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After

Dolores Claiborne

Stephen King1992

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

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  • Kiss Me First

    Lottie Moggach2013

    A socially isolated woman is recruited by a website founder to take over the digital identity of a woman who wants to disappear.

    sardonic → clinical, still psychological thriller

    pace0·prose0·bleak0

Denser prose

sardonic → dreamlike, still unreliable narrator

3 more ↓

  • Gormenghast

    Mervyn Peake1950

    A young heir and a social climber navigate the rigid rituals of a decaying, labyrinthine castle. The prose is dense and descriptive.

    sardonic → dark

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak+1

  • The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner

    James Hogg1824

    A religious fanatic becomes convinced he is predestined for salvation and commits crimes at the behest of a mysterious stranger.

    sardonic → cold, still unreliable narrator

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak+1

  • Ghost Stories

    Henry James2001

    A collection of Victorian tales where the existence of ghosts is often left to the reader's interpretation.

    sardonic → meditative, still unreliable narrator

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak0

To recover

sardonic → playful

3 more ↓

  • The Martian

    Andy Weir2011

    A man does arithmetic to stay alive on Mars. Problem, attempt, result, repeat.

    sardonic → wry

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

  • The Comfort Book

    Matt Haig2021

    A collection of short reflections, lists, and anecdotes intended to provide mental support. It is a non-linear book of philosophy and memoir.

    sardonic → warm

    pace-1·prose-1·bleak-2

  • Odessa Sea

    Clive Cussler2016

    Dirk Pitt investigates a ghost ship in the Black Sea and discovers a conspiracy involving a lost Romanov secret. It is a high-speed adventure.

    sardonic → propulsive

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

Faster

3 more ↓

  • Shattered

    Dean Koontz1973

    A man and his future stepson drive across America while being stalked by the woman's vengeful ex-husband.

    sardonic → tense, still psychological thriller

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

  • Behind Closed Doors

    B.A. Paris2016

    A woman is held captive by her husband in a high-security home. She must find a way to escape before her sister moves in with them.

    sardonic → propulsive, still psychological thriller

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

  • Along Came a Spider

    James Patterson1993

    Detective Alex Cross hunts a private school teacher who kidnapped two high-profile students. The kidnapper mimics famous historical crimes.

    sardonic → propulsive, still psychological thriller

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak0

Slower

3 more ↓

  • Ulysses

    James Joyce1914

    Three characters wander through Dublin on a single day in 1904. Each chapter uses a different literary style to mimic thoughts and sensations.

    sardonic → playful

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1

  • Absalom, Absalom!

    William Faulkner1936

    The rise and fall of Thomas Sutpen is recounted through multiple, conflicting memories. The prose uses extremely long, complex sentences.

    sardonic → elegiac, still unreliable narrator

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak+1

  • Either/Or

    Søren Kierkegaard1992

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

    sardonic → meditative

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1

Heavier

3 more ↓

  • Motherthing

    Ainslie Hogarth2022

    A woman moves in with her cruel mother-in-law, who commits suicide and returns as a ghost to haunt the house.

    Same sardonic register, still psychological thriller

    pace0·prose+1·bleak+1

  • A Certain Hunger

    Chelsea G. Summers2020

    A food critic recounts her life of culinary refinement and the murders she committed to consume her lovers.

    sardonic → eerie, still psychological thriller

    pace0·prose+1·bleak+1

  • The Push

    Ashley Audrain2021

    A mother suspects her daughter is a sociopath while her husband dismisses her. The story follows her descent into isolation and maternal dread.

    sardonic → tense, still psychological thriller

    pace0·prose0·bleak+1