Autumnal Novels: Deep Books to Dwell on this Fall

Autumn has officially dawned. The air is cooling, the leaves are shifting color and drifting to the ground. Pumpkin spice coffee is in abundance. 

It’s the perfect time to curl up with a book. I’ve got three suggestions for what to read this autumn, along with a bonus suggestion for what to watch. All four of these recommendations have something special to offer.

DRACULA

It seems like every two years, there’s a new Dracula adaptation released. In my opinion, these adaptations tend to leave out some important things in the novel, like realtors in Romania, huge boxes of dirt getting left all over London, psychic connections that span the ocean, and of course, the American cowboy who helps kill Dracula. 

Bram Stoker wrote a masterpiece of a book, not just because of its storyline, but because of the language of the novel and his style of writing. A great deal of the book consists of collected letters from one character to another, providing a wide array of viewpoints, opinions, and details about where the plot is going. I found myself unable to put the book down, as I was invested in the drama and the prose that Stoker crafted. It’s perfectly spooky and engaging. Plus, the ending is oh-so-satisfying. So turn off the overhead lights, light a candle, and curl up for a fast-paced vampire-hunting adventure.  

the idiot

Selin begins her studies at Harvard University in 1995, and somehow stumbles into learning Russian in her first year. During her Russian class, she meets Hungarian student Ivan, and they begin corresponding over email. The book details their evolving relationship and Selin’s evolving view of herself during her freshman year, and goes on many philosophical tangents in its attempt to explain the complicated phenomenon that is “growing up”. 

Now this is the coming-of-age novel (or if you really want to sound smart, the bildungsroman) that completely shattered my sophomore year self. Somehow, Elif Batuman looked into my undergraduate life and found out what I was going through. I fell in love with this book because I identified so closely with Selin’s journey of self-discovery, her situationship with an unreadable guy, and the existential problem of life itself. In reading this book, I was able to see my thoughts and feelings put into words. The book was a comforting piece in a trying time of my life. If you’re looking for a deeper read filled with equal amounts of laughter and melancholy, this is it. 

the scorpio races

Every November, the inhabitants of a northern island compete with their carnivorous water horses in a race for money and glory. Puck Connolly, in a desperate bid to keep her family together and save their farm from being sold, enters the race with her island pony and finds herself in over her head as the first woman to compete.

This is truly one of my favorite books. I read it for the first time almost a decade ago, and it’s kept its charm over the years. I’m a fan of Maggie Stiefvater’s work in general, namely her series The Raven Cycle which, like this novel, is both wildly fantastical and slightly dark. This book explores family ties, the pull of competition and power, and what greatly appealed to my middle school self: man-eating horses that live in the ocean. Stiefvater immerses you in the autumnal, island setting of the book. Her prose is thoughtful, and the story stays fast-paced. It’s a perfect read for a stormy November day.

And for a movie recommendation: Spirited Away

In case you haven’t already heard of it (or seen it), Spirited Away (2001) is a Studio Ghibli film centering on Chihiro, a young girl who is whisked away to a fantastical world where her parents are turned into pigs. So, she has to outsmart a witch in order to save them. Alongside characters like the long-legged Kamaji, bathhouse worker Lin, ghostly No-Face, and boy wizard Haku, Chihiro navigates the supernatural world she finds herself in. 

I recently watched this film for the first time and was enchanted by the animation, the worldbuilding, and the plot. I felt myself relating to Chihiro’s anxieties and fears about being alone in a new environment, and admired her tenacity in saving her parents and her friends. This cinematography of the film spirits you away (forgive the pun!), and the storyline leaves you feeling comforted and inspired by the end. 

While there’s plenty of fall-themed media to dive into for the rest of the autumn season, I hope you enjoy these recommendations! They’re great for getting into an autumnal mood!

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