As 2013 draws to a close, and we embark on 2014, we cannot forget the
novels, movies, television shows, and art exhibits that shaped the cultural
landscape of the past year. Here is a recap of the top hits that captivated
America’s attention since last January:
Novels:
1. The Cuckoo’s Calling – First published under the pseudonym
Robert Gailbrait, this novel received a decent amount of praise.
When the true author was revealed to be JK Rowling, book sales
skyrocketed and longtime Harry Potter fans got another taste of
Rowling’s excellent character development and writing style.
2. The Great Gatsby – Although not a new novel of 2013 by any
means, The Great Gatsby became USA Today’s book of the year
thanks to Bahz Lurhmann’s dazzling movie adaptation. The story
of love and loss set in the roaring twenties is a timeless American
classic that never fails to disappoint.
3. I am Malala – In 2013, no story was more heartbreaking and
heartwarming than that of Malala Yousafzai, the young and
courageous Pakistani education activist. The story of the girl who
was shot by the Taliban and yet defied the odds and kept fighting
for her rights to education has captivated audiences of all ages.
Movies:
1. Twelve Years a Slave: This year’s most profound historical drama tells
the story of Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, who is
abducted and sold into slavery in the antebellum South.
2. Iron Man 3: The highest grossing film this year, Iron Man 3, is the third
in the Marvel Comics series and showed us that superhero films
consistently continue to be successful.
3. Blue Jasmine: Woody Allen’s most recent success, Cate Blanchett takes
a simple story and elevates it to greatness with her performance in the
American comedy –drama that tells the story of a rich Manhattan socialite
falling into destitute poverty and homelessness.
Television Shows:
1. Breaking Bad: The fifth and final season of the Walter White, meth-selling drama had the country posting and tweeting up a storm at every twist and turn, and hit a series-high in viewers.
2. Game of Thrones: The fantasy T.V. drama that has no qualms about
killing off scores of main characters easily sparked super-fans who
could not get enough of the betrayals, battlefield fights and
cliffhangers.
3. Orange is the New Black: This Netflix original series taught us the
power of having an entire first season accessible to watch one after the
other. The show’s humor and brilliance lies in it unique characters and
their interactions in an all-women’s prison.
Art Exhibits:
1. The Rain Room: The summer exhibit at the MOMA often left
tourists waiting up to eight hours to experience falling water that
paused wherever a human body was detected, allowing visitors the unique
experience of controlling the rain.
2. Yayoi Kusama: I Who Arrived in Heaven: At the David Zwirner
Gallery, large-scale paintings, a video installation, and two
infinity rooms featuring mirrors and water created the feeling of
infinite space.
3. James Turrell, Guggenheim: A highlight of this year’s New York
art museum exhibits, this installation recast the Guggenheim rotunda as an
enormous volume filled with shifting artificial and natural light, that resulted in a
groundbreaking exploration of perception, light, color.