Guys, where are we?
If you've been wondering what books Sawyer, Ben, Jacob or anyone else from Lost were reading, you're in the right place.
What do these books have to do with Lost?
A lot. Some of the episodes are named after them. Many episodes contain references to them. Some of the story lines closely follow them.These books have served as creative inspiration to the creators, writers and producers of Lost. Because of that there are themes, clues and references from the books worked into the plot of Lost.
An example is the name Henry Gale. In Lost, this is the name Ben gave to the tailies when they found him, claiming to have crashed on the island in a balloon. Henry Gale is the name of Dorothy's uncle in The Wizard of Oz. The balloon crash (and the Flight 815 crash) is similar to a Jules Verne novel, The Mysterious Island, where the main characters crash a balloon onto an island in the South Pacific. Strange things happen as the survivors begin to realize they are not alone on the island.
Photo credit: ABC
Sawyer's Reading List
These are books that Sawyer was seen reading.
Of Mice and Men (Steinbeck Centennial Edition)
Sawyer was reading this book in a prison flashback during episode 4 of season 3.
Watership Down: A Novel
Sawyer reads this book on the beach in episode 8 of season 1 and again in episode 15 of season 3.
The Invention of Morel (New York Review Books Classics)
Sawyer was reading this book about a fugitive on a deserted island while living at the Others' barracks in episode 4 of season 4 ("Eggtown").
The Swan's Bookshelf
Books seen in the Swan station (aka the hatch)
The Turn of the Screw (Dover Thrift Editions)
The DHARMA Initiative's orientation film is hidden behind this book.
Lost Links & Info
- Lostpedia
- An unofficial fan wiki built by fans to "organize the massive amounts of theories, plotlines and cast information that was generated by the show's premise."
- Official Lost Home Page
- ABC's official site with photos, discussion forum, extras and watch episodes online.
- Lost Book Club
- The Washington Post's celebrity and movie bloggers discuss a new Lost book each month. (free registration required)
- Live Together, Read Alone: A LOST Book Blog
- A couple roommates who fill the void between LOST episodes by reading and reviewing books seen on the show. Good stuff.
- LOST Books Challenge
- A book-aholic blogger is challenging you to read 5 LOST books by the end of the year. Are you fan enough to complete the challenge? What else do you have to do before Season 5 starts?
Lost Episode Titles
Through The Looking Glass
Episode 22 of Season 3. The Dharma Initiative's underwater station is also named "The Looking Glass".
Left Behind: A Novel of the Earth's Last Days (Left Behind #1)
Left Behind is the title of Episode 15 of Season 3.
Catch-22
Episode 17 of Season 3. This is also the book Desmond found near where Naomi parachuted onto the island. It contained a photo of Desmond and Penelope.
Lost: The Video Game
Desmond's Reading List
Our Mutual Friend (Modern Library Classics)
This is the last book Desmond wants to read before he dies.
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What are the Others reading?
A Brief History of Time
Aldo was reading this book while guarding Karl. It was also seen in Ben's bedroom.
An English interpretation of the Holy Quran
Sayid found the Holy Qur'an on the bookshelf in Ben's bedroom in episode 3 of season 4.
Valis
Locke brought this book to Ben from Ben's bookshelf in episode 4 of season 4. Ben stated that he already read it so Locke told him to read it again, he might have missed something the first time.
Ulysses
Ben was reading this while traveling back to the island on Ajira Airways Flight 316 in season 5.
Separate Reality
Little Ben brought this book to Sayid when he was held prisoner by the Dharma Initiative in season 5.
Jacob's Reading List
Everything That Rises Must Converge
Jacob was reading this collection of short stories while waiting for Locke to get thrown from a window in the season 5 finale.
Quoted Books
Other Books That Have Influenced Lost
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: 100th Anniversary Edition (Books of Wonder)
Many references to this book in Lost. The last 2 episodes of season 4 are titled after Dorothy's famous line, "There's No Place Like Home".
