? Have you seen Saltburn? Do you hate me? Let me know in the comments!
Books of the moment:
✨Heads up! I’m using my Bookshop affiliate link for all titles recommended in this newsletter. If you buy them through these links, I might earn a commission.✨
📚Recently finished:
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler, 5/5 stars
Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler, 4/5 stars
📖 Currently reading:
The End of the World is a Cul de Sac by Louise Kennedy
The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan (this month’s pick for book club)
👉🏼You should read: What to Read if you loved Saltburn by
from The Upstairs Window. Blair is a long-time favorite Goodreads reviewer of mine, and I have been subscribed to her newsletter for some time, which she just moved to Substack (yay!)I found her substack yesterday and noticed she wrote on the same topic— I absolutely LOVE her take, and that neither of us mentioned the same books!!! How fun. And interesting to see the different ways we approached this writing prompt and together created an even broader, more diverse list of Saltburn-eque books. Highly recommend you give her post a read and subscribe to her newsletter.
💌 Email me book recs and other literary thoughts at emilygatesjohnson@gmail.com
🛍 Shop all Point of Departure recs (and more!) from my digital bookstore here.
The content I needed, thank u
I’ve seen The Secret History pop up so many times but for some reason thought it was fantasy (no idea why) so never sought it out. Now you’ve told me it’s Saltburn-esque I’m sold, thanks!