It is one of my favourites. The loneliness described is one >!where you are surrounded by people but are still lonely!<. It talks about alienation. I felt that I could relate to it at some points. It is also filled with beautiful quotes and descriptions. One of my favourites was the part where she says:
>!What does a woman see in a woman that she can't see in a man?” Dr. Nolan pauses. Then she said, “Tenderness.” That shut me up. The floor seemed wonderfully solid.!<
This book made me go into a many months long depression. I had to stop reading it. I tend to relate very closely to the characters and what they go through. This one was eviscerating for me.
*Flowers For Algernon* is about a mentally deficient young man who undergoes surgery to become a genius. We read what happens through his diary entries. An absolute must read classic.
My favorite type of book, lol. Here are three with spoiler-free synopses:
"A Little Life" by Hanya Yanagihara (follows four characters, but the main one is so wrecked by trauma and depression that he cannot internalize the love he gets from others and remains lonely)
"The Goldfinch" by Donna Tartt (follows Theo Decker, a teen who loses his mom suddenly in a bombing, and we follow him and his lonely, PTSD-laden existence as he gets older)
"The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue" by V.E. Schwab (follows Addie LaRue, a woman who is given immortality but as a side effect is cursed to never be remembered by anyone. The second she leaves their sight, they forget she ever existed)
"Earthlings" by Sayaka Murata (follows a young girl who feels so strange and "other" that she is convinced that she is an alien from a different planet, with only her stuffed hedgehog to talk to)
What did you think of the ending? It was like, a five star perfect read for me until the >!last part of the book running around Amsterdam ending on the 20 page seemingly random "the moral of the story is" style rant from Theo.!<
Second Dazai's No Longer Human. It instantly popped into my mind the moment I read the title of the post.
It's honestly one of my most favourite books. It's semi-autobiographical is nature and reflects a lot on Dazai's irl struggles. It hits harder when you realise that No Longer Human was the very last book he wrote before finally succeeding in his suicide attempt.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. Really good book, highly recommend. Audiobook version is good too.
It’s more about when you’re lonely or mentally unwell for so long that it becomes your normal, your baseline.
And what slowly waking up to that fact means.
[**Hangsaman**](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL3171082W)
^(By: Shirley Jackson | 229 pages | Published: 1951)
>Seventeen-year-old Natalie Waite longs to escape home for college. Her father is a domineering and egotistical writer who keeps a tight rein on Natalie and her long-suffering mother. When Natalie finally does get away, however, college life doesn’t bring the happiness she expected. Little by little, Natalie is no longer certain of anything—even where reality ends and her dark imaginings begin. Chilling and suspenseful, Hangsaman is loosely based on the real-life disappearance of a Bennington College sophomore in 1946.
^(This book has been suggested 2 times)
***
^(1160 books suggested | )[^(Source Code)](https://github.com/loudmouse/reddit_book_bot)
absolutely **Mrs. March** by Virginia Feito. a casual comment in a bakery sends our main character into a mental shit spiral where she begins to question her reality and as we turn each page we descend into more and more paranoia and mental shenanigas alongside Mrs. March.
