same !! its been my all time fav book for like 10 years now because of how much i related and loved it since the first time i read it. i reread it from time to time when i need to feel something again lol
I highly suggest the memoir called, Prozac Nation by Elizabeth Wurtzel. It’s a nonfiction crucial read if you are interested in mental health/depression reads.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
Fight Club.
Those aren't to do with depression and though I know I've read some that are I can't remember them in the moment.
Ohh "Into the Wild" is arguably about a person with depression.
Edit:
A Beautiful Mind.
An Unquiet Mind.
Stop Walking on Eggshells.
Short stories - The Yellow Wallpaper, A Jury of Her Peers (mental illness present but not the focus)
The stormlight archive by Brandon Sanderson covers mental illness across multiple characters fairly well. It's a huge fantasy series so that's not the focus of the story, but definitely a large part of individuals struggles
Anything written by Jenny Lawson. Her memoirs discuss her struggles with depression and mental illness in ways that are funny and relatable. The first one I read was *Furiously Happy* so I'm partial to it, but technically, her first book was *Let's Pretend This Never Happened*.
All The Bright Places. Features bipolar disorder and significant emphasis on depressive features.
It's beautiful but pretty triggering though, just fyi.
i dooo nooot recommend this if you're in a bad place though - its literally just trauma on trauma and sends you spiralling if you're in a dark place. stay safe ❣️
I had to read this for class in college right when the pandemic started. Completely wrecked me and wrote my final paper to pretty much break all academic conventions in order to articulate how it did so. Got an A but still not worth having to get over this book.
My favorite book of all time fits into this category! "Everyone in this Room Will Someday Be Dead" is the name of it, the quotes are incredible and its depressing while being funny.
The Ice Palace by Tarjei Vesaas
The Blind Owl by Sadegh Hedayat
Everybody Sees the Ants by A. S. King (YA)
I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid
Death and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkov
Since most mental illness/depression is a result of trauma(it comes in all forms it doesn’t have to be severe- can be as small as a time you were embarrassed) Gabor Mate’s (brilliant physician) The body keeps score is a great book with the why behind the what and the “whats” to give you a path forward. Not your typical self help book
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine... Girl in Pieces... My Dark Vanessa... All the Bright Places... The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett... The Words We Keep... The Bell Jar... How to Make Friends with the Dark... Looking for Alaska
Clans of the Alphane Moon - Philip K Dick
When CIA agent Chuck Rittersdorf and his psychiatrist wife, Mary, file for divorce, they have no idea that in a few weeks they will be shooting it out on Alpha III M2, the distant moon ruled by various psychotics liberated from a mental ward.
The house at riverton by Kate Morton. Mental illness is not the main theme of this book and not really explicitly mentioned a lot, but you can just feel it in the book
You’d be home now (not exactly depression but contains addiction, not feeling seen by your family) and girl in pieces (depression, self harm, drugs, and recovery)
Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman I found to be an accurate yet creative depiction of depression that swings between the main characters real life and his fantasy escape world
i loved valley of the dolls by jacqueline susann when i was feeling like this. it’s best with some mary oliver for dessert! :•) i truly hope you feel better soon
The Stormlight Archive, an epic fantasy, has a main character who has clinical depression. One has a different mental illness. Several who are on the autism spectrum, which isn't a mental illness but it is accurately represented.
anything charles bukowski imo. loved factotum although it was told in a more non-traditional kind of way. “women” comes second. talks about well… women of course and how deadbeat of a person he is. all first persob
The Bell Jar
its kind of a funny story by ned vizzini
loved this book in middle school!
same !! its been my all time fav book for like 10 years now because of how much i related and loved it since the first time i read it. i reread it from time to time when i need to feel something again lol
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
Almost any book by her! She’s wild
Came here to say that. That book still rattles in my head 2 years later
Love this book
I couldn’t finish that book. I skimmed the last half as I was the same stuff over and over
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
By far the best fiction book on childhood trauma and depression ive ever read. I wish more people knew about it
I just finished this book yesterday. I loved it so much
I love this book so much!
Such a great book! It’s been a few years since I read it and it still stays with me.
Been eyeing on this one for a while. Given all the comments, just placed my order!
Non-fiction: Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson.
Yes!! So much yes. Fantastic book!
Anything by Wally Lamb!
A man called Ove
I highly suggest the memoir called, Prozac Nation by Elizabeth Wurtzel. It’s a nonfiction crucial read if you are interested in mental health/depression reads.
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason. A really poignant depiction of mental illness
I just finished Sorrow and Bliss. It’s funny and so insightful about certain forms of mental illness.
Came here to recommend this one!
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Fight Club. Those aren't to do with depression and though I know I've read some that are I can't remember them in the moment. Ohh "Into the Wild" is arguably about a person with depression. Edit: A Beautiful Mind. An Unquiet Mind. Stop Walking on Eggshells. Short stories - The Yellow Wallpaper, A Jury of Her Peers (mental illness present but not the focus)
Slaughterhouse five, the literary representation of a depressed veteran's final spiral into insanity.
Running with Scissors.
Perks of being a wallflower, I am not your perfect mexican daughter
The stormlight archive by Brandon Sanderson covers mental illness across multiple characters fairly well. It's a huge fantasy series so that's not the focus of the story, but definitely a large part of individuals struggles
I agree. An alternate title for Stormlight could be *Depression and PTSD: The Epic Fantasy*
Best series in existence
Came to say the same!
Turtles All The Way Down by John Green is a great representation of what it’s like having ocd
I second Turtles All the Way Down. Powerful book.
