I don't know if it's cheating to count a "required reading" book on this list being that I did have to read Vertigo for one of my classes this past semester, but I am choosing to count it only because I really did love the book. 

Vertigo is the novel that inspired the famous Hitchcock film, Vertigo. I was taking a course on Hitchcock films and the source texts he used for his cinema masterpieces. We did a lot of discussion on how we have a tendency to compare the book to the movie although they are totally different types of text, so it should be impossible for us to compare. 

So I cannot say if the book is better or the movie is better. I love them both dearly in their differences. 

If you have seen the film, you would know that the basic plot of the film is a man falling in love with a woman and after losing her he seeks out finding someone to be that exact same person to him again. The book is set in France, unlike the movie which is set in California, giving the story a different pace and tone. It is a mystery and a page turner when reading, especially if you have never seen the movie or heard the story before. If you know Hitchcock, you know he is the master of suspense so it only makes sense that he chose the best suspense novels to be the basis of his movies. Reading this suspense novel made me feel like I was following along with Flavières, the main character of our story, and discovering all the mysteries as he was. If you want a book that is exciting to read, as cliche as that sounds, I would highly suggest this one.

Julia Carrington