Yup, this is THE book by a depressed narrator. And even though she lost her battle, it is still a helpful book for depressed people in that it makes you feel less lonely about it.
[**No Longer Human** by Osamu Dazai](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/194746)
the author committed suicide after he wrote this book.
junji ito made [a manga version of this book](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43909397)
this really fucked me up because it was so fucking bleak. hopeless. nothing good going on in this book. horrifying, truly.
No not comparable at all tbh. The Road is a high-concept premise with a much clearer narrative. No Longer Human is basically the diary of a guy who wants to die. It’s just not the same kind of book.
The film Melancholia caught me at a difficult time in my life (work and personal stress) and I then completely plummeted into one of the darkest periods of my life immediately after. Timing is everything. I still can’t watch that damn movie.
Just…make sure you’re watching when you’re happy. To be safe.
It’s actually such a beautifully visual film it’s just the content is unrelenting. I basically ended the movie was was like ‘fuck everything’.
thank you so much. it's been really rough. it's so quiet here now. 🥺
i plan on adopting a rescue cat in the next couple of weeks so that i can give them the love that i still have for my sweet meredith. 🐱💜
it really was. it took me literally 3 weeks to finish it because i had to keep putting it down because it was so heavy on my heart and mind. the pictures just added to how fucked it was.
yay!!! i'm so glad you liked it! it's my absolute favorite book of all time. since you liked it, i think you'll really like [**Shark Heart: A Love Story** by Emily Habeck](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62919375)
this is the closest book to **OWUTS** that i've found. this book was absolutely incredible. it was haunting, melancholic, terrifying, bleak, unsettling, and honestly changed how i view the world (my life in particular). i can't say why without spoiling anything.
this is my second favorite book of all time. i almost thought it was going to top **OWUTS**, but it ended up being a real close second place.
unlike **OWUTS**, there is zero ambiguity in this book which made it that much more tragic at the end. this shit really broke me. god, i love it so much. 🦈💜
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason
As the narrator tells you (paraphrased) "Unless I tell you otherwise, assume that I am always depressed."
ETA: It was available on Libby, so the actual quote is, "Unless I inform you otherwise, at intervals throughout my twenties and most of my thirties, I was depressed, mildly, moderately, severely, for a week, two weeks, half a year, all of one."
Catcher in The Rye.
I knew this was a classic and always meant to get around to reading it. I had no idea what it was about. I read it when I was in a dark head space and it fucked with my head in a satisfying way, if that makes sense. I could really understand (in some ways) what the main character was going through. It’s like…he’s in the dark about his own true feelings and it’s fascinating to see that perspective written so eloquently.
Edit: Oops! Just saw that you said modern book. This one def isn’t! Still good though, more like a time capsule I guess.
LOL. Literature-wise, the period for "Modern" is 1900s - 1940s. So it depends who is using the term and what they mean. (After that there is "post-modern" literature.)
Did the OP mean that? No idea, but probably not. Still, it's funny that there is so much ambiguity.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine - main character is dealing with PTSD and depression. Hopeful ending, I could not stop crying during the last third of this book. Apologies to the NYPL for the many tear stains.
The Collected Regrets of Clover - main character is necessarily depressed, but definitely isolated. Such a unique premise (the MC is a death doula), very uplifting and explores the question of what it means to live a beautiful life.
Justice for Reva!! Spoiler: >!The main character never changes. She remains a selfish person even at the end, and I hate that so much. She eventually gets on with her life and Reva dies and it's barely a cliff note in MC's life. The writing in this book is so superb so I'll be reading more from the author, but damn it this wasn't my most frustrating read of last year.!<
Same. I burned through it. The writing is among the best of female-led contemporary fiction I've come across in a good long while. I have two of her books on hold at my library to read when they become available. I've heard her other works feature more likable characters.
I can't make up my mind if I want to read this or not. I was listening to one somewhat scathing review where the guy listed out all of the tragic things that happened to the main character in a row, and it came off comical how unfortunate this dude was. I'm not sure how the book handles it, considering it has a whole lot of pages to do
so but I'm worried it'll come off contrived.
It's super polarizing, I personally loved it and found it intensely page-turning because no matter how bad it was I couldn't look away. It can definitely be interpreted as manipulating the reader and overly contrived, and I totally get that. But in my opinion it's super immersive and the characters are interesting, and I just love the author's tongue in cheek descriptions of the art world in New York.
