If you like your films then you definitely know who Morgan Freeman is.
The celebrated actor, now 87, has starred in countless favourites over the years – from The Shawshank Redemption to Million Dollar Baby to Oblivion – but, as well as spending a lot of time in front of the camera, he also likes to spend time reading.
Freeman is an avid reader, and he has some favourites that have inspired him. The list was recently shared on Pinterest, and it’s got a lot of people talking, which is pretty apt considering it’s World Book Day.
During a previous interview with the New York Post, Freeman was asked which books had a definitive impact on his life, and he listed five.
They honestly couldn’t be more different, but they all hold a special place in his heart none the less. When it comes to inspiration, it’s clear it comes to us all in many different ways.
The Bible
The actor’s first pick was the Bible, and he admitted that Genesis is his favourite part of the religious book. Genesis focuses on the stories of the creation, Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah’s ark, the Tower of Babel, Abraham and his sons and more.
Essentially, the stories explain how the world and humanity were created. It tells us about how humanity relates to the rest of the world too.
Black Beauty – Anna Sewell
Freeman also admitted Black Beauty broadened his imagination. He told New York Post: “It was the first book I read. I don’t recall if it was a librarian who [suggested it] or if I just stumbled on it, but the idea of reading a book – not a comic book – was part of it.
“This was in the ’40s, when all we had for entertainment was radio and the movies, so reading was a big deal.”
Moby-Dick – Herman Melville
Moby-Dick is an epic novel by American writer Herman Melville. He said the book encouraged his obsession with the nautical world. During the interview, he explained: “This classic instilled an interest in sailing and began my lifelong love of the sea.”
At Play in the Fields of the Lord – Peter Matthiessen
At Play in the Fields of the Lord by Peter Matthiessen is a 1965 novel that focuses on the tale of two men clashing in the South American jungle. While one wants to convert the Indians to Christianity, the other has been hired to try and kill them.
It works to examine the politics of cultural genocide and different types of of spiritual experience.
The Poisonwood Bible – Barbara Kingsolver
Freeman also listed Barbara Kingsolver’s 1998 best-selling book, The Poisonwood Bible. The novel tells an interesting tale about religion and colonialism, and centres on an American missionary family and their journey to a village in Congo.
He also praised female writers, adding: “Some of the best writers are women writers – Barbara Kingsolver, Joyce Carol Oates. They just don’t get enough play.”