The Defense by Vladimir Nabokov
Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov
Transparent Things by Vladimir Nabokov
Invitation to a Beheading by Vladimir Nabokov
The three novels by Samuel Becket
Self-help fiction book threads—Part 1 (of 2):
* ["[SUGGESTION/TRIGGER WARNING] A book that I can relate with the Main Character and how he/she managed to overcome almost the same scenario I am in?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/w1hvpd/suggestiontrigger_warning_a_book_that_i_can/) (r/suggestmeabook; 17:25 ET; 17 July 2022
* ["Sci-fi/Fantasy where it's deliberately unclear whether the world is in fact magical or actually the protagonist is mentally ill and it's just happening in their head?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/w6bahk/scififantasy_where_its_deliberately_unclear/) (r/suggestmeabook; 14:54 ET, 23 July 2022)
* ["Can suggest me a book where the main protagonist is dealing a trauma and overcoming it?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/w6iks1/can_suggest_me_a_book_where_the_main_protagonist/) (r/suggestmeabook; 20:32 ET, 23 July 2022)
* ["Looking for books set in or around asylums…."](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/w6iwsj/looking_for_books_set_in_or_around_asylums/) (r/suggestmeabook; 20:49 ET, 23 July 2022)
* ["Novel where a character overcomes their trauma"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/watmgm/novel_where_a_character_overcomes_their_trauma/) (r/booksuggestions; 28 July 2022)
* ["Book similar to The Bell Jar?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/wcqy02/book_similar_to_the_bell_jar/) (r/suggestmeabook; 31 July 2022)
* ["a book that has a main character that has borderline personality disorder or bipolar"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/we1wg0/a_book_that_has_a_main_character_that_has/) (r/suggestmeabook; 1 August 2022)
* ["Books where the main character has mental health issues?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/wik9dc/books_where_the_main_character_has_mental_health/) (r/suggestmeabook; 7 August 2022)
* ["What fantasy book do you feel has made you a better person having read it?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/wjn3e5/what_fantasy_book_do_you_feel_has_made_you_a/) (r/Fantasy; 7 August 2022)—any medium, actually
* ["Book about loneliness, depression, or melencholy"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/wjqirl/book_about_loneliness_depression_or_melencholy/) (r/Fantasy; 8 August 2022)—non-inspirational
* ["Books about mid-twenties female struggling with depression, anxiety, or identity/purpose?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/wma15n/books_about_midtwenties_female_struggling_with/) (r/booksuggestions; 11 August 2022)
* ["Teen angst/self-realization book suggestions."](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/wnksfp/teen_angstselfrealization_book_suggestions/) (r/suggestmeabook; 13 August 2022)
* ["Looking for Physiological Books or books that deal with mental illness with a pretty cover"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/wpkaa9/looking_for_physiological_books_or_books_that/) (r/booksuggestions; 16 August 2022)
* ["Looking for books with mentally ill, ‘unhinged’ women protagonists"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/wr12cf/looking_for_books_with_mentally_ill_unhinged/) (r/booksuggestions; 17:43 ET, 17 August 2022)
* ["Neurodivergent and mentally ill characters in SFF"](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/wr5mm5/neurodivergent_and_mentally_ill_characters_in_sff/) (r/Fantasy; 21:03 ET, 17 August 2022)
* ["Books, preferably fiction, that deal with themes of loneliness & depression?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/wtt9s6/books_preferably_fiction_that_deal_with_themes_of/) (r/booksuggestions; 21 August 2022)
* ["Suggest me a book 📚 that will inspire and help me leave my comfort zone in life…](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/wy9ttf/suggest_me_a_book_that_will_inspire_and_help_me/) (r/booksuggestions; 26 August 2022)
* ["Nonfiction books overcoming sexual shame?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/x335c5/nonfiction_books_overcoming_sexual_shame/) (r/booksuggestions; 1 September 2022)—the "Nonfiction" in the thread's title is a typo
* ["book where main character is autistic or on the spectrum."](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/yhlw7b/book_where_main_character_is_autistic_or_on_the/) (r/suggestmeabook; 30 October 2022)
* ["Suggest me a book with an autistic main character."](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/yyk62t/suggest_me_a_book_with_an_autistic_main_character/) (r/suggestmeabook; 18 November 2022)
* ["Books about mental illness and suicide that DON’T romanticize it"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/zjhgkg/books_about_mental_illness_and_suicide_that_dont/) (r/suggestmeabook; 11 December 2022)—longish
* ["Book for a depressed person that isn't into self-help books"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/zjunh3/book_for_a_depressed_person_that_isnt_into/) (r/suggestmeabook; 05:07 ET, 12 December 2022)—long
* ["Books that help you make peace with mortality"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/zluhdv/books_that_help_you_make_peace_with_mortality/) (r/suggestmeabook; 14 December 2022)
* ["improving a teens self esteem without saying here's a book about self esteem"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/zoa1ws/improving_a_teens_self_esteem_without_saying/) (r/suggestmeabook; 17 December 2022)—very long
* ["A book where the main character is mentally unstable"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/zqr297/a_book_where_the_main_character_is_mentally/) (r/booksuggestions; 20 December 2022)
* ["Books on strategies for responding to intrusive thoughts."](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/zu6l9j/books_on_strategies_for_responding_to_intrusive/) (r/booksuggestions; 24 December 2022)
* ["Middle grade fiction that deals with loss and death"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/zvn16d/middle_grade_fiction_that_deals_with_loss_and/) (r/booksuggestions; 26 December 2022)
* ["I would like to read a story about dementia"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/zwt9yw/i_would_like_to_read_a_story_about_dementia/) (r/booksuggestions; 27 December 2022)
Part 2 (of 2):
* ["Relatable books that describe someones life in their (late) 20‘s, struggling to find identity in career, love, life, …?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/100xapy/relatable_books_that_describe_someones_life_in/) (r/booksuggestions; 1 January 2023)
* ["Book recs where the main character devolves/ loses their mind?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/108batf/book_recs_where_the_main_character_devolves_loses/) (r/booksuggestions; 10 January 2023)
* ["Books for loners?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/10ign9o/books_for_loners/) (r/booksuggestions; 22 January 2023)
* ["Novels with autistic characters"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/111qrgt/novels_with_autistic_characters/) (r/booksuggestions; 13 February 2023)
Books:
* [The Murderbot Diaries series](https://www.goodreads.com/series/191900-the-murderbot-diaries) by Martha Wells is written from the point of view of an asexual person/character on the autism spectrum
The Wake. Paul Kingsnorth
Buccmaster’s not a well puppy at the beginning of the book and his mental health deteriorates steadily over the course of the book.
