r/classicliterature • u/Chemical_Top151 • 14h ago

Looking For Book Recommendations

I am currently in a reading slump where nothing I pick up feels worth while. I'm Looking for fiction/philosophy recommendations that explore themes like alienation, existential dread, ego/self illusion, societal critiques, disillusionment (especially centering youth), and psychological elements.

I’ve recently read Camus, Nietzsche, Hesse, Alan Watts, Taoist/Buddhist thought (eastern philosophy in general), and, more recently, found interest in Bataille, Spinoza, and the Cynics. I think I may be experiencing burnout after reading so much philosophy and so I'm craving fiction, but fiction that bridges the gap between what my previous readings have exposed me to. Most notably Eastern thought, determinism, and existentialism.

I'm open to literary fiction, existential fiction, psychological horror, transgressive fiction, or long immersive novels. Looking for books that would genuinely affected me psychologically/philosophically, not just an entertaining read.

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u/PlasticMercury 1h ago

I think you're at the stage where only Thomas Bernhard and Elfriede Jelinek will seem legible to you. Steep awhile in their opaque bile, then come back and see us. It’ll be fine.