Key Highlights
- Elizabeth Olsen has quit Instagram and is now focused on reading.
- Olsen discusses her favorite books including ‘When We Cease to Understand the World’ by Benjamin Labatut, ‘The Possibility of an Island’ by Michel Houellebecq, ‘Circe’ by Madeline Miller, and ‘All Fours’ by Miranda July.
- The actor reflects on how reading has become a new passion for her after years of being occupied with filmmaking.
Elizabeth Olsen’s New Reading Era
Actress Elizabeth Olsen, known for her role as the Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), is making a significant shift in her digital footprint. After years of sharing her life through Instagram, she has now quit the platform. However, this move hasn’t left her unoccupied; instead, it’s opened up a new chapter where reading books has become her primary focus.
Why Reading?
Olsen opens up about her transition to reading in an interview with The Blond, sharing insights into why she chose this path. “There’s part of me that wishes I could have one that I can curate and it all be just amazing things that I want to look at — art and recipes and philosophical quotes,” she says, admitting her fear of getting sucked into the endless scroll known as doomscrolling.
The Books That Matter
When asked about her favorite reads, Olsen shares four books that have become important in her life. The first is ‘When We Cease to Understand the World’ by Benjamin Labatut. She describes it as “strangely what I was reading when I was filming Eternity.” This book weaves together fact and fiction, exploring some of the greatest scientific inventions of the last 150 years.
“Madness and human persistence are both themes that I adore,” she adds. “The book scratched a childhood itch for more scientific understanding.
It felt like a treat in that way.” Another book is ‘The Possibility of an Island’ by Michel Houellebecq, which Olsen read about three summers ago while filming her 2024 sci-fi thriller Assessment.
“Fleur Fortuné was the director, and she kind of rolled her eyes when I told her I was reading Michel Houellebecq,” says Olsen, laughing. “The book splits its time between the modern day and a future civilization where humans have been ravaged by nuclear war and climate change. It reminds me of how AI has become so much more prevalent in our everyday lives.”
Her third pick is ‘All Fours’ by Miranda July, which she read while in Marvel prep for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. “I loved it so much,” she says. “There is just so much liberation that you feel reading it.” Finally, she chose Madeline Miller’s ‘Circe,’ a modern cult classic, because it tapped into her childhood passion for classics and the ancient world.
Reading as a New Love
Olsen reflects on how reading has become a new love in her life. “I’m a people pleaser and I really wanted my teachers to feel valued,” she says of her early tastes, which were more closely tied to required school reading. “As an adult, I probably read one or two books a year until the last six years. It’s still a new love that I find really fulfilling.”
Through these reads, Olsen is exploring themes and ideas that resonate deeply with her. She emphasizes the importance of reading in providing liberation and exploration of intrusive thoughts. “She’s not just saying it,” she says of Miranda July, “she’s fully exploring it. She’s just got the spotlight on it.” This approach to reading is clearly a new passion for Olsen, reflecting on how science and classics have always interested her but now through the lens of adult interests.
Watch the full interview with Elizabeth Olsen below and on Spotify to learn more about her literary journey.