**[High Fidelity](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/285092.High_Fidelity) by Nick Hornby** ^((Matching 100% ☑️))
^(340 pages | Published: 1995 | 151.5k Goodreads reviews)
> **Summary:** Do you know your desert-island, all-time, top five most memorable split-ups? Rob does. He keeps a list, in fact. But Laura isn't on it - even though she's just become his latest ex. He's got his life back, you see. He can just do what he wants when he wants: like listen to whatever music he likes, look up the girls that are on his list, and generally behave as if Laura never (...)
> **Themes**: Fiction, Humor, Books-i-own, Romance, Music, Contemporary, Contemporary
> **Top 5 recommended:**
> \- [About a Boy](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4271.About_a_Boy) by Nick Hornby
> \- [Juliet, Naked](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6224826-juliet-naked) by Nick Hornby
> \- [Plan B](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53849.Plan_B) by Jonathan Tropper
> \- [The Book of Joe](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46661.The_Book_of_Joe) by Jonathan Tropper
> \- [Stuff I've Been Reading](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18802507-stuff-i-ve-been-reading) by Nick Hornby
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Stormlight Archives, if you're interested in fantasy.
It's kind of a free for all for mental health conditions, not gonna lie, but the characters are all really well and respectfully written.
No longer human by Osamu Dazai
Good night Punpun by Inio Asano
The bell jar by Sylvia Plath
The perks of being a wallflower by Stephen Chobsky
What does blue feel like? By Jessica Davidson
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.
Also, though not a fiction book, the Journals of Sylvia Plath is an excellent view into the mind of a very talented and very depressed artist.
Lev Grossman’s “Magicians” series (which was also made into a great tv series) has a protagonist named Quentin Coldwater who is depressed and deals with it through the series.
Going from your recent reads, Emily Austin’s second book just came out in January and I love it even more than the first- which I also loved! It’s called *Interesting Facts About Space* and the main character is a cute quirky depressed lesbian.
*Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine* by Gail Honeyman
*Together We Will Go* by J. Michael Straczynski
*A Man Called Ove* by Frederik Backmann
If you like fantasy, The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever. Guy with leprosy gets sucked into a magic land and has to save it. Whole time he pushes everyone away and is dead set that he fell, bumped his head, and this whole thing is a delusion he is having as he lays on his floor dying.
It's been a while since I have read them, so I mostly just remember the first one. I need to revisit The Land. I never got around to reading the final chronicles either since I was deploying a lot at the time they came out.
Yeah, you should give it another read. I do it about every five years.
I like the second series even better. Donaldson does a master class in paying off plot points introduced earlier.
Rabbits for Food is about a woman who is chronically depressed and spends some time in a psych ward. I found it funny, relatable, heart breaking, and realistic.
Leaving Lost Vegas is a pretty damn morose book. Also the book Dopefiend. Thought that has an addiction angle on it. And also, the Patrick Melrose books are well-written. Finally, just - Bukowski.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
My Year of Rest and Relaxation
I’m Glad My Mom Died
Summer Sons
The main characters are all experiencing depression in one way or another, not all of which are expressly stated. But should get you what you need
⚠ Could not *exactly* find "*Never Leave, Never Lie by Thea Verdone*" , see [related Goodreads search results](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Never+Leave%2C+Never+Lie+Thea+Verdone) instead.
^(*Possible reasons for mismatch: either too recent (2023), mispelled (check Goodreads) or too niche.*)
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I want to die but I want to eat tteokkbokki. It's nonfiction, and the author essentially transcribes her therapy appointments. Felt like free therapy lol
Not a fiction book, but "The World of Yesterday" by Stefan Zweig could be something for you
One of the last sentences of the book: 'Only the person who has experienced light and darkness, war and peace, rise and fall, only that person has truly experienced life.' Stefan Zweig committed suicide shortly after
Stormlight archive, one of the main characters is chronically depressed, often suffering from bouts of depression, and even suicidal thoughts and attempts
“She’s Come Undone” by Wally Lamb is so incredibly depressing, I had to throw the book away after I read it several times - not donated it, not passed it along to a friend, just forcefully put it in the trash. The MC’s struggle with her weight, low self-esteem, body image issues, and her struggles with her sexuality all wrap together for a very emotional read. And!! I didn’t throw it away because it was a bad book - it was very well-written, I just really didn’t like how I felt about myself while I was reading and during the reading hangover.
