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After

Only Time Will Tell

Jeffrey Archer2011

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

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  • The Henna Artist

    Alka Joshi2020

    In 1950s Jaipur, a henna artist struggles to maintain her independence while navigating the secrets of wealthy clients.

    earnest → warm, still historical

    pace0·prose0·bleak0

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • Gravity's Rainbow

    Thomas Pynchon1973

    During the end of WWII, an American lieutenant's sexual encounters seem to predict where German V-2 rockets will fall. The narrative is fragmented.

    earnest → sardonic

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak+1

  • A Brief History of Seven Killings

    Marlon James2014

    A large cast of characters recounts the 1976 attempt on Bob Marley's life. The narrative spans decades and moves from Jamaica to New York.

    earnest → propulsive

    pace0·prose+2·bleak+2

  • 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.

    earnest → playful

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

To recover

3 more ↓

  • The Wedding Game

    Meghan Quinn2021

    Two rivals compete on a reality TV show to see who can plan the best wedding. They must work together while their families clash.

    earnest → playful

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

  • The Marriage Mistake

    Jennifer Probst2012

    After a one-night stand is discovered by family, a businessman and his friend's sister enter a forced marriage to satisfy Italian tradition.

    earnest → playful

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

  • Dirty Headlines

    L.J. Shen2018

    A news intern works for a demanding boss she previously had a one-night stand with. They engage in workplace conflict and a secret affair.

    earnest → sardonic

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

Faster

3 more ↓

  • Candide

    Voltaire

    A naive young man travels the world while his tutor insists that everything is for the best. He encounters a series of global catastrophes.

    earnest → sardonic

    pace+1·prose0·bleak0

  • The Da Vinci Code

    Dan Brown2003

    A symbologist and a cryptologist flee the police while solving puzzles hidden in art. They search for a secret regarding the Holy Grail.

    earnest → propulsive

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

  • The Martian

    Andy Weir2011

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

    earnest → wry

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

Slower

3 more ↓

  • Absalom, Absalom!

    William Faulkner1936

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

    earnest → elegiac

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak+2

  • Translated Accounts

    James Kelman2001

    Anonymous witnesses describe life under a military regime. The prose uses broken, bureaucratic syntax to mimic a literal translation.

    earnest → bleak

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak+2

  • History of the Rain

    Niall Williams2014

    A bedridden girl in Ireland tells the story of her family and her father's obsession with finding a specific book. It is a history of a lineage.

    earnest → elegiac, still family saga

    pace-2·prose+1·bleak0

Heavier

3 more ↓

  • The Road

    Cormac McCarthy2006

    A father and son walk through a landscape of ash and scavengers toward the coast. They carry only what fits in a shopping cart.

    earnest → bleak

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak+2

  • The Underground Railroad

    Colson Whitehead2016

    Two slaves escape a Georgia plantation via a literal underground train system while being pursued by a slave catcher.

    earnest → bleak

    pace0·prose+1·bleak+2

  • Oryx and Crake

    Margaret Atwood2003

    A man survives a genetic apocalypse in a world of engineered creatures. He remembers his past with a scientist and the woman they both loved.

    earnest → sardonic

    pace0·prose+1·bleak+2