Dead Poets Society

Content Warning This novel and review contain references to death by suicide, emotional abuse, and child abuse.

Dead Poets Society by N. H. Kleinbaum was originally published in 1989, based on the film of the same name by Tom Schulman. The book is a well-written read for fans of the movie with the same band of exciting characters: the dreaming Neil, the cautious Todd, the daring Charlie, the lovesick Knox, and, of course, the inspiring Mr. Keating (portrayed by Robin Williams in the film). Dead Poets Society is perfect for fans of the dark academia genre, who will enjoy its beautiful but haunting setting in the hills of Vermont at a looming and rigorous school for boys: Welton. 

In 1950s Vermont, high-school junior Todd Anderson is being inducted into one of the most prestigious schools in the country: Welton Academy. The all-boys school is renowned for its emphasis on discipline, order, and academic excellence. Todd is shy and unsure of his new situation at Welton but does his best to hide his discomfort from his parents, who expect great things of him; his older brother gained a reputation as one of the brightest pupils at Welton. 

Todd is soon greeted by the rest of the boys in his year, including Charlie, Knox, and Todd’s new roommate, Neil. All too quickly, Todd gets a glimpse into Neil’s private life when Neil’s father comes to their room and demands that his son drop some of his electives, including the school paper, to focus on his classes.

Another newcomer is the recently hired English teacher, John Keating, himself a former Welton student. From the first day, Mr. Keating proves to be an unconventional teacher, ordering the students to rip out the introduction to their poetry books and then asking the boys to follow him to a hallway, where they examine pictures of Welton students from years past. It’s here that Keating gives voice to his central lesson, saying, “Carpe Diem. […] Seize the day. Make your lives extraordinary” (27).

The phrase becomes a pillar of Dead Poets Society, and as the boys continue lessons with Keating, they begin to think for themselves more often, some of them for the first time. When they discover an old book of poems that Keating inscribed as belonging to something called the Dead Poets Society, they ask Keating about it, and he tells them about meeting in a cave with his classmates to read poetry. The boys decide to follow suit, and the friendships that form in those meetings, paired with Keating’s classes, start to change their lives.

The appeal of Dead Poets Society lies partly in the range of adolescent experiences that it explores, from first love to the weight of parental expectations. True to the novel’s message of individuality, the characters become increasingly differentiated as they internalize Keating’s words. Neil decides to pursue acting behind his father’s back and loves the freedom he finds on the stage. Todd, who is terribly shy in class, is pushed outside of his comfort zone and turns out to have a strong writerly voice. Knox, meanwhile, is caught up in a love triangle with a girl from a nearby school, Chris, who is currently dating a popular football player. Each character draws on a recognizable high-school archetype, but by situating their arcs within the context of a passionate and influential teacher’s lessons, Dead Poets Society makes its case that education matters. Keating’s overall message does not differ from student to student, but it finds a different foothold in each, allowing them to grow toward their unique potential.

To be sure, the book’s emphasis on thinking outside of the box and learning to develop critical thinking skills may seem less relevant in an era when the educational system is much more mindful of individual student differences (both the novel and the film are set against the backdrop of the 1950s—an era that is now a byword for stifling conformity). However, Dead Poets Society is not simply a celebration of free thought; rather, it is an attempt to show how the humanities encourage free thought, and this message has only grown more urgent since the book’s publication. As society increasingly questions the relevance of a liberal arts education in the contemporary job market, the book reminds readers that school is not simply vocational training but life training. The decision to center an all-boys school lends additional weight to this project as the pressures of the 21st-century economy combine with gender norms to steer young men away from any interest in the arts and humanities. Like the heartfelt friendship that grows between the boys, the effect is to push back against a culture in which young men are rarely encouraged to engage with their emotions.

This thoughtful treatment of masculinity makes the underutilization of Chris (the only significant female character) more disappointing. In fairness, Chris is a secondary character in the movie as well, serving primarily as a catalyst for Knox’s arc rather than a complex figure in her own right. However, the novel form affords more space to flesh out secondary characters, so it is jarring that Chris is, if anything, less explored in the literary adaptation.

Indeed, the novel’s faithfulness to the movie is both one of its greatest strengths and one of its greatest weaknesses. Much of the book’s dialogue is from the screenplay, which preserves readers’ experience of the film but also weakens the sense of discovering a new story. Moreover, some of the emotional moments in the book pale in comparison to the film—a virtual inevitability given that the novel is based on a beloved film starring not only Robin Williams but young powerhouse actors Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard, and Josh Charles. Though less a reflection on the author than a pitfall of adaptation, this means that the book may leave some readers wishing they’d rewatched the movie instead.