Reading between the lines: Hidden meanings behind 7 books featured in The White Lotus
Seen With: Olivia (Season 1)
Olivia carries this philosophy classic like a fashion statement. She may not be reading Nietzsche cover to cover but it gives her an edge- serious, smart and a little intimidating. In a setting full of wealth and luxury, holding a book about meaninglessness feels like her quiet way of pushing back. It's less about the text and more about the image. Nietzsche becomes part of her poolside persona: deep, detached and way too cool to care about small talk.
Seen With: Paula (Season 1)
Paula's carrying Freud but she could easily be one of his case studies. The book dives into dreams, desires and buried feelings- exactly what Paula seems to be dealing with. She wants to take a stand, question privilege and be different but she's also caught up in the same world. Freud's ideas feel weirdly fitting as she drifts between guilt and action. Her unread copy isn't just a book, it's a symbol of all her contradictions.
Seen With: Paula (Season 1)
Fanon's book is a bold choice for a beach read and that's the point. It's radical, angry and deeply political and Paula uses it to show she's not like the other guests. But her actions don't always live up to what she's reading. The book becomes a prop in her performance of being 'woke' while vacationing in a paradise. It's a powerful contrast, showing that even trying to rebel can end up looking like just another privilege.
Seen With: Jack (Season 2)
This slick thriller about charm, lies and identity theft fits Jack a little too well. Like Ripley, he's mysterious, magnetic and maybe hiding something darker. Even if he's only pretending to read it, the book is a perfect signal to the audience that there's more to him than the audience sees. It plants a seed of doubt and suspense. In a show full of secrets, this book is a low-key hint at what's coming.
Seen With: Victoria Ratliff (Season 3)
Victoria reading Fitzgerald feels almost poetic. The novel is about rich people slowly losing their shine and here she is, living that exact life without realizing it. It adds a quiet layer of depth to her character. Maybe she's more aware of the shortcomings than she lets on herself or maybe it's just a beautiful book to match her luxury suite. Either way, it's a clever touch- a woman surrounded by privilege, reading a story about its slow unraveling.
Seen With: Lochlan (Season 3) Hamsun's Hunger is a hard, introspective read about a man slowly falling apart—and that's why it fits Lochlan so well. He's the outsider in a wealthy family, always a bit lost, a bit overlooked. The novel feels like his inner world: full of pride, frustration, and quiet despair. It's not something you pick up casually. It's a signal. Lochlan doesn't say much, but this book says everything about how heavy he's really feeling.
Seen With: Belinda (Season 3)
Working in a luxury resort means smiling at people who treat you like furniture. Belinda knows this well and this book? It's her silent coping mechanism. Erikson's guide to dealing with difficult personalities feels both hilarious and painfully accurate in her world. Whether she picked it up for actual advice or just a moment of relief, it's the perfect touch. Calm on the outside, overwhelmed on the inside, this book quietly reveals what she's up against.
These characters might be soaking up the sun, but their book choices hint at the storms beneath the surface. Whether it's a quiet protest, a cry for connection, or just a way to feel smarter in a sea of small talk, each title adds depth without a single word spoken. At The White Lotus, nothing is ever just for show, even the books are part of the drama.
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Indian Express
a day ago
- Indian Express
A film on poet Jayanta Mahapatra documents the last days of the Cuttack-born poet
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In the film, we see them at the local tea shop to have Jayanta's favourite pakoda and chai, discussing poetry, life and beauty, sitting under the bamboo tree immersed in meditative silence and celebrating birthdays and festivals. These cherished moments are woven together with memories and poems of Jayanta, recalled by legendary contemporaries such as Gulzar, Pratibha Ray and Arvind Krishna Mehrotra. The film was screened in New Delhi recently. Some of Jayanta's classics include 'Hunger', a poem which talks about informal child sex trade with burning and succinct usage of words, literary devices, exposing the human mind's bondage to the flesh; 'Indian Summer', a veiled commentary on the suffering woman and 'Dawn at Puri' that spelt out the uneasy coexistence of sacred rituals and stark human deprivation. One such line reads: 'A skull in the holy sands / tilts its empty country towards hunger.' Part of a trio of poets who pioneered modernism in Indian English poetry, which included AK Ramanujan and R Parthasarathy, Jayanta received the Padma Shri in 2009. But he returned it in 2015 as a protest against the rising intolerance in India. Always holding Cuttack and his homeland close to his heart, he declared in his acceptance speech at the Sahitya Akademi award: 'To Orissa, to this land in which my roots lie and lies my past and in which lies my beginning and my end…' Das says, 'I have not seen a person of his stature with so much humility, depth and love. He was so humble that he didn't own a car, AC, didn't care about luxury or fame and, in fact, didn't even lock his door. Small things touched him and has lived and died as a poet'. Since the death of his wife and son in 2017, Jayanta had been living alone with the help of a caretaker named Sarojini. However, she too had passed away in 2022, leaving the man who treasured solitude, entirely alone. Still, for the literary giant silence was the greatest poem. Indulging in creative pursuits, attending literary festivals, inviting friends such as Das to spend time with him, Jayanta continued an active life till ill-health confined him to bed. Jayanta passed away in 2023 at the age of 95. While sitting near the Mahanadi river, where he had spent the most part of his life, we can see the poet summarising his philosophy: 'What does a butterfly want? A little sunshine, a flower and some freedom. That's all I want. You know, silence is the greatest poem. If you can be quiet and sit with your beloved, that means a lot. I have lived my life like that, in happiness and with love. I never needed anything; I don't crave for anything.' Jayanta passed away in 2023 at the age of 95. Das recounts one of his memorable moments with the poet. 