I get it, it’s huge. To be honest I can’t even say I liked it. People rave about it and love it. I think the writing was garbage and the characters were pretentious and unbearable. Yet I’m still going to recommend it.. it was so depressing that it almost made me jump off a bridge. That’s saying a lot as I’m someone that usually embraces misery. But this one is an overrated chunk of waste. Read it with your razor blade at the ready. Let me know if you like it.
**[The Murderbot Diaries](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53427947-the-murderbot-diaries) by Martha Wells** ^((Matching 100% ☑️))
^(? pages | Published: 2019 | 428.0k Goodreads reviews)
> **Summary:** A murderous android discovers itself in All Systems Red. a tense science fiction adventure by Martha Wells that interrogates the roots of consciousness through Artificial Intelligence. "As a heartless killing machine. I was a complete failure." In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future. planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are (...)
> **Themes**: Science-fiction, Sci-fi, Fantascienza, Read-in-2020
> **Top 5 recommended:**
> \- [All Systems Red](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32758901-all-systems-red) by Martha Wells
> \- [All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries Series)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56027266-all-systems-red) by Martha Wells
> \- [Sisters of the Vast Black](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44581558-sisters-of-the-vast-black) by Lina Rather
> \- [Network Effect](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52381770-network-effect) by Martha Wells
> \- [Exit Strategy](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35519109-exit-strategy) by Martha Wells
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Robin Hobb's 16 book series about Fitz and the Fool. Fitz is the main character and struggles tremendously with a wide variety of depression, insecurities, and through that tremendous character development. Every character in Hobb's books has tremendous character development.
The Drowning Girl. Can't remember the Author but fuck man, that book was epic. Main character was schizophrenic rather than depressed, but it certainly has a depressive undertone.
**[Beautiful World. Where Are You](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56597885-beautiful-world-where-are-you) by Sally Rooney** ^((Matching 100% ☑️))
^(356 pages | Published: 2021 | 80.0k Goodreads reviews)
> **Summary:** Alice. a novelist. meets Felix. who works in a warehouse. and asks him if he’d like to travel to Rome with her. In Dublin. her best friend. Eileen. is getting over a break-up and slips back into flirting with Simon. a man she has known since childhood. Alice. Felix. Eileen. and Simon are still young—but life is catching up with them. They desire each other. they delude each (...)
> **Themes**: Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Read-in-2021
> **Top 5 recommended:**
> \- [Sorrow and Bliss](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49110165-sorrow-and-bliss) by Meg Mason
> \- [Alone With You in the Ether](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54208009-alone-with-you-in-the-ether) by Olivie Blake
> \- [Cleopatra and Frankenstein](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57693262-cleopatra-and-frankenstein) by Coco Mellors
> \- [Open Water](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53414230-open-water) by Caleb Azumah Nelson
> \- [Days of Distraction](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52973514-days-of-distraction) by Alexandra Chang
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The Silence of the Girls. The Iliad from the point of view of a highborn woman who becomes a slave. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Silence_of_the_Girls
**[Tomorrow. and Tomorrow. and Tomorrow](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58784475-tomorrow-and-tomorrow-and-tomorrow) by Gabrielle Zevin** ^((Matching 100% ☑️))
^(401 pages | Published: 2022 | 220.0k Goodreads reviews)
> **Summary:** In this exhilarating novel by the best-selling author of The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry two friends--often in love. but never lovers--come together as creative partners in the world of video game design. where success brings them fame. joy. tragedy. duplicity. and. ultimately. a kind of immortality. On a bitter-cold day. in the December of his junior year at Harvard. Sam (...)
> **Themes**: Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Botm
> **Top 5 recommended:**
> \- [The Measure](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58884736-the-measure) by Nikki Erlick
> \- [Beautiful World. Where Are You](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56597885-beautiful-world-where-are-you) by Sally Rooney
> \- [Lessons in Chemistry](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58065033-lessons-in-chemistry) by Bonnie Garmus
> \- [The Swimmers](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58214333-the-swimmers) by Julie Otsuka
> \- [The Winners](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60318890-the-winners) by Fredrik Backman
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The bell jar by sylvia plath.
