I hope this description makes sense. I saw a pattern between 3 books I read recently and gave all five stars, these being Jane Eyre, The Remains of the Day and The Snow Child.
All of these books are “quiet” and “somber”, where nothing world ending is happening, but seems to focus a lot on a small cast of characters and their experiences. Snow Child has a little bit of fantasy, but not a lot. All of these have beautiful descriptions of the small world surrounding the characters. They’re not necessarily sad, but they do seem to get introspective. Thank you so much for your time!
by leeinflowerfields
10 Comments
Would [A Tree Grows in Brooklyn](https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/dc5de2f5-b132-4c4c-8e49-8bf46005d5da) by Betty Smith qualify?
Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Murakami
I highly recommend “Foster” and “Small Things Like These” by Claire Keegan. These were some of my favourite reads of last year and fit your description to a T.
Maybe A Room of One’s Own.
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Winter in Sokcho by Elisa Dusapin – a short, somber book with a small cast of characters
Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson.
Probably a obvious choice but Stoner maybe? It’s one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read but if I’d describe it to anyone I would probably bore myself.
The Goldfinch – Donna Tartt
The Accidental – Ali Smith
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter – Carson McCullers
Gut Symmetries – Jeanette Winterson
The History of Love – Nicole Krauss
What I Loved – Siri Hustvedt
Moon Tiger – Penelope Lively
Our Souls at Night – Kent Haruf
The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See
It’s steeped in Chinese culture and spans decades, tracking the life of a young poverty-stricken young girl in the mountains of China. I honestly didn’t want it to end.