17 Books to Read If You Already Miss Succession

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The last-ever episode of Succession aired over the weekend, so what to do now? While you can simply begin a rewatch of the drama on Max (formerly HBO Max), there are also many Succession-esque stories out there to read that will fill the Roy family-shaped hole in your life. From other novels that detail the lives of wealthy families and the struggles over inheritance to nonfiction looks at the state of American media today, these 17 books are perfect to dive into in a post-Succession world.

Sons and Daughters of Ease and Plenty: A Novel

What if the Roys lost their fortune? A wealthy family is summering in Martha's Vineyard in the 70s when they learn that there is no more money. What results is a fascinating tale of American wealth, class, and mobility.

Dunbar: William Shakespeare's King Lear Retold: A Novel

Like Succession, Dunbar is a King Lear story set in the world of media—but more explicitly an adaptation of Lear. In Dunbar, Henry Dunbar is the once-powerful head of a media corporation, having handed control over to his eldest daughters.If you know what happens in King Lear, you know what comes next, but that doesn't make Edward St. Aubyn's novel any less compelling. (And while you're here, we recommend all the Hogarth Shakespeare retellings—very, very good.)

Dava Shastri's Last Day

Dava Shastri, one of the world's wealthiest women, is dying. She summons her adult children to a private island and tells them she wants the news of her death released so she can read her obituaries. What she thinks will happen is articles celebrating her philanthropy and her life—instead, two devastating secrets are revealed.

A Thousand Acres: A Novel

Another reimagining of King Lear, A Thousand Acres is set on a farm in Iowa where a wealthy farmer decides to divide his property between his three daughters but the youngest one objects and is cut out of his will... setting off an unforeseen chain of events. Jane Smiley would go on to win the Pulitzer for this novel.

Trust

Going back into American history, Trust examines American wealth and power in the 1920s and 1930s through four layered narratives of a Wall Street tycoon, Andrew, and his wife, Mildred. (Plus, Kate Winslet is set to star in an adaptation of Trust for Max, and Trust just won the Pulitzer Prize, too!)

The Heirs: A Novel

When a patriarch of an Upper West Side family, Rupert, dies, his grieving widow and five adult sons are sued by an unknown person who claims she had two of Rupert's sons. Family secrets, betrayal, who inherits what... we can almost hear the Succession theme song playing in the background.

Age of Vice: A Novel

The powerful Wadia family controls New Delhi, India. Their story is told from three perspectives: Sunny, the playboy heir to the family fortune, dreams of charting his own path; Ajay, a servant, who was born in poverty; and Neda, a journalist grappling with what is right. Age of Vice is a gripping thriller about corruption, wealth, and power in contemporary India.

Pineapple Street: A Novel

This novel follows the Stocktons, a wealthy Brooklyn family, through the perspective of two of the daughters and the daughter-in-law. Kirkus says Pineapple Street is "as close to crazy rich WASPs as WASPs can get," and the book is a deliciously gossipy tale of a rich family.

Rich People Problems

The whole Crazy Rich Asians trilogy is worth your time (especially as we patiently await the second film), but the third novel in the trilogy is the most Succession-like, as it details matters of inheritance as Nick's grandmother Su Yi is on her deathbed.

Unscripted: The Epic Battle for a Media Empire and the Redstone Family Legacy

Unscripted follows a powerful media family. Sound familiar? As T&C writes in our best books of 2023, "For fans of Succession, this biography of the Redstone family should scratch any itch to learn more about the inner workings of a rich, powerful, and very complicated family."

The Nest

Four adult siblings—Melody, Beatrice, Jack, and Leo—have a joint trust fund, which they call "The Nest." They're about to cash in. But when Leo gets in a car accident while under the influence, their Nest is threatened.

We That Are Young: A novel

We That Are Young is yet another King Lear retelling, but this one is set in contemporary India with a billionaire hotelier who attempts to pit his three daughters against each other. As the Times reviewed, "It’s a doorstop, full of sound and fury, more nihilistic than Shakespeare’s original, with all the blunt and dismal machinations of a soap opera."

Good Rich People

This suspense novel is about a wealthy couple who lives in the Hollywood Hills and a formerly unhoused woman who lives in their guest house, unwittingly becoming part of a sinister game. The couple is based on author Eliza Jane Brazier's own interactions with wealthy Londoners.

Putting the Rabbit in the Hat

While Logan Roy may have met his demise, actor (and T&C cover star) Brian Cox is not going anywhere. What better time than post-Succession to dive into the Scottish actor's memoir, a rags-to-riches story about his rise to fame.

The Darlings A Novel

Paul Ross is a self-made lawyer who marries Merrill Darling, the daughter of a billionaire, and has gotten used to their lifestyle. But when a financial investigation threatens to bring down the family, Paul has to figure out where his loyalties lie. Alger, who previously worked as an investment banker and lawyer, draws on her experience in those industries for this thriller.

The New Kings of New York

"The blood sport that is New York real estate is rife with billion-dollar feuds," the publisher writes of The New Kings of New York. "There’s a story behind every eye-popping apartment sale and audacious new development in New York City, and many of those stories involve the uber-wealthy behaving badly." Sounds just like the fictional Roys...

King Lear (Folger Shakespeare Library)

If we view Succession is a modern-day King Lear, so why not read the source material?As Charles Arrowsmith notes in a blog post for the New York Public Library, "Perhaps the primary ur-text of Succession is Shakespeare’s King Lear, the quintessential tragedy of dominion, family psychology, and, of course, succession."

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