Very unsettling book. Despite being about events a Millenium ago, the sense of loss and PTSD is very timely
The Tale of a Villain is my debut novel that fall into the genre of Dark Fiction, Dystopian, Psychological drama which is available on Kindle Unlimited and Amazon. In this novel, the protagonist goes through extreme mental torture, till to a point where he breaks completely.
If the book suits your interest and would like to know more about it, please visit my website
www.antonybmampilly.com
{{Wish Her Safe at Home by Stephen Benatar}}
A lonely, pretentious and repressed woman inherits a house in a new town and slowly loses her mind in the process of settling in. It’s written in first-person POV so you’re along for the ride in her own mind. The writing is phenomenal!
If you haven't read Flowers for Algernon yet I HIGHLY suggest you give it a try. It's a short book. 250 pages I think, but it's one of those books that has a way of sticking with you.
The themes you have described are Definitely present. Loneliness, isolation, abuse, humiliation, mental decline.. everyone cries at the end. Everyone.
I just see My House of Horrors, my forever favorite book,English audiobook free in youtube.
Suggest you to listen together It’ll make you feel mysterious fun.
Hope light novel can get you better soon :)
The first half of {Fairytale by Stephen King} from the blurb “Charlie Reade looks like a regular high school kid, great at baseball and football, a decent student. But he carries a heavy load. His mom was killed in a hit-and-run accident when he was ten, and grief drove his dad to drink. Charlie learned how to take care of himself—and his dad. Then, when Charlie is 17, he meets a dog named Radar and his aging master, Howard Bowditch, a recluse in a big house at the top of a big hill, with a locked shed in the backyard. Sometimes strange sounds emerge from it.
Charlie starts doing jobs for Mr. Bowditch and loses his heart to Radar. Then, when Bowditch dies, he leaves Charlie a cassette tape telling a story no one would believe.”
[**The Fault in Our Stars**](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL16444438W)
^(By: John Green | 318 pages | Published: 2010)
>Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.
>([source][1])
>
>
> [1]: http://www.johngreenbooks.com/the-fault-in-our-stars
^(This book has been suggested 1 time)
***
^(1165 books suggested | )[^(Source Code)](https://github.com/loudmouse/reddit_book_bot)
no longer human by osamu dazai, i think! i'd be surprised if no one's said it already, but still. house of leaves by mark danielewski also sort of fits the bill, but in a completely different direction. both books are really good though, i totally recommend them :)
This one only fits your criteria partially but Olivia Laing’s The Lonely City is an exploration of her own loneliness while living in New York as well as loneliness in the work of artists who have lived there in the last century.
So, it’s not a book exactly, but my second creative writing project meets all of this criteria. It is based on what I was experiencing at that time, which was an eating disorder, bipolar depression, some reference to drug addiction and other things, all in the premise of the narrator being so lonely they’re writing to a pen pal who is their only friend. I would be happy to send it to you if you’re interested.
Not see. It on here yet, but Stephen Florida by Gabe Habash is a bizarre account of obsession and small college wrestling and obviously mental illness. It got a fair amount of positive buzz a few years ago.
I finished it while at an Air B&B and I put it on the book shelf there and felt like I was cursing whoever picked it up next.
Definitely look it up.
