"you sensed that you should be following a different path, a more ambitious one, you felt that you were destined for other things but you had no idea how to achieve them and in your misery, you began to hate everything around you."
This was a great newsletter here are some of my own recommendations.
Oppenheimer, the imitation game, a beautiful mind, hidden figures this are all biopics of academics in stem fields.
There is also the Tolkien Biopic called Tolkien.
The Tolkien biography Tolkien and the great war is about Tolkien and his friends who were all ambitious academics and artists who wanted to change the world and the tragedy of the first world war.
Thank you for this. The book recommendations are especially spot on. I have already read a few that were listed. Added some more books to my TBR today. I love this article.
Loved reading this - as an eldest sibling, I can relate to so much of the pressures and expectations, even at my age (55). The pain of putting your dreams to bed is personal to me as well - it's hard to look back at what I've given up, although I don't regret those choices because they led me in the right direction, the one that landed me in the here and now where I am happy with my life.
And Brideshead - oh, how I love to see BR mentioned anytime, anywhere. Thanks for including it.
I love your newsletters, they always offer amazing recommendations. I’ve already read most of the books you mention, but there are some I haven’t read yet; thank you, I shall look out for them.
I’ve just started reading this article and had to comment immediately because that Dostoyevsky quote resonates SO strongly! It’s something I’ve felt haunted by for a few years now. Have I ever had an original feeling or thought…
i really enjoyed reading this! i'd also like to add that i recently started reading either/or by elif batuman (the sequel to "the idiot", also by the same author). Although this is considered fiction, both books also have elements of an autobiography. it also fits the dark academia aesthetic, while the author attempts to analyze pieces of classic literature through the lens of her own life experiences, exploring themes of racism, sexism, and classism. If you haven't read them yet, i would recommend!
gosh, this hit home. Even though I only graduated from my undergrad in July (having thought I would never return to it), I still feel angry about the prolongation and how it took me so long. Today, I was supposed to be starting my master's; however, after coming to the painful conclusion that I couldn't afford it, I had to withdraw. thank you for this 💕
I'd also recommend "The Historian" by Elizabeth Kostova, it never gets enough love and it's so great! I love dark academia books that blend more with gothic horror rather than mystery. Great list! I've been trying to find inspiration to add to my own:
Since going to Oxford, the once romantic side of the dark academia academia aesthetic has really crumbled for me. I was really obsessed with the idea of walking the halls of the old college libraries, meeting in classrooms that were centuries old, and just talking for hours about history in pubs with roaring fires. Though this was all readily available (and very much cherished), so was this deep sense of isolation, classism, racism, and feelings of inferiority. I still live in the city but gosh, I felt humbled to realise the "dark" in dark academia was in fact this terrible reality and that the emotions that Richard felt in "The Secret History"- that you will never truly belong- is what how you'd really feel once you see old world money face to face. One of my old classmates wrote this amazing Substack article talking about this:
All of this is not to say that you still can't find joy in the aesthetic. Just as you say, it's a give and take. A romanticizing of the love of learning, coffee late at night, the smell of old books, and this valuing of good parts of the past in the age of technology. If it weren't for the love of the aesthetic and learning, I wouldn't have applied to Oxford and learned skills like palaeography (which I *highly* recommend as a cool skill) or taken classes in Latin, early modern history, and old book repair. Maybe that is just what makes this aesthetic so fascinating and different to others, the good can equal the bad if you're not careful.
Love this book list! Possession is one of my all time favorite books. May I ask what you’re back to school to study? Asking as a literature PhD drop out lol 💕🫶🏼
Well written. As I say, it spoke to me. You have me thinking. So, you as a writer did your job very well. You got me. Thank you Caitlyn. You are damn good!
This was a great newsletter here are some of my own recommendations.
Oppenheimer, the imitation game, a beautiful mind, hidden figures this are all biopics of academics in stem fields.
There is also the Tolkien Biopic called Tolkien.
The Tolkien biography Tolkien and the great war is about Tolkien and his friends who were all ambitious academics and artists who wanted to change the world and the tragedy of the first world war.
