Books like Little Failure: A Memoir
12 books with a reading profile close to Little Failure: A Memoir by Gary Shteyngart. Inward-looking and contemplative; an easy read.
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1
Truth & Beauty
by Ann Patchett
Also inward-looking and contemplative · memoir, narrative
Ann Patchett narrates the decades-long friendship between herself and the writer Lucy Grealy, beginning at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop.
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2
When All Is Said
by Anne Griffin
Also inward-looking and contemplative · memoir, narrative
Maurice Hannigan, an elderly Irish farmer, sits in a pub in a small town one evening and orders five drinks, one for each person who has been important in his life.
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3
Just Kids
by Patti Smith
Also inward-looking · memoir, narrative
Just Kids chronicles the relationship between Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe, beginning with their chance meeting in Brooklyn in 1967.
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4
The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother
Also inward-looking and contemplative · memoir, narrative
James McBride alternates between his own upbringing in a Brooklyn housing project and the oral history of his mother, Ruth Jordan.
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5
Stitches: A Memoir
by David Small
Also inward-looking · memoir, narrative
David Small’s graphic memoir recounts his childhood in 1950s Detroit, living in a household defined by emotional withdrawal and medical negligence.
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6
The End of Eddy
Also inward-looking and contemplative · memoir, narrative
Eddy Bellegueule grows up in a poor village in northern France, in a family where men are expected to be tough and unemployment and alcohol are common.
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7
Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood
Also inward-looking and contemplative · memoir, narrative
Alexandra Fuller outlines her upbringing in 1970s and 80s Rhodesia, Malawi, and Zambia during a period of violent decolonization.
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8
Wat ik nooit eerder heb gezegd
by Celeste Ng
Also inward-looking and contemplative · memoir, narrative
Set in 1970s Ohio, the narrative begins with the death of Lydia Lee, the favorite daughter of a mixed-race couple.
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10
Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love
by Dani Shapiro
Also inward-looking and contemplative · memoir, narrative
In 2016, Dani Shapiro submitted a DNA kit for analysis, expecting to confirm her Ashkenazi Jewish heritage.
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11
Moab Is My Washpot
by Stephen Fry
Also inward-looking and contemplative · memoir, narrative
In this memoir, Stephen Fry recounts his first twenty years, focusing on his turbulent education at various English boarding schools and his eventual imprisonment.
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12
This Boy's Life
by Tobias Wolff
Also inward-looking · memoir, narrative
Tobias Wolff’s memoir recounts his nomadic upbringing in the 1950s as he travels across the United States with his divorced mother to escape an abusive boyfriend.
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