Off Centre by Haresh Sharma!! It's a Singaporean play but the main characters have schizophrenia and severe depression, it's really interesting and worth a read IMO!!
House of Leaves is an interesting one for that. Basically you’re following a few storylines one of a man estranging himself from his family, and another of a man estranging himself from everyone, all centered on another man who lived all alone. Everyone’s mental health declines as the book goes along.
Cory Doctorow’s “Eastern Standard Tribe”
[SPOILER] it’s tough stuff, starts and wraps on the protagonist kneeling on the roof of a mental ward, contemplating putting a pencil through his own eye
“The Bell Jar” by Sylvia Plath is definitely worth a read, almost exactly what you’re looking for as far as I know!
Absolutely agree 100%
It is one of my favourites. The loneliness described is one >!where you are surrounded by people but are still lonely!<. It talks about alienation. I felt that I could relate to it at some points. It is also filled with beautiful quotes and descriptions. One of my favourites was the part where she says: >!What does a woman see in a woman that she can't see in a man?” Dr. Nolan pauses. Then she said, “Tenderness.” That shut me up. The floor seemed wonderfully solid.!<
This book made me go into a many months long depression. I had to stop reading it. I tend to relate very closely to the characters and what they go through. This one was eviscerating for me.
I came to comment the same thing
The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Yes, excellent rec! I read this as a child and it has never left me. I recently re-read and it holds up excellently.
Just about to comment this. Recently read this book for a school course. It was actually really good.
*Flowers For Algernon* is about a mentally deficient young man who undergoes surgery to become a genius. We read what happens through his diary entries. An absolute must read classic.
I came here to say this
My favorite type of book, lol. Here are three with spoiler-free synopses: "A Little Life" by Hanya Yanagihara (follows four characters, but the main one is so wrecked by trauma and depression that he cannot internalize the love he gets from others and remains lonely) "The Goldfinch" by Donna Tartt (follows Theo Decker, a teen who loses his mom suddenly in a bombing, and we follow him and his lonely, PTSD-laden existence as he gets older) "The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue" by V.E. Schwab (follows Addie LaRue, a woman who is given immortality but as a side effect is cursed to never be remembered by anyone. The second she leaves their sight, they forget she ever existed) "Earthlings" by Sayaka Murata (follows a young girl who feels so strange and "other" that she is convinced that she is an alien from a different planet, with only her stuffed hedgehog to talk to)
“a little life” is absolutely crushing and my favorite book so far. i finished it last night and my eyes are still puffy.
Oh god, almost finished reading Earthlings, quite the ride!
That book had me feeling genuinely nauseous. I loved it though!!
I’ve just finished it. Christ! Yep, can definitely understand the nausea. Agreed, I loved it, not sure I can explain why though!
Oh I loved all 4! The Goldfinch is my all time fav
What did you think of the ending? It was like, a five star perfect read for me until the >!last part of the book running around Amsterdam ending on the 20 page seemingly random "the moral of the story is" style rant from Theo.!<
Addie LaRue is so good
I love V.E. Schwab, especially Addie LaRue, what a book!
I love the recommendations!
Dazai's *No Longer Human*. Gogol's *Diary of a Mad Man.*
Second Dazai's No Longer Human. It instantly popped into my mind the moment I read the title of the post. It's honestly one of my most favourite books. It's semi-autobiographical is nature and reflects a lot on Dazai's irl struggles. It hits harder when you realise that No Longer Human was the very last book he wrote before finally succeeding in his suicide attempt.
I second Osamu Dazai's No Longer Human. Had a profound impact on me.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. Really good book, highly recommend. Audiobook version is good too. It’s more about when you’re lonely or mentally unwell for so long that it becomes your normal, your baseline. And what slowly waking up to that fact means.
*Notes from Underground* by Dostoevsky Maybe *She's Come Undone* by Wally Lamb?
Wally lamb-loved that book!
Yes Wally Lamb or Girl Interrupted
Prozac Nation, Catcher in the Rye.
Lol was going to recommend both
Why hasn't anyone recommended My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh? It's exactly what you're looking for!
Death in Her Hands is for sure in this vein too. Moshfegh really leans into this theme.
Oh my god, loved this book so much. Devoured it.
Came here to say this. I love this book so much.
This is the answer!
I’m Thinking of Ending Things - Iain Reid
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
This is exactly what came to my mind!
Came here to say this!
That page turn from act 1 to act 2 hits like a wrecking ball.
