LitQueuelitqueue

After

Night

Elie Wiesel2008

5 of 6 directions open — nothing heavier

More like it

Same elegiac register, still memoir

1 more ↓

  • A Stranger in Your Own City

    Ghaith Abdul-Ahad2023

    An Iraqi architect becomes a journalist, documenting twenty years of war and sectarian conflict in Baghdad from 2003 to the present.

    pace-1·prose0·bleak0

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-2·prose+1·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.

    elegiac → meditative, still memoir

    pace-2·prose+1·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.

    elegiac → meditative, still memoir

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak-3

To recover

3 more ↓

  • 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.

    elegiac → earnest, still memoir

    pace-1·prose-2·bleak-3

  • Carry On, Warrior

    Glennon Doyle2013

    A collection of personal essays about marriage, motherhood, and recovery from addiction.

    elegiac → warm, still memoir

    pace0·prose-2·bleak-3

  • Tuesdays with Morrie

    Mitch Albom1994

    A journalist reconnects with his dying college professor for weekly lessons on life. They discuss aging, regret, and love as the professor declines.

    elegiac → tender, still memoir

    pace-1·prose-2·bleak-3

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.

    elegiac → earnest

    pace+1·prose-2·bleak-2

  • 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+1·prose-2·bleak-3

  • 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+1·prose-2·bleak-3

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.

    elegiac → sardonic, still memoir

    pace-2·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.

    elegiac → meditative, still memoir

    pace-2·prose+1·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.

    Same elegiac register, still memoir

    pace-2·prose0·bleak-2