LitQueuelitqueue

After

Uncanny Valley

Anna Wiener2020

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

Same sardonic register, still memoir

1 more ↓

  • Autobiography

    Morrissey2013

    The singer of The Smiths recounts his childhood in Manchester and his music career. The prose is dense, rhythmic, and highly critical of others.

    pace0·prose0·bleak0

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • The Education of Henry Adams

    Henry Adams

    A man writes a sardonic third-person account of his life and his failure to adapt to the technological shifts of the late 19th century.

    Same sardonic register, still memoir

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak+1

  • The Argonauts

    Maggie Nelson2015

    A memoir of the author's relationship with her partner and her pregnancy. It mixes personal narrative with academic theory on gender and family.

    sardonic → meditative, still memoir

    pace0·prose+1·bleak-1

  • The Gulag Archipeligo 1918-1956: An Experiment In Literary Investigation I - Ii.

    Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

    A history of the Soviet forced labor camp system based on survivor reports and the author's own imprisonment. It documents state-run repression.

    sardonic → bleak, still memoir

    pace0·prose+1·bleak+2

To recover

sardonic → earnest, still memoir

3 more ↓

  • Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?

    Mindy Kaling2011

    A collection of essays about the author's childhood, her career in comedy, and her observations on friendship.

    sardonic → wry, still memoir

    pace+1·prose-2·bleak-1

  • Through My Eyes

    Tim Tebow2011

    A college and professional quarterback recounts his football career and the role of his Christian faith in his public and private life.

    pace0·prose-2·bleak-1

  • Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls

    Lauren Graham

    The actress who played Lorelai Gilmore shares essays about her career. She focuses on her time in Hollywood and the revival of her show.

    sardonic → playful, still memoir

    pace+1·prose-2·bleak-1

Faster

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.

    sardonic → earnest

    pace+2·prose-2·bleak0

  • 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.

    sardonic → tender

    pace+2·prose-2·bleak-1

  • 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.

    sardonic → playful

    pace+2·prose-2·bleak-1

Slower

3 more ↓

  • The Education of Henry Adams

    Henry Adams

    A man writes a sardonic third-person account of his life and his failure to adapt to the technological shifts of the late 19th century.

    Same sardonic register, still memoir

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak+1

  • No Archive Will Restore You

    Julietta Singh2018

    The author examines the history of her own body through the lens of race, desire, and pain. It is a collection of fragments and academic theory.

    sardonic → meditative, still memoir

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak0

  • M Train

    Patti Smith2015

    A musician travels to various cafes and gravesites around the world. She reflects on her late husband, her favorite books, and her daily rituals.

    sardonic → elegiac, still memoir

    pace-1·prose0·bleak0

Heavier

sardonic → bleak, still memoir

3 more ↓

  • When Rabbit Howls

    Truddi Chase1987

    A woman and her ninety-two distinct personalities document her history of severe childhood trauma and her journey through therapy.

    pace0·prose-1·bleak+2

  • Wasted

    Marya Hornbacher1998

    A detailed memoir of the author's decade-long struggle with anorexia and bulimia. It documents hospitalizations and the physical decay of the body.

    pace+1·prose0·bleak+2

  • A House in the Sky

    Amanda Lindhout2013

    A freelance journalist is kidnapped in Somalia and held for fifteen months. The memoir details her captivity and the conditions she endured.

    sardonic → tense, still memoir

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak+2