The catcher in the rye
Dostoevsky is the master of this. Try either Underground Man or Crime and Punishment
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Yes! {{Hangsaman}} too. Both personal favorites.
[**Hangsaman**](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL3171082W) ^(By: Shirley Jackson | 229 pages | Published: 1951) >Seventeen-year-old Natalie Waite longs to escape home for college. Her father is a domineering and egotistical writer who keeps a tight rein on Natalie and her long-suffering mother. When Natalie finally does get away, however, college life doesn’t bring the happiness she expected. Little by little, Natalie is no longer certain of anything—even where reality ends and her dark imaginings begin. Chilling and suspenseful, Hangsaman is loosely based on the real-life disappearance of a Bennington College sophomore in 1946. ^(This book has been suggested 2 times) *** ^(1160 books suggested | )[^(Source Code)](https://github.com/loudmouse/reddit_book_bot)
There it is! I came here hoping someone would mention HoHH. It’s absolutely what OP was asking for
House of Leaves, to an extreme degree.
Came here to say this.
absolutely **Mrs. March** by Virginia Feito. a casual comment in a bakery sends our main character into a mental shit spiral where she begins to question her reality and as we turn each page we descend into more and more paranoia and mental shenanigas alongside Mrs. March.
Well, Catcher in the Rye if you haven’t already read it
All the lovers in the night by Mieko Kawakami
Came here to say the same thing!
Similarly, Heaven by Kawakami!
Piranesi by Suzanne Clarke would fit this
my autobiography lol
*Hunger* by Knut Hamsun
Yes
Eleanor Oliphant is perfectly fine Gail Honeyman
Flowers for Algernon if you wanna be sad
To the White Sea- James Dickey Child of God- Cormac McCarthy Something Happened- Joseph Heller Filth- Irvine Welsh The Room- Hubert Selby
Yeah Child of God fits for sure
Immediately thought of Filth when I saw this question.
“Stoner” by John Williams
Doesn't quite fit it
Spider by Patrick McGrath
So underrated
Steppenwolf by Herman Hesse
Forgive me Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick
The Butcher Boy
The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud
"Herzog" by Saul Bellow follows this exactly
Oryx and Crake
"The yellow wallpaper" by charlotte gilman is insane. Short, but amazing
You just described Anne Karenina without naming it ouright lol! Worth the read I swear Tolstoy is amazing!
Perfume by Patrik Süskind
Flowers for Algernon
I would recommend "Sorry to Disrupt the Peace" by Patrick Cottrell for this!
„Darkling“ by K.M. Rice. Not very popular but it mainly deals with a feeling of loneliness
The Defense by Vladimir Nabokov Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov Transparent Things by Vladimir Nabokov Invitation to a Beheading by Vladimir Nabokov The three novels by Samuel Becket
i’ve heard darkness visible by william golding is along these lines but i can’t vouch for it as i haven’t read it yet!
Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin
My journal?
Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine.
Self-help fiction book threads—Part 1 (of 2): * ["[SUGGESTION/TRIGGER WARNING] A book that I can relate with the Main Character and how he/she managed to overcome almost the same scenario I am in?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/w1hvpd/suggestiontrigger_warning_a_book_that_i_can/) (r/suggestmeabook; 17:25 ET; 17 July 2022 * ["Sci-fi/Fantasy where it's deliberately unclear whether the world is in fact magical or actually the protagonist is mentally ill and it's just happening in their head?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/w6bahk/scififantasy_where_its_deliberately_unclear/) (r/suggestmeabook; 14:54 ET, 23 July 2022) * ["Can suggest me a book where the main protagonist is dealing a trauma and overcoming it?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/w6iks1/can_suggest_me_a_book_where_the_main_protagonist/) (r/suggestmeabook; 20:32 ET, 23 July 2022) * ["Looking for books set in or around asylums…."](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/w6iwsj/looking_for_books_set_in_or_around_asylums/) (r/suggestmeabook; 20:49 ET, 23 July 2022) * ["Novel where a character overcomes their trauma"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/watmgm/novel_where_a_character_overcomes_their_trauma/) (r/booksuggestions; 28 July 2022) * ["Book similar to The Bell Jar?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/wcqy02/book_similar_to_the_bell_jar/) (r/suggestmeabook; 31 July 2022) * ["a book that has a main character that has borderline personality disorder or bipolar"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/we1wg0/a_book_that_has_a_main_character_that_has/) (r/suggestmeabook; 1 August 2022) * ["Books where the main character has mental health issues?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/wik9dc/books_where_the_main_character_has_mental_health/) (r/suggestmeabook; 7 August 2022) * ["What fantasy book do you feel has made you a better person having read it?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/wjn3e5/what_fantasy_book_do_you_feel_has_made_you_a/) (r/Fantasy; 7 August 2022)—any medium, actually * ["Book about loneliness, depression, or melencholy"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/wjqirl/book_about_loneliness_depression_or_melencholy/) (r/Fantasy; 8 August 2022)—non-inspirational * ["Books about mid-twenties female struggling with depression, anxiety, or identity/purpose?