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After

No One Here Gets Out Alive

Jerry Hopkins1980

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

Same elegiac register, still biography

1 more
  • His Name Is George Floyd

    Robert Samuels2022

    A biography tracing George Floyd’s family history from the Jim Crow era to his death in Minneapolis.

    elegiac → earnest, still biography

    pace0·prose0·bleak0

Denser prose

3 more
  • 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.

    elegiac → meditative

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak-2

  • Antifragile

    Nassim Nicholas Taleb2012

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

    elegiac → reflective

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak-1

  • How to Read a Book

    Mortimer J. Adler1940

    This is a guide to active reading techniques for different genres. It outlines levels of reading from basic literacy to syntopical analysis.

    elegiac → mysterious

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1

To recover

3 more
  • Pucked

    Helena Hunting2015

    A woman has a one-night stand with a professional hockey player she intended to avoid. The story follows their subsequent relationship.

    elegiac → playful

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-2

  • On a Pale Horse

    Piers Anthony1983

    After accidentally killing the personification of Death, a man must take over the office. He navigates the bureaucracy of the afterlife.

    elegiac → playful

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-2

  • Tuesdays with Morrie

    Mitch Albom1994

    A journalist reconnects with his dying college professor for weekly lessons on life. They discuss aging, regret, and love as the professor declines.

    elegiac → tender

    pace-1·prose-1·bleak-2

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.

    elegiac → playful

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

  • 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.

    elegiac → playful

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

  • 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.

    elegiac → earnest

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

Slower

3 more
  • Confessions of a prairie bitch

    Alison Arngrim2010

    The actress who played Nellie Oleson recounts her time on Little House on the Prairie and her subsequent life in activism.

    elegiac → tender, still biography

    pace-2·prose0·bleak-1

  • 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.

    elegiac → meditative

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak-2

  • How to Read a Book

    Mortimer J. Adler1940

    This is a guide to active reading techniques for different genres. It outlines levels of reading from basic literacy to syntopical analysis.

    elegiac → mysterious

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1

Heavier

3 more
  • Escape from Camp 14

    Blaine Harden2012

    The biography of Shin Dong-hyuk, the only person born in a North Korean political prison camp known to have escaped.

    elegiac → bleak, still biography

    pace0·prose0·bleak+1

  • Nagasaki

    Susan Southard2015

    A historical account follows five survivors of the 1945 atomic bombing of Nagasaki across seven decades of their lives.

    Same elegiac register, still biography

    pace-1·prose0·bleak+1

  • House of Sticks

    Ly Tran2021

    A Vietnamese girl grows up in Queens while working in her family's sweatshop. She navigates poverty, failing eyesight, and cultural isolation.

    Same elegiac register, still biography

    pace0·prose+1·bleak+1