LitQueuelitqueue

After

With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa

Eugene B. Sledge

5 of 6 directions open — nothing heavier

More like it

1 more ↓

  • To Hell and Back

    Audie Murphy1949

    The most decorated American soldier of WWII recounts his infantry service in Europe. It follows his journey from enlistment to the end of the war.

    bleak → earnest, still memoir

    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.

    bleak → meditative

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak-2

  • 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.

    bleak → meditative, still memoir

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak-2

  • 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.

    bleak → meditative, still memoir

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak-3

To recover

3 more ↓

  • Untamed

    Glennon Doyle2020

    A woman recounts leaving her marriage and rebuilding her life after falling in love with another woman. It is a series of personal manifestos.

    bleak → earnest, still memoir

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-3

  • Unfinished

    Priyanka Chopra Jonas2021

    The actress details her childhood in India, her time in American schools, and her transition from pageantry to a global film career.

    bleak → earnest, still memoir

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-3

  • Whiskey in a Teacup

    Reese Witherspoon2018

    Reese Witherspoon shares recipes, interior design tips, and personal stories centered on Southern lifestyle and hospitality.

    bleak → warm, still memoir

    pace-1·prose-1·bleak-3

Faster

bleak → propulsive, still memoir

3 more ↓

  • Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake

    Frank W. Abagnale

    A teenager poses as a pilot, doctor, and lawyer to cash millions in fraudulent checks. He evades the FBI across several countries.

    bleak → playful, still memoir

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-3

  • Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster

    Jon Krakauer

    A journalist recounts the 1996 Everest disaster. He details the logistical failures and the storm that killed several climbers.

    bleak → tense, still memoir

    pace+1·prose0·bleak-1

  • 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.

    bleak → earnest

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

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.

    bleak → sardonic, still memoir

    pace-2·prose+2·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.

    bleak → meditative, still memoir

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak-2

  • 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.

    bleak → elegiac, still memoir

    pace-2·prose+1·bleak-2