I’m seeking literary/fictional book recommendations (preferably in English, French, Russian, Japanese, or Korean.) for a friend grappling with setbacks due to perfectionism, especially in her academic and personal life, as well as witnessing the foundations of her life becoming unsteady as she left high school/entered uni. I’m looking for literature that is contemplative and mellow, or perhaps something with a darker, wittier edge. A feminine voice/narrator would be nicer. It could delve into themes such as depression, trauma, toxic relationships, eating disorders, coming of age, parental struggles, societal pressures, control, dissociation, love, and nature. I had considered ‘The Bell Jar’, or ‘To the Lighthouse’ and ‘The Waves’ by Woolf, or ‘Convenience Store Woman’ by Sayaka Murata, Jane Eyre or Anna Karenina, or maybe something by Ottessa Moshfegh, but I’m eager for a broader range of suggestions !!
It could be classic or contemporary, but I’d prefer a tone adequate for a winter leisure read, like those previously mentioned, something that flows easily. A theorical read would take her too much energy.
It’s really important that the book speaks to her struggles currently, but to be honest it could focus on an unrelatable narrator to her (like an older man etc) as long as it explores similar themes 🫶
by Double_Cupcake_2727