LitQueuelitqueue

After

Suite Française

Irène Némirovsky2004

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

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  • Stones from the River

    Ursula Hegi1994

    A woman with dwarfism living in a small German town observes the rise of Nazism. She collects the town's secrets and hides Jews in her cellar.

    Same elegiac register, still historical fiction

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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.

    Same elegiac register, still historical fiction

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak+1

  • Capital: A Critique of Political Economy, Volume 1

    Karl Marx2015

    An analysis of the capitalist mode of production focusing on commodities, surplus value, and the exploitation of labor.

    elegiac → clinical

    pace0·prose+1·bleak0

  • 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-1·prose+1·bleak-2

To recover

3 more ↓

  • King of Pride

    Ana Huang2023

    A buttoned-up billionaire heir falls for an impulsive bartender while trying to secure a CEO position. They navigate a forbidden workplace romance.

    elegiac → playful, still forbidden love

    pace+1·prose-2·bleak-2

  • The Inspector and Mrs. Jeffries

    Emily Brightwell1993

    A Victorian housekeeper and her staff secretly solve crimes for their employer, a clueless Scotland Yard inspector.

    elegiac → playful

    pace0·prose-2·bleak-2

  • Warrior Rising

    P.C. Cast2008

    Goddesses transport a modern woman to ancient Troy to seduce and distract Achilles. It is a lighthearted fish-out-of-water romance.

    elegiac → playful

    pace+1·prose-2·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+2·prose-2·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+2·prose-2·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+2·prose-2·bleak-2

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.

    elegiac → meditative

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak-1

  • 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.

    Same elegiac register, still historical fiction

    pace-1·prose+1·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.

    Same elegiac register, still historical fiction

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak+1

Heavier

3 more ↓

  • Sophie’s Choice

    William Styron1979

    A young writer moves into a Brooklyn boarding house and befriends a Holocaust survivor and her volatile lover. He slowly learns of her past.

    Same elegiac register, still historical fiction

    pace0·prose0·bleak+1

  • The Painted Bird

    Jerzy Kosiński1965

    A young boy wanders through Eastern Europe during World War II, encountering extreme cruelty and superstition in rural villages.

    elegiac → bleak, still historical fiction

    pace+1·prose0·bleak+1

  • 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.

    elegiac → cold, still historical fiction

    pace0·prose0·bleak+1