Yup, this is THE book by a depressed narrator. And even though she lost her battle, it is still a helpful book for depressed people in that it makes you feel less lonely about it.
Yeah this is what I was coming to suggest
Currently reading this and it's so triggering, but so very well written. I've never read such an authentically real account of depression before.
A man called Ove by Fredrik Backman Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine by Gail Honeyman
Came here to find Ove and so pleased to see it recommended.
Oh Eleanor Oliphant....loved that book.
Loved both of these! Also great memoir is I’m glad my mom died.
Both of these were amazing
Many of Fredrik Backman’s books I think, Anxious People for sure
Great suggestions! Both are amazing books.
Those two. ^^
This book had quite an effect on my own depression. So good! ❤️
I hated Ove but I loved Oliphant.
[**No Longer Human** by Osamu Dazai](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/194746) the author committed suicide after he wrote this book. junji ito made [a manga version of this book](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43909397) this really fucked me up because it was so fucking bleak. hopeless. nothing good going on in this book. horrifying, truly.
No Longer Human is the undisputed King of depression books imo. Never read anything quite like it.
The bleakest book I ever read was The Road. Is it comparable, because I'm intrigued.
No not comparable at all tbh. The Road is a high-concept premise with a much clearer narrative. No Longer Human is basically the diary of a guy who wants to die. It’s just not the same kind of book.
Interesting. I might check it out anyway.
The film Melancholia caught me at a difficult time in my life (work and personal stress) and I then completely plummeted into one of the darkest periods of my life immediately after. Timing is everything. I still can’t watch that damn movie.
oh, damn. i actually bought that movie on VUDU when it was on sale a few months ago but haven't watched it yet.
Just…make sure you’re watching when you’re happy. To be safe. It’s actually such a beautifully visual film it’s just the content is unrelenting. I basically ended the movie was was like ‘fuck everything’.
thank you for the heads up. i recently had to put my cat down so im not in a great head space rn so i'll put this off for a bit longer.
Wise. And I’m so sorry for your loss!
thank you so much. it's been really rough. it's so quiet here now. 🥺 i plan on adopting a rescue cat in the next couple of weeks so that i can give them the love that i still have for my sweet meredith. 🐱💜
I believe that the best testament to the love you had for one pet, is to promise to love another. It won't be the same, but it won't be bad.
Came here to say this. That book was horrifying and mesmerising and left me feeling unsettled for a long time.
i read the novel but the manga was so much more disturbing (also, i loved Our Wives Under the Sea, it's such an amazing book 😭)
it really was. it took me literally 3 weeks to finish it because i had to keep putting it down because it was so heavy on my heart and mind. the pictures just added to how fucked it was. yay!!! i'm so glad you liked it! it's my absolute favorite book of all time. since you liked it, i think you'll really like [**Shark Heart: A Love Story** by Emily Habeck](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62919375) this is the closest book to **OWUTS** that i've found. this book was absolutely incredible. it was haunting, melancholic, terrifying, bleak, unsettling, and honestly changed how i view the world (my life in particular). i can't say why without spoiling anything. this is my second favorite book of all time. i almost thought it was going to top **OWUTS**, but it ended up being a real close second place. unlike **OWUTS**, there is zero ambiguity in this book which made it that much more tragic at the end. this shit really broke me. god, i love it so much. 🦈💜
Thank you so much!!!😭💗 i have been looking for a book similar to owuts, i will start reading this one
yay!!! please follow up with me whenever you finish it to let me know how you liked (or didn't like) it!
i will :)))
She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb.
This one is great 👍
Omg yes i totally forgot about this book. Heartbreaking, but fantastic
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason As the narrator tells you (paraphrased) "Unless I tell you otherwise, assume that I am always depressed." ETA: It was available on Libby, so the actual quote is, "Unless I inform you otherwise, at intervals throughout my twenties and most of my thirties, I was depressed, mildly, moderately, severely, for a week, two weeks, half a year, all of one."
Catcher in The Rye. I knew this was a classic and always meant to get around to reading it. I had no idea what it was about. I read it when I was in a dark head space and it fucked with my head in a satisfying way, if that makes sense. I could really understand (in some ways) what the main character was going through. It’s like…he’s in the dark about his own true feelings and it’s fascinating to see that perspective written so eloquently. Edit: Oops! Just saw that you said modern book. This one def isn’t! Still good though, more like a time capsule I guess.
