LitQueuelitqueue

After

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

Ishmael Beah

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

1 more ↓

  • Jarhead : A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles

    Anthony Swofford

    A Marine sniper recounts his training and deployment to the Saudi desert during the Gulf War. He focuses on boredom, isolation, and masculinity.

    bleak → sardonic, still memoir

    pace0·prose0·bleak0

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • Either/Or

    Søren Kierkegaard1992

    A collection of papers presents two life philosophies: the aesthetic pursuit of pleasure and the ethical commitment to duty.

    bleak → meditative

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1

  • No Archive Will Restore You

    Julietta Singh2018

    The author examines the history of her own body through the lens of race, desire, and pain. It is a collection of fragments and academic theory.

    bleak → meditative, still memoir

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1

  • The Argonauts

    Maggie Nelson2015

    A memoir of the author's relationship with her partner and her pregnancy. It mixes personal narrative with academic theory on gender and family.

    bleak → meditative, still memoir

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak-2

To recover

3 more ↓

  • Untamed

    Glennon Doyle2020

    A woman recounts leaving her marriage and rebuilding her life after falling in love with another woman. It is a series of personal manifestos.

    bleak → earnest, still memoir

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-2

  • Unfinished

    Priyanka Chopra Jonas2021

    The actress details her childhood in India, her time in American schools, and her transition from pageantry to a global film career.

    bleak → earnest, still memoir

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-2

  • Whiskey in a Teacup

    Reese Witherspoon2018

    Reese Witherspoon shares recipes, interior design tips, and personal stories centered on Southern lifestyle and hospitality.

    bleak → warm, still memoir

    pace-1·prose-1·bleak-2

Faster

bleak → propulsive, still memoir

3 more ↓

  • Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake

    Frank W. Abagnale

    A teenager poses as a pilot, doctor, and lawyer to cash millions in fraudulent checks. He evades the FBI across several countries.

    bleak → playful, still memoir

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

  • Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster

    Jon Krakauer

    A journalist recounts the 1996 Everest disaster. He details the logistical failures and the storm that killed several climbers.

    bleak → tense, still memoir

    pace+1·prose0·bleak0

  • The Sun and Her Flowers

    Rupi Kaur2017

    A collection of short, illustrated poems organized into five stages of growth. It covers themes of loss, trauma, and self-healing.

    bleak → earnest

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

Slower

3 more ↓

  • The Education of Henry Adams

    Henry Adams

    A man writes a sardonic third-person account of his life and his failure to adapt to the technological shifts of the late 19th century.

    bleak → sardonic, still memoir

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

  • No Archive Will Restore You

    Julietta Singh2018

    The author examines the history of her own body through the lens of race, desire, and pain. It is a collection of fragments and academic theory.

    bleak → meditative, still memoir

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1

  • M Train

    Patti Smith2015

    A musician travels to various cafes and gravesites around the world. She reflects on her late husband, her favorite books, and her daily rituals.

    bleak → elegiac, still memoir

    pace-2·prose+1·bleak-1

Heavier

Same bleak register, still memoir

3 more ↓

  • When Rabbit Howls

    Truddi Chase1987

    A woman and her ninety-two distinct personalities document her history of severe childhood trauma and her journey through therapy.

    pace-1·prose0·bleak+1

  • Wasted

    Marya Hornbacher1998

    A detailed memoir of the author's decade-long struggle with anorexia and bulimia. It documents hospitalizations and the physical decay of the body.

    pace0·prose+1·bleak+1

  • A House in the Sky

    Amanda Lindhout2013

    A freelance journalist is kidnapped in Somalia and held for fifteen months. The memoir details her captivity and the conditions she endured.

    bleak → tense, still memoir

    pace0·prose0·bleak+1