Can you help me find a book similar to these?
Asked by
Lemley (
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August 1st, 2016
A few years ago I read J. D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye and it became my most loved book right away. I absolutely adore Holden (the main hero), six years later. Never thought I’d find anything like that, to be honest. (I worship Salinger’s work in general, by the way)
The only book that has reminded me of the Catcher (as a dismal version of almost the same story, the darker side of it, this time told by a woman and also being a true story, for the most part) is The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. Read it a few months ago, I still can’t get over it.
Is there anything similar? I’m asking you, so please don’t give me any GoodReads search results or Google stuff, answer using your own experience. Even if you just got similar vibes from a certain book, it’ll do.
(And if you’ve read these books or one of them please feel free to share your experience, opinion, etc.)
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9 Answers
I would give Siddhartha a try and once you finish that read everything else by Hesse.
Then move on to Kafka.
The world will be a bit different once you read everything both of them wrote.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Dress Gray by Truscott
The Lords of Discipline by Conroy
Both set a military academies – a disaffected (or perhaps loner-type) of student trying to find his way and reach maturity as an adult.
Dress Gray would be my preference to read first, Lords of Discipline was excellent too.
@johnpowell I haven’t read everything they wrote, but I like both of them. Especially Kafka. But still, nothing like that feeling. To me, at least.
@janbb Aww the Wallflower is great <3 I’ll check out the others you suggested.
@elbanditoroso Never heard of those, thanks :)
Also, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton is a classic of disaffected youth.
Portnoy’s Complaint by Philip Roth. Is kind of the adult version of Holden Caulfield.
Skinny Legs and All(novel) by Philip Roth. This is a very involved story, with lots of characters, but it is the self-loathing and sexual themes that made me think of this book. The story itself is not similar, but if you liked Catcher in the Rye, you might like this.
Ahem. Skinny Legs and All is a Tom Robbins joint.
You’ve already read “Lord of the Flies”?
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