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A Penguin Classics-Curated Readers Guide to the ABT Met Season

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Celebrate ABT’s Met Season by diving into these literary favorites, selected by Penguin Classics as complementary reading to pair with each ballet. Some of the connections are obvious–Jane Eyre is of course an adaptation of Charlotte Bronte’s classic novel—while other pairings draw their inspiration from a shared tone or theme. The whimsy of Whipped Cream is echoed in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, while the adventure of Le Corsaire is matched with the swashbuckling pirates of Treasure Island.

Harlequinade

The Misanthrope and Other Plays The plays of Molière, which combine all the traditional elements of comedy—wit, slapstick, spectacle and satire—with a deep understanding of character to create richly sophisticated dramas.

Ratmansky Trio

Penguin Book of Russian Poetry An enchanting collection of the very best of Russian poetry, , edited by acclaimed translator Robert Chandler together with poets Boris Dralyuk and Irina Mashinski.

Whipped Cream

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (illustrated by Yayoi Kusama) Lewis Carroll’s whimsically timeless tale, beautifully illustrated by world-renowned pop artist Yayoi Kusama.

Tharp Trio

Keith Haring Journals The journals of Keith Haring, a man synonymous with the downtown New York art scene of the 1980’s and known for artwork filled with dynamic figures in motion.

Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre The inspiration for the ballet, Charlotte Bronte’s classic masterpiece about one woman’s passionate search for a wider and richer life.

LeCorsaire

Treasure Island The quintessential adventure story that first established pirates in the popular imagination.

Manon

Manon The inspiration for the ballet, a devastating depiction of obsessive love and a haunting portrait of a captivating but dangerous woman.

Swan Lake

Russian Magic Tales from Pushkin to Platonov For fans of fairy tales and the literary supernatural: a unique collection of Russian short stories from the last 200 years.

The Sleeping Beauty

Fairy Tales A Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition of Hans Christian Andersen’s famous tales, from award-winning translator Tiina Nunnally.