As a fan of literature, I fully understand the power that can be conveyed through the written word. A particularly moving novel can often change people’s lives, leading them to live differently than they did before. For some people, the best way to commemorate how much a novel or literature in general means to them is to have a tattoos that makes direct reference to it. Below is fifteen of the greatest examples of this.
Fight Club
In true Fight Club fashion, this tattoo is done in a purposefully sketchy style. As Brad Pitt says in the film, “Self-improvement is masturbation. Now, self-destruction…” It seems that the receiver of this tattoo agreed.
House Of Leaves
There’s nothing about House of Leaves that isn’t completely trippy. These two quotes highlight how abstract/artistic the novel often gets and as an avid fan of the book, I cannot approve of these tattoos more.
The Great Gatsby
The first non-text tattoo on this list, this one evokes the imagery Fitzgerald attempted to bring into the mind of the reader when describing Dr. T.J Eckleberg. There’s something incredibly sinister, yet dead behind the eyes of this tattoo that makes it even better for me.
A Clockwork Orange
This is perhaps one of the most iconic images on this list. Many would be hard pressed to see this body art and not know it is a direct allusion to one of the many book covers used to hide the pages containing Alex and his Droogs.
Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy
Quite like the book that this tattoo came from, many could see this one as eccentric. A reference to the phrase famously adorning the back of every copy of Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy, this foot tattoo is a healthy reminder to all those attempting a galactic adventure.
Howl
This one is from one of my favourite poems by Allen Ginsberg. The opening lines build an atmosphere that will follow the reader through the entirety of the poem, making it a perfect choice for a tattoo.
Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas
A sentiment that many would argue of Thompson himself, this one comes from a book I’ve written about many times. Alienated by the world around you but feel you’ve still got something offer? Maybe you should get writing yourself.
Slaughterhouse-Five
A quote that highlights everything I think we all strive for in life, this one comes from the fairly short and yet still brilliant novel by Kurt Vonnegut. Concerned with the Dresden bombings, along with many other things, this is a novel you could read in two days but will be thinking about for a lifetime.
A Series Of Unfortunate Events
Simple yet beautiful, just like the books, this one comes from the series written by Lemony Snicket, a pen name of Daniel Handler. The novels follow three siblings as they’re thrown into various dangers by seemingly clueless adults.
The Raw Shark Text
Designed after the eponymous shark, this tattoo gives a look into the various styles used in Steven Hall’s debut novel to get across the themes and imagery. As beautiful as it is experimental, this is one of the best on this list.