Prey
Apparently the producers of Lost have denied that the black cloud in this story is the same as the one on the island. But I've read the book and it sounds a lot like the island's mysterious black smoke cloud. Could also explain some of the figures (Jack's dad, black horse, Walt) the survivors have seen on the island.
More Quoted Books
The Mysterious Island (Modern Library Classics)
I read this one and wrote a review. Great story and it was interesting to compare these castaways with the Losties.
Great Gifts for LOST Fans
Books read by other Flight 815 survivors
NIV Holy Bible
Mr. Eko carved scriptures into his walking stick. The missing piece of the DHARMA Initiative orientation film is hidden inside a Bible that Eko found.
Bad Twin
Hurley found and read the manuscript to this book in episode 13 of season 2. It was written by the guy who got sucked into the engine in the first episode.
Unmanned (Y: The Last Man, Vol. 1)
Hurley was reading this comic book (written by one of Lost's writer/producers) before getting on Ajira Airways Flight 316.
Books Read on the Freighter
The Survivors of the Chancellor (Dodo Press)
Regina was reading this Jules Verne tale about a shipwreck while guarding Sayid and Desmond aboard the freighter. She was reading the book upside down and committed suicide soon after.
Write Your Reviews
Have you read any of the Lost books? What do you think about the parallels between the books and Lost?
Robyn wrote
in reply to Candy
Do you know which "eleventh hour" was on the shelf? I'm finding a bunch of different authors on that one.
And No Place Like Home- is that Mary Higgins Clark or Cathy Blount? Can you tell?
Not to be a PITA, but also Redemption- a few different authors for that
Thanks so much!
Mac33 wrote...
in reply to Bitter Sweet Me Bitter Sweet Me, are you looking for "Watership Down"? Some covers of that book have a large brown rabbit on the cover and Sawyer was reading it in a season 1 episode.
Bitter Sweet Me wrote
The first book shown in the Lost series is being read by Sawyer-Season 1: Episode 4-The White Rabbit... does anyone know what this book is???? I think it has a brown rabbit on the cover, it's what he is reading when Shannon comes to him for bug spray, but I cant get a good glimpse of the title.. its driving me crazy!!!
Candy wrote
There are more books on Ben's bookshelf... Hotel, Red Man's Religion, Kings of Love, The Sheltering Sky, Caravan of Dreams, Fahrenheit 451, Roots, Uncle Toms Cabin and Flowers for Algernon.
The Book of Laws was one of the objects Richard put in front of young Locke.
The Coalwood Way and The Stone Leopard are on the bookshelf in the DHARMA classroom.
And, in Jack's office are... Dark Horse, Dirty Work (which is also in the hatch), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Pale Horse Coming, The Bailey Chronicles, The Scottish Bride, Easy Pray, Eleventh Hour, Hearts in Atlantis, There's No Place Like Home, Valhalla Rising, The Power of Beauty, Domes of Fire, Two Dollar Bill, Redemption, Skinny Dip, The Greatest Generation, Nighttime is My Time, and Fire in the Mind; along with quite a few medical references and a couple of astrology books.
lostinfiction wrote...
This is a really interesting list - I've caught some of the titles as they flashed across the screen, but it's cool to see a comprehensive list! If you don't mind, I'd like to add those influences that you mentioned to infloox.com (it's like a bank of literary influences) - would you want me to cite your lens page as a source?
Mac33 wrote...
in reply to Jason Thanks, Jason! It was in episode 9 "Namaste" of season 5.
Mac33 wrote...
in reply to Jason Hi Jason, I just added the book Jacob read in last night's season finale...it's under "Jacob's Reading List". Let me know any others that are missing...Season 5 was lighter on books than previous seasons. The only missing one I know of is the book Sawyer was reading when Jack came to his house in Dharmaville. Haven't found a good screen shot of that one to get the title.
by Mac33
A fan of Lost from the very first episode. I'm looking forward to seeing what books will be featured in Lost Season 6!
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