Babel is one of my favourite books
I was just about to recommend a beautiful mind!
I absolutely loved Babel
Thank you for this. The book recommendations are especially spot on. I have already read a few that were listed. Added some more books to my TBR today. I love this article.
Thank you! 🤎🤎
Loved reading this - as an eldest sibling, I can relate to so much of the pressures and expectations, even at my age (55). The pain of putting your dreams to bed is personal to me as well - it's hard to look back at what I've given up, although I don't regret those choices because they led me in the right direction, the one that landed me in the here and now where I am happy with my life.
And Brideshead - oh, how I love to see BR mentioned anytime, anywhere. Thanks for including it.
I love this🤎 thank you for sharing
I love your newsletters, they always offer amazing recommendations. I’ve already read most of the books you mention, but there are some I haven’t read yet; thank you, I shall look out for them.
Thank you so much!
I’ve just started reading this article and had to comment immediately because that Dostoyevsky quote resonates SO strongly! It’s something I’ve felt haunted by for a few years now. Have I ever had an original feeling or thought…
It definitely hits hard 🤎
Loved your pics
i really enjoyed reading this! i'd also like to add that i recently started reading either/or by elif batuman (the sequel to "the idiot", also by the same author). Although this is considered fiction, both books also have elements of an autobiography. it also fits the dark academia aesthetic, while the author attempts to analyze pieces of classic literature through the lens of her own life experiences, exploring themes of racism, sexism, and classism. If you haven't read them yet, i would recommend!
I love how you tied this into eldest daughter syndrome. So freaking real.
gosh, this hit home. Even though I only graduated from my undergrad in July (having thought I would never return to it), I still feel angry about the prolongation and how it took me so long. Today, I was supposed to be starting my master's; however, after coming to the painful conclusion that I couldn't afford it, I had to withdraw. thank you for this 💕
I'd also recommend "The Historian" by Elizabeth Kostova, it never gets enough love and it's so great! I love dark academia books that blend more with gothic horror rather than mystery. Great list! I've been trying to find inspiration to add to my own:
https://app.thestorygraph.com/tags/4ad67417-8a27-431d-bc7c-de220cb1ad82?redirect=true
-----------------------------------------
Before I moved to Oxford I was also obsessed with these Tumblr posts on how to make a dark academia capsule wardrobe:
1. https://www.tumblr.com/thehistory/657639815350714368/dark-academia-capsule-wardrobe
2. https://www.tumblr.com/dark-academia-tips
-------------------------------------------
Since going to Oxford, the once romantic side of the dark academia academia aesthetic has really crumbled for me. I was really obsessed with the idea of walking the halls of the old college libraries, meeting in classrooms that were centuries old, and just talking for hours about history in pubs with roaring fires. Though this was all readily available (and very much cherished), so was this deep sense of isolation, classism, racism, and feelings of inferiority. I still live in the city but gosh, I felt humbled to realise the "dark" in dark academia was in fact this terrible reality and that the emotions that Richard felt in "The Secret History"- that you will never truly belong- is what how you'd really feel once you see old world money face to face. One of my old classmates wrote this amazing Substack article talking about this:
https://helenaaeberli.substack.com/p/the-oxford-effect
All of this is not to say that you still can't find joy in the aesthetic. Just as you say, it's a give and take. A romanticizing of the love of learning, coffee late at night, the smell of old books, and this valuing of good parts of the past in the age of technology. If it weren't for the love of the aesthetic and learning, I wouldn't have applied to Oxford and learned skills like palaeography (which I *highly* recommend as a cool skill) or taken classes in Latin, early modern history, and old book repair. Maybe that is just what makes this aesthetic so fascinating and different to others, the good can equal the bad if you're not careful.
Just thoughts upon thoughts.
Love this book list! Possession is one of my all time favorite books. May I ask what you’re back to school to study? Asking as a literature PhD drop out lol 💕🫶🏼
Well written. As I say, it spoke to me. You have me thinking. So, you as a writer did your job very well. You got me. Thank you Caitlyn. You are damn good!