What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedEarthly Powers
Anthony burgess · Book · 1980
If you loved Earthly Powers, start with 1900 (Bernardo Bertolucci, 1976) — a film on the same thread. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Earthly Powers across media.
What hooked you in Earthly Powers was the way grand historical shifts collide with the complex, often morally compromised lives of men wielding immense influence.
Films on the same thread
1900
Bernardo Bertolucci · Film · 1976
Explores: Class Conflict, Fascism in Italy, Childhood Friendship.
Like Earthly Powers, this epic examines the weight of the twentieth century through the diverging paths of two men, capturing how personal friendship struggles against inevitable, sweeping social change.
The Godfather
Francis Ford Coppola · Film · 1972
Explores: Power, Family Loyalty, Corruption.
You will find the same preoccupation with power and corruption in this saga as you did in Earthly Powers, focusing on the heavy, inescapable burden of legacy and family authority.
A Clockwork Orange
Stanley Kubrick · Film · 1971
Shares a thread with Earthly Powers: Moral Ambiguity.
If the moral ambiguity of Earthly Powers resonated with you, this film offers a similarly provocative look at institutional control, human nature, and the limits of individual free will.
The Last Emperor
Bernardo Bertolucci · Film · 1987
Explores: Imperialism, Cultural Revolution, Loss of Innocence.
Tracing the life of a man who once held supreme status, this film mirrors the biographical focus of Earthly Powers, exploring the isolation that accompanies a life of celebrity.
Series on the same thread
Boardwalk Empire
Terence Winter · Series · 2010
Shares a thread with Earthly Powers: Moral Ambiguity.
This series captures the same intersection of political influence and personal vice found in Earthly Powers, highlighting the blurred lines between public duty and private interest in a changing era.
Yes, Prime Minister
Antony Jay · Series · 1986
Explores: Bureaucracy, Political Intrigue, Power Dynamics.
Where Earthly Powers treats the institutional church with gravitas, this satire dissects the mechanics of government, proving that the corridors of power are just as absurd as they are influential.
Downton Abbey
Julian Fellowes · Series · 2010
Explores: Class conflict, Social change, Upstairs-Downstairs.
This chronicle of social transition echoes the historical scope of Earthly Powers, grounding the passage of time in the shifting fortunes of characters caught within a rigid class hierarchy.
Good Omens
Neil Gaiman · Series · 2019
Explores: The Antichrist, End of the World, Unlikely Friendship.
If the theological weight of Earthly Powers intrigued you, this story offers a lighter, supernatural take on the battle between good and evil and the nature of institutional divinity.
Podcasts on the same thread
48 Laws Of Power, By Robert Greene (Full AudioBook)
Podcast
Explores: power dynamics, social strategy, manipulation.
For those fascinated by the calculated power dynamics that define characters in Earthly Powers, this guide provides a direct exploration of the strategy behind gaining and maintaining personal influence.
The Realignment
The Realignment · Podcast · 2026
Explores: institutional change, populism, technological disruption.
This podcast explores the institutional shifts currently shaping the world, mirroring the interest Earthly Powers takes in how global structures dictate the lives of those navigating them.
Keep exploring
Common questions
What is the central focus of Earthly Powers?
Earthly Powers centers on two twentieth-century men representing different types of power. It follows Kenneth Toomey, an eminent novelist living into a bitter old age, and Don Carlo Campanati, a man of God who eventually rises through the Vatican to become a beloved Pope.
Who are the primary characters in Earthly Powers?
The primary characters in Earthly Powers are Kenneth Toomey and Don Carlo Campanati. Toomey is a celebrated but notorious novelist who outlives his contemporaries, while Campanati is a religious figure who ascends the ranks of the Vatican to reach the position of Pope.
Is Earthly Powers considered Anthony Burgess's masterpiece?
Yes, Earthly Powers is widely considered the masterpiece created by Anthony Burgess. The novel explores the lives of two men navigating the twentieth century, contrasting the experiences of an aging, famous novelist with the career of a man who eventually becomes a beloved Pope.
How does Earthly Powers portray Kenneth Toomey?
In Earthly Powers, Kenneth Toomey is portrayed as an eminent novelist. The narrative follows him as he survives into an honored, bitter, and luxurious old age, becoming a celebrity of dubious notoriety while his life intersects with that of the future Pope, Don Carlo Campanati.