Atlético Mineiro midfielder Gustavo Scarpa has sparked an unexpected national reading surge in Brazil, propelling Leo Tolstoy’s 1886 classic, The Death of Ivan Ilyich, to the number-one spot on Amazon Brasil’s bestseller list after discussing the 140-year-old novella on his digital channels.
The 32-year-old Brazilian footballer published a dedicated literary review on YouTube on September 2, 2026, which quickly surpassed 700 thousand views, while a short excerpt shared on Instagram reached over one million people. According to internet metrics and data cited by regional reports, the digital spotlight triggered a dramatic spike in public curiosity, driving online search interest for Tolstoy’s work up by more than 70% compared to the same period in the previous year, and yielding a 300% surge in queries during September alone against August figures.
How a Footballer’s Book Review Rewrote Amazon Brasil’s Bestseller List
Scarpa admitted he was entirely unprepared for the commercial scale of his audience’s response. “I didn’t believe it at first,” he said in statements published by Folha de S.Paulo. While the player has shared commentary about books since 2019, he recently pivoted toward longer, more detailed video analyses rather than brief summaries, a shift that coincided with a notable leap in his channel’s overall engagement.
Past digital recommendations by the midfielder include Machado de Assis’s Dom Casmurro—where he debated the central plot’s themes of infidelity—alongside remarks on Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis regarding Gregor Samsa, and Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, which he characterized as “medio rara y angustiante”. Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich, which explores the physical and moral decline of a Russian official confronting his mortality and shallow life relationships, struck a chord with supporters accustomed to following his exploits on the pitch.
Grassroots Reading Clubs and Digital Community Response
The literary wave has extended well beyond individual sales figures, translating into organized reading initiatives among football fans. Carolina Marques, a 22-year-old supporter of the Belo Horizonte club, launched a WhatsApp reading group named “Galeitura” inspired by the midfielder’s recommendations. The messaging circle drew 300 members within its first day of operation, while the project’s accompanying social media profile climbed past 50 thousand followers.
Reflecting on the influence wielded by athletes online, Scarpa contrasted his literary focus with the widespread commercial partnerships between sports figures, clubs, and betting platforms. “I don’t know if everyone who promotes gambling is aware of the harm they can do, of the negative influence it generates,” he stated to Folha de S.Paulo, arguing that players carry a distinct obligation to weigh the societal impact of their messaging when addressing young demographics.
The Brazilian midfielder noted that he strictly limits his online content to subjects he genuinely understands and enjoys. “I understood the responsibility I have a long time ago. I try to share the things I like,” he explained.
Upcoming Reading Lists and Literary Diversity
Looking ahead, Scarpa’s scheduled reading roster remains heavily anchored in European and Russian classical literature. His upcoming projects include Tolstoy’s War and Peace, Nikolai Gogol’s The Overcoat and Other Stories, Albert Camus’s The Myth of Sisyphus, Stendhal’s The Red and the Black, and a planned return to the works of Fyodor Dostoevsky.
However, the athlete emphasized that his reading habits are not restricted strictly to philosophical texts or dense historical narratives. He noted that he also reads contemporary works, such as Freida McFadden’s The Housemaid, alternating genres intentionally to prevent his reading routine from becoming overly rigid. “Philosophical books all the time are difficult,” he remarked.
