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After

Dead Man Walking: The Eyewitness Account Of The Death Penalty That Sparked a National Debate

Helen Prejean

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

Same earnest register, still true crime

1 more ↓

  • Hope

    Amanda Berry2015

    Two women recount their decade of captivity and abuse in a Cleveland basement. It uses personal diaries to detail their survival and eventual escape.

    pace+1·prose0·bleak0

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • 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.

    earnest → meditative, still memoir

    pace0·prose+2·bleak-2

  • Confessions

    Augustine of Hippo

    A 4th-century bishop writes a spiritual autobiography addressed to God. He recounts his sinful youth and his eventual conversion to Christianity.

    earnest → meditative

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak-2

  • The Gulag Archipeligo 1918-1956: An Experiment In Literary Investigation I - Ii.

    Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

    A history of the Soviet forced labor camp system based on survivor reports and the author's own imprisonment. It documents state-run repression.

    earnest → bleak, still memoir

    pace0·prose+2·bleak+1

To recover

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.

    earnest → playful, still true crime

    pace+2·prose-1·bleak-2

  • Happy, Happy, Happy

    Phil Robertson2013

    The founder of Duck Commander recounts his life from a difficult upbringing to business success. He focuses on his faith and outdoor lifestyle.

    Same earnest register, still memoir

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

  • The Texas Ranger

    Diana Palmer2001

    A Texas Ranger and a junior investigator work a high-profile murder case. They must cooperate despite a past accusation that drove them apart.

    Same earnest register

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

Faster

3 more ↓

  • Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever

    Bill O'Reilly

    A minute-by-minute narrative of John Wilkes Booth's plot to kill Abraham Lincoln and the subsequent manhunt for the conspirators.

    earnest → propulsive, still true crime

    pace+2·prose-1·bleak-1

  • American Kingpin

    Nick Bilton2017

    This account follows Ross Ulbricht as he builds the Silk Road dark web market and the federal agents who spend years tracking him down.

    earnest → propulsive, still true crime

    pace+2·prose0·bleak-1

  • 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.

    earnest → tense, still memoir

    pace+2·prose0·bleak0

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.

    earnest → sardonic, still memoir

    pace-1·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.

    earnest → meditative, still memoir

    pace-1·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.

    earnest → elegiac, still memoir

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak-1

Heavier

3 more ↓

  • Broken

    Shy Keenan2008

    The author recounts years of severe physical and sexual abuse by her parents. It follows her journey toward survival and activism.

    earnest → bleak, still true crime

    pace+1·prose0·bleak+1

  • The Fact of a Body

    Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich2017

    A lawyer investigates a 1992 murder case while confronting her own history of childhood trauma. It blends true crime with personal memoir.

    earnest → meditative, still true crime

    pace0·prose+1·bleak+1

  • A Child Called "It"

    Dave Pelzer1987

    A memoir of the author's childhood survival against severe physical and psychological abuse by his mother in California.

    earnest → bleak, still memoir

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak+1