Inspired By…Andrea Dunlop!

We are so thrilled to dedicate this week’s Inspired By to one of our Winter Reads authors and Red Carpet Issue Cover Girl, Andrea Dunlop. Here, Andrea shares why these five books inspired her latest novel, Losing the Light.

The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

Tom Ripley is the classic anti-hero. Part of the reason the reader ends up sympathizing with him in spite of the fact that he’s utterly amoral, is that there is something so relatable about his wide-eyed wonder at seeing Europe for the first time, and coming in such close orbit of a life he can never have.

Atonement by Ian McEwan

In my opinion, this masterwork by McEwan is about as close to a perfect novel as it gets. Briony is such a complicated character and her actions have such far-reaching consequences. Among other things this is a story of how one young woman, blinded by envy, makes one small choice that changes everything.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Quite aside from its chilling and brilliant sci-fi premise, the complex, ever-shifting relationships between Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy are really at the heart of this novel. Relationships of three are inherently unstable and theirs perfectly illustrates it. It’s an utterly devastating read; I’ve never even been able to watch the movie.

In the Drink by Kate Christensen

This is probably my favorite young-woman-trying-to-find-herself novel of all time. Claudia Steiner is a relatable, likeable character while still being one of the funniest, most cynical heroines in memory. There’s also plenty of unrequited longing and boozing in this book, which I always go in for.

Look at Me by Jennifer Egan

This novel is so haunting and it featured a mostly unlovable female protagonist way before it was cool to do so. An aging model literally loses her looks in catastrophic car wreck and has to figure out who she is and what she’s worth without them. We identify and value women so much by their appearance, and this is an unflinching take on the price and peril of being beautiful.

Are you reading along with our Winter Reads series? Get cozy with our hot new winter picks!

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