Not many people enjoy reading classic literature nowadays. Many find coming-of-age or 21st century stories more interesting. Some of us probably thought that classic literature had nothing to do with our lives and how we live our lives now. Classic literature in the form of novels might appear to be outdated and only reflect or portray the situation of the time period when they were written, but there are reasons why these books are considered classics. It is because they have timeless and universal themes that actually make connections to our personal lives and the world surrounding us until now. That proves that classic literature is still relevant with our lives today.

As a lot of people find themselves uninterested in reading and prefer watching the movie or series adaptations of books, here are some of my favorites series that you can watch on Netflix that have similarities and are centered around the same themes of some classic authors and their books. Here are 3 Netflix series recommendations that illustrate, portray, and show the resemblance between modern-day world and classic books from the past:

 The Queen’s Gambit

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The Queen’s Gambit is one of the most successful drama miniseries on Netflix that was released in 2020. It is a historical drama and a coming-of-age story starring Anya Taylor Joy as the main cast. The series is set during the cold war era around the mid-1950s and 1960s. It follows Beth, a former orphan who is talented in chess that brought her to become the world’s best chess player. The series tells the struggle of Beth Harmon with her emotional problem and her addiction with drugs and alcohol in a quest to be the greatest chess player. If you watch it, you might notice that the series is a little similar with the classic novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte as both tell stories that are centered around the life of a former orphan and the cinematic gothic-style portrays a life as a woman that is forced to crack social issues around that time.

Bridgerton

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Bridgerton is an Emmy-nominated historical romance drama starring Regé-Jean Page and Phoebe Dynevor that was released on Netflix in 2020. The setting of the drama is during the Regency era in England where the eight close-knit siblings of the powerful and wealthy bridgerton family named Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth have to compete in London’s marriage market in search of romance, adventure, and love. The show is based on Julia Quinn’s bestselling romance series. It has similarities in aspects like cinematography and setting of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. You might also find some references and similarities that Pride and Prejudice originated and popularize the Regency Era romance trope. With that being said, Pride and Prejudice obviously influenced Bridgerton.

 The Society

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The Society is my personal favorite on this list. It is an American mystery teen drama series that was released on Netflix in 2019. The show tells a story about students of Connecticut High School that heads off to an extended camping trip. On their way there with buses, they are forced to return home because of the storm and bad weather. When they return home, they realize that all of their families are gone. At first, it was pretty much a newfound freedom for all of them, but it started to become dangerous as these teenagers are forced to develop a system for survival and they started to dislike each other for the sake of social status and power coups. This looks like a modern adaptation inspired by Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Unfortunately, due to Covid-19 at that time, Netflix decided not to continue the show for a season 2.

 Anne With an E

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Anne with an E is a Canadian historical drama that was released in 2017. The setting of the show is in the late 19th century starring Amybeth McNulty as the main cast. The series tells the story of the life of Anne who is a young and a bright orphan who had her life shifted dramatically when she is mistakenly sent to an unlikely home with two middle-aged siblings. Anne is fighting for acceptance for her place in the world. The 13-year-old Anne tries to change their lives in the small town that they live in with her fun spirit, fierce and brilliant imagination. It is derived from a very famous classic children’s novel, Anne Of Green Gables by Lucy M. Montgomery. It was inspired by the adventures that reflect many issues like identity, bullying, prejudice, sexism, and etc.

The King

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The last on the list is The King. It is a historical drama series that was released in 2019 starring Timothée Chalamet as the main cast. It is a show about the life of King Henry V when he was young in England during the 15th century. King Henry begins his journey as a drunk young man where he refused to be a royal while dismissing his father completely. He is faced with tons of responsibilities to take the throne. As he takes the throne as King Henry V, he is faced with many challenges such as a war with France, duplicity expressed by his own men, and a lot of great losses. It is a modern adaptation of William Shakespeare’s plays which is Henry IV, part I and part II, and Henry V. Even though the show is based on Shakespeare’s plays, it is not entirely accurate since there is an influence from Hollywood entertainment. Either way, it is still historically and roughly based on the actual events and encounters of that time.

Writer: Elisabeth Grisella Sampel

Editor: Ias Aprilia