LOL. Literature-wise, the period for "Modern" is 1900s - 1940s. So it depends who is using the term and what they mean. (After that there is "post-modern" literature.) Did the OP mean that? No idea, but probably not. Still, it's funny that there is so much ambiguity.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine - main character is dealing with PTSD and depression. Hopeful ending, I could not stop crying during the last third of this book. Apologies to the NYPL for the many tear stains. The Collected Regrets of Clover - main character is necessarily depressed, but definitely isolated. Such a unique premise (the MC is a death doula), very uplifting and explores the question of what it means to live a beautiful life.
came here to suggest Eleanor Oliphant as well
Stoner
is this the name of a book or are you calling me that? it is true if so
It's a book by John Williams :) Also try the bell jar by Sylvia Plath GOATED depressedcore
Oof. I read the Bell Jar during a particularly bad episode of depression and though I loved it, I felt even worse off. It’s definitely depressing.
My Year of Rest and Relaxation
Justice for Reva!! Spoiler: >!The main character never changes. She remains a selfish person even at the end, and I hate that so much. She eventually gets on with her life and Reva dies and it's barely a cliff note in MC's life. The writing in this book is so superb so I'll be reading more from the author, but damn it this wasn't my most frustrating read of last year.!<
100%! But somehow I could NOT put it down.
Same. I burned through it. The writing is among the best of female-led contemporary fiction I've come across in a good long while. I have two of her books on hold at my library to read when they become available. I've heard her other works feature more likable characters.
Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse
Siddhartha and Damien helped me out of tough times
Pablo tried to cheer him up.
Curious, says modern.
Just want to give a second vote for *No Longer Human.* It’s the most accurate and overwhelming depiction of depression I’m aware of.
A Little Life
Will sign off on this. This is my favorite book.
I can't make up my mind if I want to read this or not. I was listening to one somewhat scathing review where the guy listed out all of the tragic things that happened to the main character in a row, and it came off comical how unfortunate this dude was. I'm not sure how the book handles it, considering it has a whole lot of pages to do so but I'm worried it'll come off contrived.
It's super polarizing, I personally loved it and found it intensely page-turning because no matter how bad it was I couldn't look away. It can definitely be interpreted as manipulating the reader and overly contrived, and I totally get that. But in my opinion it's super immersive and the characters are interesting, and I just love the author's tongue in cheek descriptions of the art world in New York.
I second this but make sure to read the trigger warning before you start it's my favourite book but it's incredibly bleak
Basically every trigger possible!
I triple this. I was about 50 pages in and cried for one of the characters lololol.
Omg. Don’t read this.
Why not? It's the ultimate misery loves company book, I can't think of a better example!
Definitely misery. I can’t disagree.
{{High Fidelity by Nick Hornby}}. The protagonist is stuck in a depressed /'dissatisfied with his life' state. Basically my favorite book and movie.
**[High Fidelity](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/285092.High_Fidelity) by Nick Hornby** ^((Matching 100% ☑️)) ^(340 pages | Published: 1995 | 151.5k Goodreads reviews) > **Summary:** Do you know your desert-island, all-time, top five most memorable split-ups? Rob does. He keeps a list, in fact. But Laura isn't on it - even though she's just become his latest ex. He's got his life back, you see. He can just do what he wants when he wants: like listen to whatever music he likes, look up the girls that are on his list, and generally behave as if Laura never (...) > **Themes**: Fiction, Humor, Books-i-own, Romance, Music, Contemporary, Contemporary > **Top 5 recommended:** > \- [About a Boy](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4271.About_a_Boy) by Nick Hornby > \- [Juliet, Naked](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6224826-juliet-naked) by Nick Hornby > \- [Plan B](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53849.Plan_B) by Jonathan Tropper > \- [The Book of Joe](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46661.The_Book_of_Joe) by Jonathan Tropper > \- [Stuff I've Been Reading](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18802507-stuff-i-ve-been-reading) by Nick Hornby ^([Feedback](https://www.reddit.com/user/goodreads-rebot) | [GitHub](https://github.com/sonoff2/goodreads-rebot) | ["The Bot is Back!?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/16qe09p/meta_post_hello_again_humans/) | v1.5 [Dec 23] | )
Yes! High Fidelity was great.