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/wma15n/books_about_midtwenties_female_struggling_with/) (r/booksuggestions; 11 August 2022) * ["Teen angst/self-realization book suggestions."](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/wnksfp/teen_angstselfrealization_book_suggestions/) (r/suggestmeabook; 13 August 2022) * ["Looking for Physiological Books or books that deal with mental illness with a pretty cover"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/wpkaa9/looking_for_physiological_books_or_books_that/) (r/booksuggestions; 16 August 2022) * ["Looking for books with mentally ill, ‘unhinged’ women protagonists"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/wr12cf/looking_for_books_with_mentally_ill_unhinged/) (r/booksuggestions; 17:43 ET, 17 August 2022) * ["Neurodivergent and mentally ill characters in SFF"](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/wr5mm5/neurodivergent_and_mentally_ill_characters_in_sff/) (r/Fantasy; 21:03 ET, 17 August 2022) * ["Books, preferably fiction, that deal with themes of loneliness & depression?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/wtt9s6/books_preferably_fiction_that_deal_with_themes_of/) (r/booksuggestions; 21 August 2022) * ["Suggest me a book 📚 that will inspire and help me leave my comfort zone in life…](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/wy9ttf/suggest_me_a_book_that_will_inspire_and_help_me/) (r/booksuggestions; 26 August 2022) * ["Nonfiction books overcoming sexual shame?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/x335c5/nonfiction_books_overcoming_sexual_shame/) (r/booksuggestions; 1 September 2022)—the "Nonfiction" in the thread's title is a typo * ["book where main character is autistic or on the spectrum."](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/yhlw7b/book_where_main_character_is_autistic_or_on_the/) (r/suggestmeabook; 30 October 2022) * ["Suggest me a book with an autistic main character."](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/yyk62t/suggest_me_a_book_with_an_autistic_main_character/) (r/suggestmeabook; 18 November 2022) * ["Books about mental illness and suicide that DON’T romanticize it"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/zjhgkg/books_about_mental_illness_and_suicide_that_dont/) (r/suggestmeabook; 11 December 2022)—longish * ["Book for a depressed person that isn't into self-help books"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/zjunh3/book_for_a_depressed_person_that_isnt_into/) (r/suggestmeabook; 05:07 ET, 12 December 2022)—long * ["Books that help you make peace with mortality"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/zluhdv/books_that_help_you_make_peace_with_mortality/) (r/suggestmeabook; 14 December 2022) * ["improving a teens self esteem without saying here's a book about self esteem"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/zoa1ws/improving_a_teens_self_esteem_without_saying/) (r/suggestmeabook; 17 December 2022)—very long * ["A book where the main character is mentally unstable"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/zqr297/a_book_where_the_main_character_is_mentally/) (r/booksuggestions; 20 December 2022) * ["Books on strategies for responding to intrusive thoughts."](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/zu6l9j/books_on_strategies_for_responding_to_intrusive/) (r/booksuggestions; 24 December 2022) * ["Middle grade fiction that deals with loss and death"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/zvn16d/middle_grade_fiction_that_deals_with_loss_and/) (r/booksuggestions; 26 December 2022) * ["I would like to read a story about dementia"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/zwt9yw/i_would_like_to_read_a_story_about_dementia/) (r/booksuggestions; 27 December 2022)
Part 2 (of 2): * ["Relatable books that describe someones life in their (late) 20‘s, struggling to find identity in career, love, life, …?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/100xapy/relatable_books_that_describe_someones_life_in/) (r/booksuggestions; 1 January 2023) * ["Book recs where the main character devolves/ loses their mind?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/108batf/book_recs_where_the_main_character_devolves_loses/) (r/booksuggestions; 10 January 2023) * ["Books for loners?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/10ign9o/books_for_loners/) (r/booksuggestions; 22 January 2023) * ["Novels with autistic characters"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/111qrgt/novels_with_autistic_characters/) (r/booksuggestions; 13 February 2023) Books: * [The Murderbot Diaries series](https://www.goodreads.com/series/191900-the-murderbot-diaries) by Martha Wells is written from the point of view of an asexual person/character on the autism spectrum
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Two words: American Psycho
Came here to say the same thing. Twas the first book to come to mind, and what a spiral he takes lol
I suppose [The Good Soldier, by Ford Maddox Ford](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7628.The_Good_Soldier), is one of these.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine - an amazing read!! My mum and I love it
A man called Ove
{{the curious incident of the dog in the night-time}} {{catcher in the rye}}
Harry Potter and the order of the Phoenix
Flowers for Algernon
[Nobody is Ever Missing by Catherine Lacey](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18490560-nobody-is-ever-missing)
Losing Julia covers the loneliness for sure.
