We all love the hit Netflix series Ozarks. And some love the character Wyatt Langmore—the troubled youth that seems to be catching Charlotte’s eye as of late. And in season two, Wyatt was looking at a vintage copy of his favorite book, whereupon Charlotte stole it unbeknownst to him. But when she gave it to him, he was mad that she would put herself at jeopardy by stealing the book.
I think people are interested in what Wyatt Langmore’s favorite book is because he is a bit of a quiet academic and there is an enigmatic appeal to this in contrast to his criminally-minded family. The scene showing the book cover was very short, but if you pause it just right, you can see that Wyatt’s favorite book is called Look Homeward Angel by Thomas Wolfe.
Look Homeward Angel
After reading Look Homeward Angel, I can see why the writers of Ozarks picked it to be Wyatt Langmore’s favorite novel. Essentially, it is a coming of age type novel, but it is written in a very dense and advanced prose that may be more apt to adults than actual young adults. It was also written in 1929, and has that depression-era dust bowl angst to it—very similar to many of Faulkner’s works.
Nonetheless, I can see why Wyatt would be drawn to this book, as the main protagonist, Eugene Gant, is a very intelligent and troubled youth that wants nothing more than to leave his small hometown—and his past—in search of something more significant in life. Something more intellectually challenging than his small rural town in North Carolina.
Right away, you can see why Wyatt would be drawn to this book’s plot. The parallels between Wyatt in Ozarks and Eugene in Look Homeward Angel are very similar. Wyatt too is from a small, rural town and is a great academic and deep thinker.
He has outgrown his potential in the small town and has developed a wanderlust. Maybe he will go to college, or maybe he will just pack up and leave. He already bought a van and has talked about skipping town with Charlotte.
In fact, as you read Look Homeward Angel, you almost get the sense that Wyatt’s character is destined to follow a similar trajectory to that of Eugene. Very interesting, if this is the case. Like Wyatt, Eugene is also trying to escape his roots and perhaps attend university.
But most of all, the dysfunction of his family is the greatest threat to him achieving his goals, as they may bring him down, after all. Another stark parallel to Wyatt’s character in Ozarks, as the Langmore clan is a modern day iteration of the Gant family.
This is a great book written by an author that has gained increasing popularity over the years, and one that Faulkner himself said was one of the best writers of his era. This is a very long and dense book, but well worth the time for those that appreciate a long, epic type novel.
And once you get to know Eugene Gant, it is very interesting to compare his character to Wyatt Langmore in Ozarks. It is clear that the former inspired the latter.