Rumaan Alam’s ‘Leave the World Behind’ Returns to Bestseller Lists Following Netflix Adaptation
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Rumaan Alam’s 2020 New York Times bestseller “Leave the World Behind” has returned to the top of bestseller lists this week following the release of the film adaptation on Netflix.
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The film, directed by Sam Esmail and executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama, follows a couple (Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke) who books a weekend getaway with their children. In the middle of the night, the owner of the home, played by Mahershala Ali, shows up to seek refuge with his daughter (Myha’la Herrold) as a potential apocalypse unfolds outside. It is unclear what exactly is happening to the world, but the film is more concerned with how the two families work together to survive.
Esmail’s sci-fi feature adaptation does make a few diversions from the book, particularly in regards to the ending. But according to Alam, who also serves as an executive producer on the film, these changes were “emotionally faithful to the book.”
“The theatrical experience of watching this movie is so powerful because I’ve had the chance to see audiences respond to the ending three times now, and nobody really knows what to make of it,” Alam told Variety about the twist ending. “They’re like, is this funny? Is this scary? Is it really over? And I love that so much.”
The novel was a finalist for the 2020 National Book Award in Fiction and was later listed as one of Barack Obama’s summer reads. It’s available to purchase on Amazon, where it’s a #1 bestseller. You can also purchase it for $5.99 on Kindle or for $5.95 as an audiobook through Amazon’s discounted Audible membership.
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