Books like Either/Or

A dizzying, dialectical plunge into the tension between living for pleasure and living for duty. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with Either/Or.

introspective
melancholic
intellectually charged
restless

01
The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays
Albert Camus · 1959
A lyrical and defiant meditation on finding meaning and joy in a universe that refuses to offer any.
Shares:
- earnest
- philosophical
- the search for meaning
02
Sygdommen til døden
Søren Kierkegaard
A relentless, intellectually demanding plunge into the depths of human despair and the agonizing burden of becoming a self.
Shares:
- introspective
- earnest
- dialectical
03
L'être et le néant
Jean-Paul Sartre
A dense, dizzying plunge into the terrifying and exhilarating reality of absolute human freedom.
Shares:
- existential dread
04
Existentialism Is a Humanism
Jean-Paul Sartre
A brisk, electrifying defense of human freedom that places the heavy, exhilarating burden of meaning squarely on your shoulders.
Shares:
- earnest
05
Essays and aphorisms
Arthur Schopenhauer
A brilliantly cynical and beautifully written plunge into the irrationality of human existence and the quiet solace of art.
Feels:
- stark
- contemplative
- gloomy
06
The Dialogues of Plato / The Seventh Letter
Unknown author
A foundational intellectual sparring match that invites you to question everything you thought you knew about reality, love, and justice.
Shares:
- ironic
- earnest
07
The pig that wants to be eaten
Julian Baggini
A brisk, brain-teasing journey through one hundred philosophical puzzles that challenge how you see the world.
Feels:
- curious
- contemplative
- stimulating
08
La nausée
Sartre, Jean-Paul; Translated by Robert Baldick · 2005
A visceral, diary-style descent into the overwhelming, suffocating realization that existence is entirely without inherent meaning.
Shares:
- introspective
- philosophical
09
Irrational man
William Barrett
A wry, contemplative journey into the heart of existentialism, challenging the reader to wake up to their own life before it is over.
Shares:
- introspective
- philosophical
10
Art of Being
Erich Fromm
A rigorous, deeply humanistic antidote to the empty promises of quick-fix spirituality and consumerist self-help.
Shares:
- earnest
11
Basic writings of Nietzsche
Friedrich Nietzsche
A fiery, iconoclastic dismantling of Western morality that challenges you to forge your own meaning in the void.
Shares:
- intellectually charged
- ironic
12
At the Existentialist Café
Sarah Bakewell
Pull up a chair at a bustling Parisian café and eavesdrop on the brilliant, messy minds who defined modern freedom.
Feels:
- intellectually stimulating
- bustling
- nostalgic

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