Ben Affleck names his five favourite books of all time
Ben Affleck is undoubtedly among the biggest names in Hollywood. Throughout his trailblazing career, Affleck worked with pioneering directors such as Richard Linklater and Gus Van Sant. In recent years, he has shifted towards other kinds of projects which can mostly be categorised as mainstream and bland.
Although Affleck delivered a strong performance in Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel, which came out last year, he confused many fans when he announced that he would return as Batman. This was further complicated by the fact that Robert Pattinson solidified himself as the next caped crusader in the eyes of the fan community.
Despite these missteps, Affleck’s legacy is full of iconic films which have become a vital part of popular culture. In addition to acting, he proved he was a talented writer when he won the Oscar for Original Screenplay for co-writing Good Will Hunting with Matt Damon. In an interview, Affleck revealed the writers that have influenced his own work.
“Chomsky is a writer I believe everyone should read,” the actor said. “You will not agree with either of them all the time (I don’t), but even when you disagree, you will find both men challenging your preconceptions, making you think, and generally leaving you smarter and more compassionate than when you found them.
He also included ‘We Wish To Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families’ in his list of favourite books. Affleck explained: “This is an extraordinary account of a Western journalist trying to find answers in Rwanda in the years following the genocide. Yearning, peripatetic, and deeply accessible, it gave me an entrée into this monstrous event.”
Check the full list below.
Ben Affleck’s favourite books:
- ‘The Elements of Style’ – William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White
- ‘Shah of Shahs’ – Ryszard Kapuściński
- ‘We Wish To Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families’ – Philip Gourevitch
- ‘Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media’ – Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky
- ‘The Book of Matthew’
While many of his selections deal with complex sociopolitical issues, Affleck reserved the final spot on his list for the Bible. According to the actor, actually reading the religious text made him view religious wars negatively.
Affleck commented: “Reading the Bible made it harder for me to accept its being used to propagate damaging and small-minded beliefs in the name of Christian values.”
