LitQueuelitqueue

After

Lincoln

David Herbert Donald1995

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

Same earnest register, still biography

1 more ↓

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison

    Michel Foucault

    A philosophical history examines the shift from public torture to modern prison surveillance. It analyzes how power controls the body.

    earnest → clinical

    pace0·prose+2·bleak+1

  • History of the Peloponnesian War

    Thucydides

    A contemporary account of the 5th-century BC conflict between Athens and Sparta. It focuses on military strategy and political speeches.

    earnest → clinical

    pace0·prose+2·bleak+1

  • 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.

    earnest → meditative

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak-1

To recover

Same earnest register, still biography

3 more ↓

  • Theodore Rex

    Edmund Morris2001

    A biography covering Theodore Roosevelt’s two terms as President, focusing on his domestic policy and the expansion of American global power.

    earnest → wry, still biography

    pace0·prose+1·bleak-1

  • 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.

    Same earnest register

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

  • Neon Gods

    Katee Robert2021

    In a modern city-state, Persephone flees an arranged marriage to Zeus by entering the underworld. She strikes a deal with Hades to stay there.

    earnest → tense

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

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.

    earnest → playful

    pace+2·prose-1·bleak-1

  • 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.

    earnest → playful

    pace+2·prose-1·bleak-1

  • 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.

    Same earnest register

    pace+2·prose-1·bleak-1

Slower

3 more ↓

  • 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.

    earnest → meditative

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak-1

  • How to Read a Book

    Mortimer J. Adler1940

    This is a guide to active reading techniques for different genres. It outlines levels of reading from basic literacy to syntopical analysis.

    earnest → mysterious

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak0

  • The Red Book: Liber Novus

    C.G. Jung2009

    A psychologist records his visions and internal dialogues in an illuminated manuscript created during a period of intense self-exploration.

    earnest → dreamlike

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak0

Heavier

3 more ↓

  • The Coming of the Third Reich

    Richard J. Evans2003

    A historical account of the political and social conditions that allowed the Nazi party to take power. It covers Germany up to 1933.

    earnest → clinical, still political history

    pace0·prose+1·bleak+2

  • Adolf Hitler

    John Toland1976

    A detailed chronological account of Hitler's life based on interviews with his associates and previously private documents.

    earnest → clinical, still biography

    pace0·prose+1·bleak+2

  • Escape from Camp 14

    Blaine Harden2012

    The biography of Shin Dong-hyuk, the only person born in a North Korean political prison camp known to have escaped.

    earnest → bleak, still biography

    pace+1·prose0·bleak+2