'During the last month of Jayanta da's life, on my birthday, July 29, we were together. He was bed-ridden, the doctor was there giving injections and there were medicines all around. But then he looked at me with this innocent smile and said, 'How can your birthday pass without a chocolate cake?' We got one and celebrated. Even when he was so unwell, the love he had for people was extraordinary. Those moments are something I WIll cherish for the rest of my life,' says Das. The documentary shows Jayanta's health deteriorating but his laughter and love become more radiant. Realising his immense affection for music and poetry, Das and his crew sang songs and recited poems for him. Music always brought a smile to his face and we see him singing along, even though he couldn't move from bed. Towards the end of the film we hear Gulzar, a close friend and fellow poet, recite a poem that he wrote about Jayanta: He, who was a poet, remained silent. He used to talk crazy crazy things. He used to listen with his eyes on his ears, the sounds of dumb silence. He used to collect the shadows of the moon, drops of wet light. He used to rock in the oak, the dry leaves of the night. In this dark forest of time he used to pick raw moments. Yes, that strange poet used to wake up at night And kiss the moon's chin with his elbows. Heard, yesterday he left this earth. A Tale to Begin With is doing the festival rounds within India and abroad. Deepak Rajeev is an intern with The Indian Express
Time of India
07-08-2025
- Time of India
What did Sophie Cunningham's mother say? Humorous prediction comes true as R-rated toy lands near daughter in WNBA game
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Indian Express
28-07-2025
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Reading between the lines: Hidden meanings behind 7 books featured in The White Lotus
(Written by Kaashvi Khubyani) Seen With: Olivia (Season 1) Olivia carries this philosophy classic like a fashion statement. She may not be reading Nietzsche cover to cover but it gives her an edge- serious, smart and a little intimidating. In a setting full of wealth and luxury, holding a book about meaninglessness feels like her quiet way of pushing back. It's less about the text and more about the image. Nietzsche becomes part of her poolside persona: deep, detached and way too cool to care about small talk. Seen With: Paula (Season 1) Paula's carrying Freud but she could easily be one of his case studies. The book dives into dreams, desires and buried feelings- exactly what Paula seems to be dealing with. She wants to take a stand, question privilege and be different but she's also caught up in the same world. Freud's ideas feel weirdly fitting as she drifts between guilt and action. Her unread copy isn't just a book, it's a symbol of all her contradictions. Seen With: Paula (Season 1) Fanon's book is a bold choice for a beach read and that's the point. It's radical, angry and deeply political and Paula uses it to show she's not like the other guests. But her actions don't always live up to what she's reading. The book becomes a prop in her performance of being 'woke' while vacationing in a paradise. It's a powerful contrast, showing that even trying to rebel can end up looking like just another privilege. Seen With: Jack (Season 2) This slick thriller about charm, lies and identity theft fits Jack a little too well. Like Ripley, he's mysterious, magnetic and maybe hiding something darker. Even if he's only pretending to read it, the book is a perfect signal to the audience that there's more to him than the audience sees. It plants a seed of doubt and suspense. In a show full of secrets, this book is a low-key hint at what's coming. Seen With: Victoria Ratliff (Season 3) Victoria reading Fitzgerald feels almost poetic. The novel is about rich people slowly losing their shine and here she is, living that exact life without realizing it. It adds a quiet layer of depth to her character. Maybe she's more aware of the shortcomings than she lets on herself or maybe it's just a beautiful book to match her luxury suite. Either way, it's a clever touch- a woman surrounded by privilege, reading a story about its slow unraveling. Seen With: Lochlan (Season 3) Hamsun's Hunger is a hard, introspective read about a man slowly falling apart—and that's why it fits Lochlan so well. He's the outsider in a wealthy family, always a bit lost, a bit overlooked. The novel feels like his inner world: full of pride, frustration, and quiet despair. It's not something you pick up casually. It's a signal. Lochlan doesn't say much, but this book says everything about how heavy he's really feeling. Seen With: Belinda (Season 3) Working in a luxury resort means smiling at people who treat you like furniture. Belinda knows this well and this book? It's her silent coping mechanism. Erikson's guide to dealing with difficult personalities feels both hilarious and painfully accurate in her world. Whether she picked it up for actual advice or just a moment of relief, it's the perfect touch. Calm on the outside, overwhelmed on the inside, this book quietly reveals what she's up against. These characters might be soaking up the sun, but their book choices hint at the storms beneath the surface. Whether it's a quiet protest, a cry for connection, or just a way to feel smarter in a sea of small talk, each title adds depth without a single word spoken. At The White Lotus, nothing is ever just for show, even the books are part of the drama.
