Steven Spielberg, 79, Opens Up About Dyslexia, Books He Loves and the One He Recommended to All 7 of His Kids
Plus, details on what got him interested in adapting ‘James’ by Percival Everett
Key Takeaways
- Steven Spielberg says dyslexia makes reading slower but boosts retention.
- The Oscar-winning director loves classics, history and biographies.
- Spielberg told all seven of his children to read John Steinbeck’s ‘East of Eden.’
Oscar award-winning director Steven Spielberg, 79, is opening up about his favorite books. In a recent interview with book influencer Jack Edwards, the Jurassic Park director shared details on the books and authors he loves and the book he recommended to each of his seven children. He also revealed why reading can be difficult for him sometimes. To learn what Spielberg had to say, keep reading.
Steven Spielberg reveals why reading can be a challenge for him
As a director, producer and more, Spielberg spends a lot of time reading scripts, but it’s not always easy, since he suffers from dyslexia, a neurobiological learning disability that can cause words and letters to appear jumbled.
“I have to confess, I’m not a huge reader, I’ve been dyslexic all my life, so it always takes me longer to read a script or to read a book,” Spielberg told Edwards earlier this month. “The positive thing about my mild form of dyslexia is I retain more, because sometimes I have to read a paragraph twice. I absorb it more. I’ve learned to train my brain to listen carefully, to absorb and to try to remember.”
Steven Spielberg opens up about his favorite books
Most Spielberg fans know that several of the director’s hit movies—including Jaws and Jurassic Park—were based on bestselling books.
“Half of my films are adaptations from books, and I usually wait for word of mouth,” Spielberg said, adding, “I’m not the person who gets the book and tells other people about it. I’m the person with my ears poised for a person to say, ‘have you read…'”
His most recent word-of-mouth book? James by Percival Everett, which he is currently adapting for the big screen.
James reimagines Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, telling the story from the perspective of Huck’s slave Jim, or James. It was originally published in 2024 and has since won the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. “The Leatherstocking Tales by author James Fenimore Cooper also got me interested in James,” Spielberg said.
Speaking of classics, Spielberg also said he loves anything by Samuel Clemens or Mark Twain. “Just the basic classics.”
He also loves biographies and books about history. “Anything that Doris Kearns Goodwin writes, I read everything. Lincoln was a film I made that came from her books.”
Steven Spielberg reveals the book he gave his kids
Spielberg has seven children—Max Spielberg, Sasha Spielberg, Sawyer Spielberg, Destry Allyn Spielberg, Theo Spielberg, Mikaela Spielberg and stepdaughter Jessica Capshaw—and he’s told them all of to read East of Eden by John Steinbeck, which was published in 1952 and follows two families—the Trasks and the Hamiltons. It’s a retelling of the biblical story of Cain and Abel and explores good vs evil, power and more.
“That was one of my favorite Steinbeck books of all time, East of Eden,” Spielberg said, after sharing that he also owns all the first editions of the book.
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