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After

The Civil War: A Narrative

Shelby Foote1974

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More like it

Same elegiac register, still military history

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  • The Civil War, Vol. 1: Fort Sumter to Perryville

    Shelby Foote

    The first volume of a narrative history of the American Civil War. It focuses on military campaigns and the personalities of the commanders.

    pace0·prose0·bleak-1

Denser prose

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

  • Tao Te Ching

    Lao Tzu1842

    A collection of 81 short poetic verses outlining the principles of the Tao. It focuses on balance, inaction, and the flow of the natural world.

    elegiac → meditative

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak-2

  • The Souls of Black Folk

    W.E.B. Du Bois1903

    A collection of 1903 essays examining the psychological and social effects of racism in America through the concept of double consciousness.

    Same elegiac register

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak0

To recover

elegiac → playful

3 more ↓

  • Redshirts

    John Scalzi2012

    Low-ranking crew members on a starship realize they are disposable characters in a sci-fi television show. They attempt to escape their fate.

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  • 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.

    elegiac → propulsive

    pace+2·prose-2·bleak-2

  • Fifty Shades of Grey

    E.L. James2000

    A college student enters a sexual contract with a wealthy businessman. The story focuses on their power dynamics and BDSM encounters.

    elegiac → earnest

    pace+1·prose-2·bleak-2

Faster

elegiac → propulsive, still military history

3 more ↓

  • The Sun and Her Flowers

    Rupi Kaur2017

    A collection of short, illustrated poems organized into five stages of growth. It covers themes of loss, trauma, and self-healing.

    elegiac → earnest

    pace+2·prose-2·bleak-1

  • Pillow Thoughts

    Courtney Peppernell2016

    A collection of short poems and prose pieces organized by emotional state. It focuses on themes of heartbreak, healing, and loneliness.

    elegiac → tender

    pace+2·prose-2·bleak-2

  • 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

Slower

3 more ↓

  • The Prophet

    Kahlil Gibran1900

    A prophet waiting for a ship home delivers twenty-six sermons to a crowd. He speaks on topics like love, work, and death.

    elegiac → meditative

    pace-1·prose0·bleak-2

  • Tao Te Ching

    Lao Tzu1842

    A collection of 81 short poetic verses outlining the principles of the Tao. It focuses on balance, inaction, and the flow of the natural world.

    elegiac → meditative

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak-2

  • The Art of Happiness

    Dalai Lama XIV1998

    The Dalai Lama discusses his philosophy on mental discipline and suffering through interviews with a psychiatrist. It is a guide to secular ethics.

    elegiac → meditative

    pace-1·prose-1·bleak-2

Heavier

3 more ↓

  • Enemy at the Gates: The Battle for Stalingrad

    William Craig

    A chronological account of the 1942-1943 battle between German and Soviet forces. It uses survivor interviews to detail the siege and starvation.

    elegiac → bleak, still military history

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak+1

  • The Third Reich at War

    Richard J. Evans2008

    A chronological history of Nazi Germany from the 1939 invasion of Poland to the 1945 collapse. It details military strategy and the Holocaust.

    elegiac → clinical, still military history

    pace0·prose0·bleak+1

  • The Forgotten Soldier

    Guy Sajer1971

    A teenager from Alsace joins the Wehrmacht and experiences the retreat from the Eastern Front during World War II.

    elegiac → bleak, still military history

    pace+1·prose0·bleak+1