I know this is nebulous, but this is genuinely my favorite type of book and I’m running out of obvious options. I’m not picky about the main genre at all. I lean toward classics, but contemporary stuff is good, too. And I love horror novels, especially those with biting social commentary. And, since goodreads really seems to think I am, I’ll add that I’m not interested in Colleen Hoover at all (no hate to anyone who is, she’s just not my cup of tea).
Can be any type of book, including plays and collections of poetry! I just like introspective books that I can see my own deeply sentimental self in.
Here are some that I’ve read so far, just to give you the vibe:
Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë (and the rest of the Brontës’ novels)
The Virgin Suicides, Jeffrey Eugenides
The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath (of course)
Valley of the Dolls, Jacqueline Susann
Prozac Nation, Elizabeth Wurtzel
Girl, Interrupted, Susanna Kaysen
My Year of Rest and Relaxation, Otessa Moshfegh (hated this book, but it’s on theme)
The Stepford Wives, Ira Levin
Hedda Gabler, Henrik Ibsen
Love Story, Erich Segal
The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett (my childhood fav)
Carrie, Stephen King
Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov (just finished last night. this one only loosely fits the theme, but was super bleak in the same way as a lot of books i’ve enjoyed.)
I hope this isn’t too vague of a question! I just need something that’s juuuuust right to get me through another week of working-class ennui 🥲
by motherb0y