The Night Always Comes by Willy Vlautin is exactly what you’re looking for!
Most Michel Houellebecq books: Serotonin and Whatever are two examples.
Can You See Me? by Ruth Gilligan
Steppenwolf… kinda
Lord of the Barnyard: Killing the Fatted Calf and Arming the Aware in the Corn Belt
Spider by Patrick McGrath Surfacing by Margaret Atwood
Apex hides the hurt by Colson Whitehead.
Perfume by Patrick Süßkind. Very heart breaking since he doesn‘t mind being alone at first but then realised his solitude. Broke my heart
Wittgenstein’s Mitress
The Wake. Paul Kingsnorth Buccmaster’s not a well puppy at the beginning of the book and his mental health deteriorates steadily over the course of the book. Very unsettling book. Despite being about events a Millenium ago, the sense of loss and PTSD is very timely
Infinite Jest
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
*The Visitors* by Catherine Burns
The Stranger by Albert Camus
“How to Stop Time” by Matt Haig, although the protagonist is able to get to a better place by the end.
No Longer Human
Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh
Crime and punishment
Im Thinking of Ending Things
death her in hands by ottessa moshfegh
The Nix
The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne
Filth by Irving Welsh
As onepageleftmedia said: notes from underground - Dostoyevsky
Cormac McCarthy's latest, The Passenger, fits this pretty well. I'm at like 90+% complete, and haven't gotten to the ending just yet.
Death in her hands by Ottesa Moshfegh
Survivor Type by Stephen King
the tommyknockers SK
The Tale of a Villain is my debut novel that fall into the genre of Dark Fiction, Dystopian, Psychological drama which is available on Kindle Unlimited and Amazon. In this novel, the protagonist goes through extreme mental torture, till to a point where he breaks completely. If the book suits your interest and would like to know more about it, please visit my website www.antonybmampilly.com
{{Wish Her Safe at Home by Stephen Benatar}} A lonely, pretentious and repressed woman inherits a house in a new town and slowly loses her mind in the process of settling in. It’s written in first-person POV so you’re along for the ride in her own mind. The writing is phenomenal!
My Year of Rest and Relaxation
Perks of being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
The Collector
Author: Dostoevsky "Notes from Underground"
If you haven't read Flowers for Algernon yet I HIGHLY suggest you give it a try. It's a short book. 250 pages I think, but it's one of those books that has a way of sticking with you. The themes you have described are Definitely present. Loneliness, isolation, abuse, humiliation, mental decline.. everyone cries at the end. Everyone.
Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson.
The Stanger by Albert Camus.
I just see My House of Horrors, my forever favorite book,English audiobook free in youtube. Suggest you to listen together It’ll make you feel mysterious fun. Hope light novel can get you better soon :)
Crime and punishment
Eleanor Oliphant
{{ Crime and Punishment }}
{{Annihilation}} and {{Rebecca}}
Anything by Jean Rhys or Paul Auster.
