If you’ve ever looked for yourself in a book and found silhouettes of what you feel, you’re not entirely alone. Depression is often found in the margins of different types of stories, with different approaches to the complex nature of it. For readers who crave the depth of lived experiences of depression, these books offer comfort in understanding rather than the fixing of characters.
Trigger Warning: This article, along with the content of some of the following books, mentions self-harm, suicide, depression, and sexual assault that may be triggering to some readers. Please exercise personal care when reading.
Nothing But the Night by John Williams
This debut novel by John Williams is a haunting exploration into the mind of a young man named Arthur Maxley, a college student passing each day with a pang of something buried in his mind that he can’t quite name. With the unraveling of his past, the story’s compelling and intimate depiction of depression is not through direct narration, but through the mind and thoughts of Arthur himself, allowing readers to be immersed in that feeling of unease and alienation.
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
This literary classic follows Esther Greenwood, a young woman recognized for her extremely talented and intellectual background. Her life begins to come apart at the seams due to the weight of depression. This story captures the suffocating feeling of societal pressures and even her own aspirations. With brutal honesty and a poetic tone, this book offers a human perspective on depression.
Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow
Seventeen-year-old Charlotte Davis is barely getting through each day, with traumas and overflowing emotions, and she uses self-harm as a means of coping with these traumas. When she is released from a treatment facility, she is left to navigate the world on her own. Glasgow’s raw and empathetic narrative explores depression, self-harm, and the gradual process of healing.
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
This story follows Aza Holmes, a teenager who, along with her friend Daisy, gets tangled up in a case to find the missing fugitive Russell Picket. While the story involves mysteries and friendship, the core of it lies in Aza’s character and internal emotional struggles. John Green offers a story with a personal look into a mind riddled with thoughts that won’t subside.
No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai
Written and told through a series of journal entries, the protagonist of this story is a man who feels isolated from society and the world around him. Being unable to connect with others, he finds himself spiraling through self-destructive tendencies and masking that alienation by becoming a “clown” in school, eventually leading to a failed suicide attempt in his adult years. This book represents depression, not in a sad way, but in disconnection with yourself and others.
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason
Martha Friel, a 40-year-old woman who is going through the motions of her crumbling marriage and her unexplained feelings of sadness that shadow anything she does. When she finds herself at a standstill, she decides to move back home for the possibility of a clean slate. Sorrow and Bliss balances emotional depth with humor, while exploring the complexities of depression and how it impacts identity, self-worth, and relationships.
i was here by Gayle Forman
After the sudden suicide of her best friend Meg, Cody is left both devastated and shocked, as she believed there were no indications that may have led to this. That is, until Cody visits Meg’s College town to retrieve some of her belongings, only to find a web of secrets and people she never knew about. Among the newfound information, an encrypted computer file is discovered, leading Cody to question everything she had known about her best friend and her death. This novel is an emotional journey through grief, guilt, and the weight of depression.
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
Our nameless main character, a young woman who appears to have everything she could ever need and want, yet there is an existing void in her heart that can no longer be ignored. She then decides to enter a year of hibernation with the help of a suspiciously bad psychiatrist. Including both dark humor and unsettling themes, this book captures a unique depiction of depression, shaped by disconnection and the overall desire to disappear from the world without death.
Suttree by Cormac McCarthy
This novel follows the life of Cornelius Suttree, who once lived a life of privilege but has turned his back on it to live in a houseboat on the Tennessee River, within a community of criminals and poverty-stricken individuals. Unlike other direct portrayals of depression, Cormac McCarthy takes a quieter and equally emotional vision of depression, emphasizing themes like grief and isolation in both physical and mental means.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
This coming-of-age book follows Charlie, a timid high schooler or “wallflower,” navigating friendships, first love, and the aftermath and effects of trauma on the mind. As his mental health begins to decline, this story embodies that feeling of silent loneliness, depression, and confusion that may be relatable to readers going through transitional periods in their lives. Rich with honesty and empathy, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a book and adapted film that reminds people that there is much more that lies beneath the surface.
These books do not offer quick and easy resolutions, and that is why they’re important. Depression looks different for everyone and feels different in the way it is experienced in stories. In representing it with honesty and depth, these books remind us that literature can both reflect and call attention to these feelings that are complex and difficult to articulate.
To feel safe at all times is a fundamental human right; let’s work to make this world physically and mentally safe for everyone. Help is available at:
The National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673
If you or someone you know is battling with mental health-related distress, we urge you to be kind and hold space for them, and contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (confidential, free, available 24/7/365):
→ Call or text 988
→ Chat at 988lifeline.org
→ Connect with a trained crisis counselor
European RNCE +44 (0)141 331 4180
List of Hotlines in 46 Countries: https://wave-network.org/list-of-helplines-in-46-countries/
If you’re interested in more books that depict realism in their portrayal of depression, click here.
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