- The Gunslinger by Stephen King - This book is full of Roland's first adventures and his solo journey towards the Dark Tower. He meets few people and these interactions never go well for him. It's a sad and long (and lonely) journey.
- The Road by Cormac McCarthy - Two people traveling down the road - that's basically the plot of this book. It's slow, it's sad, and it's a very quiet and lonely story.
- Persuasion by Jane Austen - So much of Anne Elliott's life is being pushed into the background and forgotten about. This book follows a very lonely and sad protagonist who finds happiness - it's the perfect book for a sad beginning and a satisfying happy ending.
- My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George - An old children's classic, this book follows a boy who runs away to the wilderness and the adventures he has living on his own.
What other books capture loneliness well? Have you read and enjoyed anything from this list?
I hadn't considered Persuasion a novel about loneliness, but thinking it over now you're absolutely right.
ReplyDeleteI'd add The Dollmaker by Harriette Arnow and A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness.
Yeah - poor Anne is pretty alone for most of the book.
DeleteI will definitely have to look into those books - thanks for the recommendations!