Keanu Reeves named his favourite books of all time
Keanu Reeves is back in the headlines again as his latest project becomes one of the most-anticipated films of the year. Reeves is set to reprise the most iconic role of his career, Neo, in the latest addition to the legacy of The Matrix franchise after a significantly long hiatus. While Reeves has starred in other popular franchises like the John Wick series since then, his image is permanently embedded in the frameworks of popular culture as Neo.
Although the possibility of a sequel had been ruled out by the filmmakers, Lana Wachowski has returned to the director’s chair for The Matrix Resurrections. According to the reports of cast members such as Neil Patrick Harris and Reeves himself, Wachowski has taken an improvisational approach for this new project and has given the actors the liberty to make their own creative decisions for the most part.
Before you head to the theatres to relive the magic of The Matrix, it might be a nice idea to research a bit about how much Reeves has changed since he last appeared as Neo. The best way to do this is by learning more about the evolving artistic interests of the actor who has revealed his eclectic taste in music (citing the likes of Fugazi and Joy Division) as well as his preferences in literature.
Reeves has opened up about his taste in books on multiple occasions but the most definitive selection of books is available from an Ask Me Anything session on Reddit where a fan asked him to list some of the literary works that have impacted him the most. In a comprehensive reply, Reeves charted out the authors and the literary masterpieces that have moved him through the years.
If you’re still on the hunt for some nice books for Christmas presents, you can’t really go wrong with most of the entries on this list. Check out the full selection below.
Keanu Reeves’ favourite books:
- The Lord of the Rings (J.R.R. Tolkien)
- Cloud Atlas (David Mitchell)
- The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
- The Overstory (Richard Powers)
- The Brothers Karamazov (Fyodor Dostoevsky)
- In Search of Lost Time (Marcel Proust)
- Notes from the Underground (Fyodor Dostoevsky)
- Works of Jim Thompson
- The Idiot (Fyodor Dostoevsky)
- A Sport and a Pastime (James Salter)
- Cosmopolis (Don DeLillo)
- All I Need Is Love (Klaus Kinski)
- Works of Philip K. Dick
- Molecular Gastronomy: Exploring the Science of Flavour (Hervé This)
- Say Uncle (Kay Ryan)
- The Butcher (Alina Reyes)
- The Elementary Particles (Michel Houellebecq)
- The Niagara River (Kay Ryan)
- Rabbit series (John Updike)
- Works of William Gibson
While discussing the works listed above, Reeves claimed that The Count of Monte Cristo was his favourite book as a child which sparked his interest in reading. Later, as a teenager, he matured into more serious existential works and started exploring the literary legacy of Fyodor Dostoevsky.
After discovering Dostoevsky, Reeves enjoyed the works of authors such as Jim Thompson and William Gibson until he discovered Marcel Proust’s modernist magnum opus In Search of Lost Time. As an ageing actor now, he revealed that he finds more truth in the seminal Rabbit series by John Updike.
