Scènes de la vie de Bohème, by Henri Murger

Forget Puccini (Mimì is kind of a peripheral character at best), forget even the more faithful Leoncavallo version, once you read Henri Murger‘s original with its laconic humour, its rackety precarious joy, and its boundless energy, the adaptation which feels most à propos is Rent. Far more than just a piece of source material, this is one of my favourite books about being young — and since I’m not any more, it’s kind of comforting to know how timeless that feeling is.