After
A maça no escuro
Clarice Lispector1961
- pace
- prose
- structure
- bleakness
4 of 6 directions open — nothing denser, nothing slower
More like it
- pace0prose0bleak0
A Fable
William Faulkner1954
During WWI, a French corporal leads a mutiny that halts the fighting. The narrative mirrors the events of the Passion of Christ.
Same meditative register, still philosophical fiction
pace0·prose0·bleak0
- pace0prose0bleak-1
Either/Or
Søren Kierkegaard1992
A collection of papers presents two life philosophies: the aesthetic pursuit of pleasure and the ethical commitment to duty.
Same meditative register, still philosophical fiction
pace0·prose0·bleak-1
- pace0prose0bleak0
The Magic Mountain
Thomas Mann2019
A man visits a Swiss sanatorium for three weeks and stays for seven years. The narrative focuses on philosophical debates among the patients.
Same meditative register, still philosophical fiction
pace0·prose0·bleak0
- pace+1prose0bleak0
The Name of the Rose
Umberto Eco1983
A friar and his novice investigate a series of murders at an Italian monastery in 1327. Much of the text covers theological debate.
Same meditative register
pace+1·prose0·bleak0
1 more ↓ ↑
- pace+1prose0bleak0
My Name Is Red
Orhan Pamuk
In 1591 Istanbul, miniaturists investigate a colleague's murder. Objects and colors narrate chapters alongside the human characters.
Same meditative register
pace+1·prose0·bleak0
To recover
meditative → playful
- pace+2prose-3bleak-2
Vampires Are Forever
Lynsay Sands2008
A woman suspects her business partner is a vampire after he attempts to bite her. He tries to convince her they are fated mates.
pace+2·prose-3·bleak-2
- pace+2prose-3bleak-2
The Mane Event
Shelly Laurenston2007
A female cop reunites with a childhood friend who is now a lion-shifter. They navigate a romantic attraction while he pursues her in New York.
pace+2·prose-3·bleak-2
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace+2prose-3bleak-2
Mile High
Liz Tomforde2023
A professional hockey player and a flight attendant clash on the team's private plane during a season-long road trip.
pace+2·prose-3·bleak-2
- pace+2prose-3bleak-2
Behind the Net
Stephanie Archer2024
A former musician becomes the live-in assistant for a professional hockey goalie she knew in high school.
pace+2·prose-3·bleak-2
- pace+2prose-3bleak-2
She Went All the Way
Meg Cabot2002
A screenwriter and an actor survive a helicopter crash in the Alaskan wilderness and must hike to safety while being pursued by a killer.
pace+2·prose-3·bleak-2
Faster
meditative → propulsive
- pace+3prose-3bleak-2
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.
pace+3·prose-3·bleak-2
- pace+3prose-3bleak-1
The Housemaid's Secret
Freida McFadden2023
A housemaid with a criminal record takes a job for a wealthy couple. She becomes obsessed with the wife she is forbidden from seeing.
pace+3·prose-3·bleak-1
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace+3prose-3bleak-1
Behind Closed Doors
B.A. Paris2016
A woman is held captive by her husband in a high-security home. She must find a way to escape before her sister moves in with them.
pace+3·prose-3·bleak-1
- pace+3prose-3bleak0
Kiss the Girls
James Patterson1995
Detective Alex Cross tracks two serial killers operating on opposite coasts who are communicating and competing with one another.
meditative → tense
pace+3·prose-3·bleak0
- pace+3prose-3bleak0
Verity
Colleen Hoover2018
A ghostwriter moves into a secluded estate to finish a series for an injured author and finds a hidden, disturbing autobiography.
meditative → tense
pace+3·prose-3·bleak0
Heavier
- pace+1prose0bleak+1
American Psycho
Bret Easton Ellis1991
A wealthy investment banker details his daily routines, consumer habits, and graphic murders. The narrative is cold and repetitive.
meditative → cold
pace+1·prose0·bleak+1
- pace+2prose-2bleak+1
Sharp Objects
Gillian Flynn2006
A reporter returns to her hometown to cover the murders of two girls while grappling with her own history of self-harm.
meditative → tense
pace+2·prose-2·bleak+1
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace+1prose-1bleak+1
In Cold Blood
Truman Capote1965
A reconstruction of the 1959 murder of a Kansas family and the subsequent investigation. It follows both the victims and the killers.
meditative → clinical
pace+1·prose-1·bleak+1
- pace+2prose-1bleak+1
Lord of the Flies
William Golding1954
Schoolboys are stranded on an island and try to organize a society. Order collapses into tribalism and violence.
meditative → tense
pace+2·prose-1·bleak+1