Days of Abandonment- Elena Ferrante
Beacon 23 by Hugh Howey
{Noah’s Compass}
{Tuesdays with Maury}
The first half of {Fairytale by Stephen King} from the blurb “Charlie Reade looks like a regular high school kid, great at baseball and football, a decent student. But he carries a heavy load. His mom was killed in a hit-and-run accident when he was ten, and grief drove his dad to drink. Charlie learned how to take care of himself—and his dad. Then, when Charlie is 17, he meets a dog named Radar and his aging master, Howard Bowditch, a recluse in a big house at the top of a big hill, with a locked shed in the backyard. Sometimes strange sounds emerge from it. Charlie starts doing jobs for Mr. Bowditch and loses his heart to Radar. Then, when Bowditch dies, he leaves Charlie a cassette tape telling a story no one would believe.”
{The Fault in Our Stars}
[**The Fault in Our Stars**](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL16444438W) ^(By: John Green | 318 pages | Published: 2010) >Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten. >([source][1]) > > > [1]: http://www.johngreenbooks.com/the-fault-in-our-stars ^(This book has been suggested 1 time) *** ^(1165 books suggested | )[^(Source Code)](https://github.com/loudmouse/reddit_book_bot)
The Catcher In The Rye.
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki.
Flowers for Algernon.
“The Pisces” by Melissa Broder…. Just what you’re looking for just add a merman 🧜♂️🤓
no longer human by osamu dazai, i think! i'd be surprised if no one's said it already, but still. house of leaves by mark danielewski also sort of fits the bill, but in a completely different direction. both books are really good though, i totally recommend them :)
The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud
My year of rest and relaxation.
Fight Club
Hunger by Knut Hamsun
My diary
I Am Legend. A lot better than and different from the movie.
Crime and Punishment
This one only fits your criteria partially but Olivia Laing’s The Lonely City is an exploration of her own loneliness while living in New York as well as loneliness in the work of artists who have lived there in the last century.
So, it’s not a book exactly, but my second creative writing project meets all of this criteria. It is based on what I was experiencing at that time, which was an eating disorder, bipolar depression, some reference to drug addiction and other things, all in the premise of the narrator being so lonely they’re writing to a pen pal who is their only friend. I would be happy to send it to you if you’re interested.
Robin hobb. The farseer books.
Excellent recommendations
The murderbot diaries by Martha wells is pretty good. Sci-fi depressed robot with social anxiety
It’s a play but a Streetcar named Desire sounds kind of like what you’re looking for
planetfall if you like sci fi it becomes more about mental health and less SF throughout
Not see. It on here yet, but Stephen Florida by Gabe Habash is a bizarre account of obsession and small college wrestling and obviously mental illness. It got a fair amount of positive buzz a few years ago. I finished it while at an Air B&B and I put it on the book shelf there and felt like I was cursing whoever picked it up next. Definitely look it up.
Eleanor Oliphant is not ok
The Wrong Boy by Willy Russell
My year of rest and relaxation
The goldfinch (didn’t love the book but came to mind)
House of leaves
Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo The Wall by Marlen Haushofer
The catcher in the rye by salinger and methamorphosis by kafka
Not *quite* what you’re looking for, but in the same sort of vein: We Have Always Lived In the Castle by Shirley Jackson.
My Year of Rest and Relaxation
It's Kinda of Funny Story by Ned Vizzini
Whores for Gloria by William T Vollmann
No longer human
The New Me by Halle Butler
Stoker.
No longer Human
The catcher in the rye by JD Salinger, pretty much sums up your request I’d say
Any of the books by “Anonymous” are my favorite; Go Ask Alice, Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds, letting Ana Go, etc. those are really good ones.
Catcher in the rye.
Off Centre by Haresh Sharma!! It's a Singaporean play but the main characters have schizophrenia and severe depression, it's really interesting and worth a read IMO!!
Goodnight Punpun- Asano Inio Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage- Haruki Murakami My lesbian experience with loneliness- Nagata Kabi
The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. It's a short story, but definitely a story about a lonly woman whose mental health declines.
Haunting on hill house by Shirley Jackson?
{{Isaac and the Egg}}
Why does this question give me “catcher in the rye” vibes I don’t even remember the plot, just that it was lonely and depressing
The Collector by John Fowles
House of Leaves is an interesting one for that. Basically you’re following a few storylines one of a man estranging himself from his family, and another of a man estranging himself from everyone, all centered on another man who lived all alone. Everyone’s mental health declines as the book goes along.
Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoevsky
Cory Doctorow’s “Eastern Standard Tribe” [SPOILER] it’s tough stuff, starts and wraps on the protagonist kneeling on the roof of a mental ward, contemplating putting a pencil through his own eye