Gustavo Scarpa's book review drives Tolstoy sales and inspires fan reading club

Gustavo Scarpa, a midfielder for Atlético Mineiro, has triggered a literary phenomenon following a review of Leo Tolstoy’s “The Death of Ivan Ilyich” on his YouTube channel, “Canal do Scarpinha”. The video, which has garnered over 500,000 views, propelled the classic novel to the top of Amazon’s best-seller list in Brazil, causing several editions to sell out.

The impact has extended to the club's fanbase with the creation of “Galeitura,” a reading club founded by supporter Carolina Marques. The group, a portmanteau of “Galo” (the club's nickname) and “leitura” (reading), quickly grew to approximately 500 members on WhatsApp and over 26,000 followers on Instagram. The club began its first cycle with Tolstoy’s work, organizing weekly discussions to avoid spoilers, with plans to continue reading one book per month based on Scarpa’s recommendations.