Books like

Books like Martyr!

12 books with a reading profile close to Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar. Deep, inward-looking, contemplative, open-ended and thought-provoking; a moderate read.

1

Greek Lessons

by Han Kang

Also deep and inward-looking · narrative, psychology

In a classroom in Seoul, a woman who has lost her ability to speak begins studying Ancient Greek.
2

Normal People By Sally Rooney & Milkman By Anna Burns 2 Books Collection Set

by Sally Rooney, Anna Burns

Also deep and inward-looking · narrative, psychology

This collection brings together two distinct portraits of Irish life and social pressure.
3

No Longer Human

by Junji Ito, Osamu Dazai

Also deep and inward-looking · narrative, psychology

Yozo Oba lives behind a literal and figurative mask, faking a persona of a cheerful clown to hide his profound alienation from the human race.
4

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

by Jonathan Safran Foer

Also deep and inward-looking · narrative, psychology

Nine-year-old Oskar Schell discovers a key in a blue vase belonging to his father, who died in the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center.
5

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves

by Karen Joy Fowler

Also inward-looking and thought-provoking · narrative, psychology

Rosemary Cooke begins her college years by narrating her family's collapse, a disintegration sparked by the disappearance of her sister Fern and her brother Lowell.
6

My Year of Rest and Relaxation

by Ottessa Moshfegh

Also deep and inward-looking · narrative, psychology

Set in New York City during the year 2000, the narrative follows an unnamed narrator who decides to hibernate for an entire year.
7

Jesus’ Son

by Denis Johnson

Also deep and inward-looking · narrative, literary

Eleven linked stories follow a drifting narrator through the drug-addled margins of the American Midwest and Pacific Northwest in the 1970s.
8

Life Before Man

by Margaret Atwood

Also deep and inward-looking · narrative, psychology

Set in Toronto during the late 1970s, the narrative centers on a stagnant love triangle between Elizabeth, her husband Nate, and his lover Lesje.
9

10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World

by Elif Shafak

Also deep and inward-looking · narrative, literary

Tequila Leila, a sex worker in Istanbul, has been murdered and dumped in a trash bin.
10

Lanny

by Max Porter

Also deep and inward-looking · narrative, literary

Lanny lives in an English village where his unusual sensitivity draws the attention of Dead Papa Toothwort, an ancient, mythical presence woven into the land.
11

The Promise

by Damon Galgut

Also deep and inward-looking · narrative, literary

The narrative follows the Swart family, white farmers living near Pretoria, across four funerals spanning four decades of South African history.
12

The Emperor of Gladness

by Ocean Vuong

Also deep and inward-looking · narrative, literary

In this debut for young readers, the narrative combines structured verse and prose to follow a young protagonist navigating the quiet landscapes of suburban New England.

Get picks matched to your own reading on papr.

Get papr

Your library, beautifully understood.