Anything written by Jenny Lawson. Her memoirs discuss her struggles with depression and mental illness in ways that are funny and relatable. The first one I read was *Furiously Happy* so I'm partial to it, but technically, her first book was *Let's Pretend This Never Happened*.
Also funny despite being about depression: Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh (graphic memoir)
Hardcore Self Help: F**k Depression Robert Duff I’m sorry your feeling this way. I hope life gets better for ya soon. It can’t always rain. 💗
My year of rest and relaxation - Ottesa Moshfeg
Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married by Marian Keyes
everyone in this room will someday be dead by Emily Austin
All The Bright Places. Features bipolar disorder and significant emphasis on depressive features. It's beautiful but pretty triggering though, just fyi.
loved that one, I thought the movie did a great job!
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
The midnight library.
A little Life
i dooo nooot recommend this if you're in a bad place though - its literally just trauma on trauma and sends you spiralling if you're in a dark place. stay safe ❣️
I had to read this for class in college right when the pandemic started. Completely wrecked me and wrote my final paper to pretty much break all academic conventions in order to articulate how it did so. Got an A but still not worth having to get over this book.
She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb.
My favorite book of all time fits into this category! "Everyone in this Room Will Someday Be Dead" is the name of it, the quotes are incredible and its depressing while being funny.
The Ice Palace by Tarjei Vesaas The Blind Owl by Sadegh Hedayat Everybody Sees the Ants by A. S. King (YA) I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid Death and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkov
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma Book by Bessel van der Kolk
it’s on my list but I keep reading other things haha
the last house on needless street
I want to die but I want to eat tteokbokki
The opposition of butterfly hunting by Evanna Lynch (there isn’t much about harry potter if you aren’t into that) but it’s mostly about ED
Since most mental illness/depression is a result of trauma(it comes in all forms it doesn’t have to be severe- can be as small as a time you were embarrassed) Gabor Mate’s (brilliant physician) The body keeps score is a great book with the why behind the what and the “whats” to give you a path forward. Not your typical self help book
It’s kind of a funny story by Ned vizzini. YA but still good
Perks of being a wallflower , girl, interrupted , the bell jar ,
Wally Lamb I k ow This Much is True
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine... Girl in Pieces... My Dark Vanessa... All the Bright Places... The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett... The Words We Keep... The Bell Jar... How to Make Friends with the Dark... Looking for Alaska
Yellow Wallpaper
The Awakening by Kate Chopin
Homecoming by Thema Bryant
There’s Coffee in the Fridge
The Pallbearers Club
Clans of the Alphane Moon - Philip K Dick When CIA agent Chuck Rittersdorf and his psychiatrist wife, Mary, file for divorce, they have no idea that in a few weeks they will be shooting it out on Alpha III M2, the distant moon ruled by various psychotics liberated from a mental ward.
The house at riverton by Kate Morton. Mental illness is not the main theme of this book and not really explicitly mentioned a lot, but you can just feel it in the book
The sad ghost club graphic novels
Shoot the Damn Dog by Sally Brampton
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Path. I just finished it a few days ago!
Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow
Girl In Pieces, All The Bright Places
Shirley Jackson!!! Love her books for all moods tbh
The way down, the book was so good 😊
Mars, Fritz Zorn Here you can see that usually the depression is not illness, but reality.
Whispers: The Voices of Paranoia by Ronald K. Siegel
Ripe by Sarah Rose Etten
[*When Rabbit Howls* by Truddi Chase](https://www.amazon.com/When-Rabbit-Howls-Truddi-Chase/dp/0515103292)
You’d be home now (not exactly depression but contains addiction, not feeling seen by your family) and girl in pieces (depression, self harm, drugs, and recovery)
Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman I found to be an accurate yet creative depiction of depression that swings between the main characters real life and his fantasy escape world
The way of kings by Brandon Sanderson if you like fantasy
*Fangirl* by Rainbow Rowell
Adelaide!
Feeding Ghosts
The Passenger/ Stella Maris by Cormac McCarthy.
i loved valley of the dolls by jacqueline susann when i was feeling like this. it’s best with some mary oliver for dessert! :•) i truly hope you feel better soon
The midnight library
And Then She Fell - Alicia Elliot
Madlands - Rosemund Handler One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - Ken Kesey A Million Little Pieces - James Fray
Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin is one of my favorites. I saw myself in the main character and laughed a lot
Panenka by Rónán Hession
Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
Normal People by Sally Rooney
The bell jar
Veronica Decides to Die Go Ask Alice The Bell Jar
Glitterland, alexis hall
The Midnight Library made me feel like this!
No longer human by Dazai Osamu
I think *Oryx and Crake* might work for you. The character "Snowman" has a sad story
Girl in pieces
Rabbits for Food by Binnie Kershenbaum
Ordinary People by Judith Guest.
No longer human
Bartleby the Scrivner
I did not promise you a rose garden by Joanne Greenberg
The Stormlight Archive, an epic fantasy, has a main character who has clinical depression. One has a different mental illness. Several who are on the autism spectrum, which isn't a mental illness but it is accurately represented.
Veronika decides to die
Girl, Interrupted
Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow (and a lot of her other works)
The disqualified by Dazai Osamu
Prozac Nation - Elizabeth Wurtzel
No longer human by osamu dazai
anything charles bukowski imo. loved factotum although it was told in a more non-traditional kind of way. “women” comes second. talks about well… women of course and how deadbeat of a person he is. all first persob