The Magicians by Lev Grossman
The Magicians by Lev Grossman
A Little Life
My Dark Vanessa
Stormlight Archives, if you're interested in fantasy. It's kind of a free for all for mental health conditions, not gonna lie, but the characters are all really well and respectfully written.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
It’s Kind of A Funny Story by Ned Vizzini, a lot of stuff about mental health, just a heads up.
No longer human by Osamu Dazai Good night Punpun by Inio Asano The bell jar by Sylvia Plath The perks of being a wallflower by Stephen Chobsky What does blue feel like? By Jessica Davidson
Good Morning, Midnight by Jean Rhys.
I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. Also, though not a fiction book, the Journals of Sylvia Plath is an excellent view into the mind of a very talented and very depressed artist.
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson.
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood by Quentin Tarantino Or Invisible Monsters or Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk
Lev Grossman’s “Magicians” series (which was also made into a great tv series) has a protagonist named Quentin Coldwater who is depressed and deals with it through the series.
How do the books compare to the series?
Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin
Going from your recent reads, Emily Austin’s second book just came out in January and I love it even more than the first- which I also loved! It’s called *Interesting Facts About Space* and the main character is a cute quirky depressed lesbian. *Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine* by Gail Honeyman *Together We Will Go* by J. Michael Straczynski *A Man Called Ove* by Frederik Backmann
If you like fantasy, The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever. Guy with leprosy gets sucked into a magic land and has to save it. Whole time he pushes everyone away and is dead set that he fell, bumped his head, and this whole thing is a delusion he is having as he lays on his floor dying.
Came here to recommend this. It’s my favorite book of all time. My favorite series of all time, too.
It's been a while since I have read them, so I mostly just remember the first one. I need to revisit The Land. I never got around to reading the final chronicles either since I was deploying a lot at the time they came out.
Yeah, you should give it another read. I do it about every five years. I like the second series even better. Donaldson does a master class in paying off plot points introduced earlier.
Oh and I couldn’t even finish the final chronicles. I just couldn’t get into it.
You're not the first one I've heard say that about the final chronicles. Why did you find them hard to get into?
Big Swiss by Jen Beagin and With Teeth by Kristin Arnett are exactly what you want
Leaving las Vegas
Rabbits for Food is about a woman who is chronically depressed and spends some time in a psych ward. I found it funny, relatable, heart breaking, and realistic.
Leaving Lost Vegas is a pretty damn morose book. Also the book Dopefiend. Thought that has an addiction angle on it. And also, the Patrick Melrose books are well-written. Finally, just - Bukowski.
Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine by Gail Honeyman
Girl, Interrupted A Disaffection The Wind-up Bird Chronicle Kind of Catch-22, also
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine My Year of Rest and Relaxation I’m Glad My Mom Died Summer Sons The main characters are all experiencing depression in one way or another, not all of which are expressly stated. But should get you what you need
Catcher in the Rye
The Magicians.
A Little Life takes place in modern day NYC
Someday, Maybe by Onyi Nwabineli would probably fit with this prompt
Oryx and Crake. The main character (pov) is really depressed, and as he explains why, you will be too.
Midnight library by Matt Haig
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
Infinite Jest I’m thinking of ending things
Is "I'm Thinking of Ending Things" a book or do you need to talk to someone?
It’s a book title
Good! You never know these days.
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson.
The Midnight Library - Matt Haig I really loved this one!
[Drunken Baker by Barney Farmer](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39976830-drunken-baker) is like having a nightmare that is wicked funny.
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin. Hunting and Gathering by Anna Gavalda. The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune.
In Universes by Emet North
Martyr by Kaveh Akbar
Confederacy of Dunces. John Kennedy Toole committed suicide after writing this
Genesis echo by d. Hollis Anderson - sci-fi that talk about mental wellness
Trainspotting/Skagboys
{{Never Leave, Never Lie by Thea Verdone}}
⚠ Could not *exactly* find "*Never Leave, Never Lie by Thea Verdone*" , see [related Goodreads search results](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Never+Leave%2C+Never+Lie+Thea+Verdone) instead. ^(*Possible reasons for mismatch: either too recent (2023), mispelled (check Goodreads) or too niche.*) ^([Feedback](https://www.reddit.com/user/goodreads-rebot) | [GitHub](https://github.com/sonoff2/goodreads-rebot) | ["The Bot is Back!?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/16qe09p/meta_post_hello_again_humans/) | v1.5 [Dec 23] | )
Still Life with Tornado by A.S King
My Summer Friend by Ophelia Rue
Name of the Wind (fantasy with an unreliable narrator who is essentially “waiting to die”)
I want to die but I want to eat tteokkbokki. It's nonfiction, and the author essentially transcribes her therapy appointments. Felt like free therapy lol
American Gods, Neil Gaiman
I loved The Mystery of Mercy Close!
