LitQueuelitqueue

After

Illusions

Jacobs, Michael2000

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

1 more ↓

  • An Academic Affair

    Judith Ann Foster2004

    Same tender register, still historical fiction

    pace0·prose0·bleak-1

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • Doktor Faustus

    Thomas Mann1948

    A composer trades his soul for musical genius as his life and the rise of Nazi Germany are chronicled by a concerned friend.

    tender → elegiac, still historical fiction

    pace-1·prose+1·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.

    tender → meditative

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak-1

  • Antifragile

    Nassim Nicholas Taleb2012

    A philosophical exploration of systems that thrive under stress and disorder. It argues against fragility in economics and personal life.

    tender → reflective

    pace0·prose+1·bleak0

To recover

3 more ↓

  • Neon Gods

    Katee Robert2021

    In a modern city-state, Persephone flees an arranged marriage to Zeus by entering the underworld. She strikes a deal with Hades to stay there.

    tender → tense, still romance

    pace+1·prose-2·bleak-1

  • Steamed

    Katie MacAlister2010

    A modern woman is transported to a Victorian steampunk world. She must navigate a romance with a local inventor while trying to return home.

    tender → playful, still romance

    pace+1·prose-2·bleak-1

  • Road to Tender Hearts

    Annie Hartnett2025

    tender → playful, still romance

    pace0·prose-2·bleak-1

Faster

3 more ↓

  • Astrophysics for People in a Hurry

    Neil deGrasse Tyson2017

    A summary of the origin of the universe, the laws of physics, and the nature of space and time.

    tender → playful

    pace+2·prose-2·bleak-1

  • Steal Like an Artist

    Austin Kleon2012

    A series of short, illustrated principles for creative work. It focuses on remixing existing ideas and establishing productive daily habits.

    tender → playful

    pace+2·prose-2·bleak-1

  • Poke the Box

    Seth Godin2011

    A short manifesto encouraging readers to start projects and take initiative. It argues that the greatest risk is staying in place.

    tender → earnest

    pace+2·prose-2·bleak-1

Slower

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.

    tender → meditative

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak0

  • Doktor Faustus

    Thomas Mann1948

    A composer trades his soul for musical genius as his life and the rise of Nazi Germany are chronicled by a concerned friend.

    tender → elegiac, still historical fiction

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak+2

  • Absalom, Absalom!

    William Faulkner1936

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

    tender → elegiac, still historical fiction

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak+2

Heavier

3 more ↓

  • Mila 18

    Leon Uris1961

    Jewish resistance fighters in the Warsaw Ghetto organize an armed uprising against Nazi occupiers during World War II.

    tender → propulsive, still historical fiction

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak+2

  • This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen

    Tadeusz Borowski1967

    Short stories based on the author's time in Auschwitz. The narrator describes the daily logistics of the Holocaust with detached indifference.

    tender → cold, still historical fiction

    pace0·prose0·bleak+2

  • Every Man Dies Alone

    Hans Fallada2010

    A working-class couple in WWII Berlin leaves anonymous postcards against the Nazi regime while a Gestapo inspector hunts them down the source.

    tender → bleak, still historical fiction

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak+2