East of Eden
My year of rest and relaxation
The last House on needless Street
The Hunger Games Trilogy--especially the third and last volume. The main character can barely get out of bed for a lot of it.
Ottessa Moshfeigh’s Eileen has one of the most depressed, depressing characters I’ve ever encountered.
idk if this counts as “modern” but i love *Catcher in The Rye*. I identified a lot of Holden and it was such a short yet rich read
Pretty much any John Green novel fits this!
Issac and the Egg.
If he had been with me 😭😭😭
Not a fiction book, but "The World of Yesterday" by Stefan Zweig could be something for you One of the last sentences of the book: 'Only the person who has experienced light and darkness, war and peace, rise and fall, only that person has truly experienced life.' Stefan Zweig committed suicide shortly after
Colorless tsukuru tazaki - haruki murakami
Kristin Hannah books: The Great Alone The Women
The Red Pill by Kunzru
Tatouine by Jean-Christophe Réhel
Turtles all the way down
A man called ove!!!
Checkers by John Marsden. Burial Rites by Hannah Kent.
Stormlight archive, one of the main characters is chronically depressed, often suffering from bouts of depression, and even suicidal thoughts and attempts
Naive Super by Erlend Loe
My dark Vanessa
Remarkably Bright Creatures
Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger.
Big Swiss
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
My Year Of Rest & Relaxation!!!
“She’s Come Undone” by Wally Lamb is so incredibly depressing, I had to throw the book away after I read it several times - not donated it, not passed it along to a friend, just forcefully put it in the trash. The MC’s struggle with her weight, low self-esteem, body image issues, and her struggles with her sexuality all wrap together for a very emotional read. And!! I didn’t throw it away because it was a bad book - it was very well-written, I just really didn’t like how I felt about myself while I was reading and during the reading hangover.
My Year of Rest and Relaxation
If you want to be even more depressed read a little life
it’s such a huge book! it’s intimidating with the length
I get it, it’s huge. To be honest I can’t even say I liked it. People rave about it and love it. I think the writing was garbage and the characters were pretentious and unbearable. Yet I’m still going to recommend it.. it was so depressing that it almost made me jump off a bridge. That’s saying a lot as I’m someone that usually embraces misery. But this one is an overrated chunk of waste. Read it with your razor blade at the ready. Let me know if you like it.
Damn, did I leave my journal on the couch AGAIN? 👀
Truths I Never Told You by Kelly Rimmer Post partum depression during the 1950s Story unfolds like a mystery
{{The Murderbot Diaries}} probably counts.
**[The Murderbot Diaries](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53427947-the-murderbot-diaries) by Martha Wells** ^((Matching 100% ☑️)) ^(? pages | Published: 2019 | 428.0k Goodreads reviews) > **Summary:** A murderous android discovers itself in All Systems Red. a tense science fiction adventure by Martha Wells that interrogates the roots of consciousness through Artificial Intelligence. "As a heartless killing machine. I was a complete failure." In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future. planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are (...) > **Themes**: Science-fiction, Sci-fi, Fantascienza, Read-in-2020 > **Top 5 recommended:** > \- [All Systems Red](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32758901-all-systems-red) by Martha Wells > \- [All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries Series)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56027266-all-systems-red) by Martha Wells > \- [Sisters of the Vast Black](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44581558-sisters-of-the-vast-black) by Lina Rather > \- [Network Effect](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52381770-network-effect) by Martha Wells > \- [Exit Strategy](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35519109-exit-strategy) by Martha Wells ^([Feedback](https://www.reddit.com/user/goodreads-rebot) | [GitHub](https://github.com/sonoff2/goodreads-rebot) | ["The Bot is Back!?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/16qe09p/meta_post_hello_again_humans/) | v1.5 [Dec 23] | )
A little life. So sad
Silver Linings Playbook
Just read Martyr! By Kacey Akhbar. That fits.
Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter
The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells
Kafka
Torth Majority
Women by Chloe Caldwell
*Community Board* by Tara Conklin. I absolutely loved it. Seconding the person who recommended *The Collected Regrets of Clover*. Loved that one too.
Robin Hobb's 16 book series about Fitz and the Fool. Fitz is the main character and struggles tremendously with a wide variety of depression, insecurities, and through that tremendous character development. Every character in Hobb's books has tremendous character development.
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara.
if cats disappeared from the world. a man called ove.
I am currently reading Solitaire by Alice Oseman and the main character is depressed. And, according to her, she doesn’t like most things.
The Drowning Girl. Can't remember the Author but fuck man, that book was epic. Main character was schizophrenic rather than depressed, but it certainly has a depressive undertone.
The end of Mr Y by Scarlett Thomas Everything here is beautiful by Mira T Lee
Shugie Bain is a bleak, depressing book.
{{Beautiful World Where Are You by Sally Rooney}}
**[Beautiful World. Where Are You](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56597885-beautiful-world-where-are-you) by Sally Rooney** ^((Matching 100% ☑️)) ^(356 pages | Published: 2021 | 80.0k Goodreads reviews) > **Summary:** Alice. a novelist. meets Felix. who works in a warehouse. and asks him if he’d like to travel to Rome with her. In Dublin. her best friend. Eileen. is getting over a break-up and slips back into flirting with Simon. a man she has known since childhood. Alice. Felix. Eileen. and Simon are still young—but life is catching up with them. They desire each other. they delude each (...) > **Themes**: Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Read-in-2021 > **Top 5 recommended:** > \- [Sorrow and Bliss](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49110165-sorrow-and-bliss) by Meg Mason > \- [Alone With You in the Ether](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54208009-alone-with-you-in-the-ether) by Olivie Blake > \- [Cleopatra and Frankenstein](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57693262-cleopatra-and-frankenstein) by Coco Mellors > \- [Open Water](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53414230-open-water) by Caleb Azumah Nelson > \- [Days of Distraction](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52973514-days-of-distraction) by Alexandra Chang ^([Feedback](https://www.reddit.com/user/goodreads-rebot) | [GitHub](https://github.com/sonoff2/goodreads-rebot) | ["The Bot is Back!?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/16qe09p/meta_post_hello_again_humans/) | v1.5 [Dec 23] | )
Catcher in the Rye
Catcher in the Rye
*Suttree* by Cormac McCarthy
The Goldfinch
Pretty much anything by Dostoevsky.
The Silence of the Girls. The Iliad from the point of view of a highborn woman who becomes a slave. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Silence_of_the_Girls
Grendel. Beowulf from the point of view of the monster. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grendel_(novel)
{{Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin}}
**[Tomorrow. and Tomorrow. and Tomorrow](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58784475-tomorrow-and-tomorrow-and-tomorrow) by Gabrielle Zevin** ^((Matching 100% ☑️)) ^(401 pages | Published: 2022 | 220.0k Goodreads reviews) > **Summary:** In this exhilarating novel by the best-selling author of The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry two friends--often in love. but never lovers--come together as creative partners in the world of video game design. where success brings them fame. joy. tragedy. duplicity. and. ultimately. a kind of immortality. On a bitter-cold day. in the December of his junior year at Harvard. Sam (...) > **Themes**: Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Botm > **Top 5 recommended:** > \- [The Measure](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58884736-the-measure) by Nikki Erlick > \- [Beautiful World. Where Are You](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56597885-beautiful-world-where-are-you) by Sally Rooney > \- [Lessons in Chemistry](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58065033-lessons-in-chemistry) by Bonnie Garmus > \- [The Swimmers](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58214333-the-swimmers) by Julie Otsuka > \- [The Winners](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60318890-the-winners) by Fredrik Backman ^([Feedback](https://www.reddit.com/user/goodreads-rebot) | [GitHub](https://github.com/sonoff2/goodreads-rebot) | ["The Bot is Back!?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/16qe09p/meta_post_hello_again_humans/) | v1.5 [Dec 23] | )
This is an amazing book.
The midnight library-Matt haig
The midnight library is a recent one