Books like Essays

A luminous, philosophical love letter to the enduring magic and mechanics of literature. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with Essays.

contemplative
luminous
intellectual
reverent

01
If on a Winter's Night a Traveler
Italo Calvino
A playful, labyrinthine love letter to the act of reading itself, where you are the main character.
Feels:
- labyrinthine
- surreal
- cozy
02
History Of Beauty
Umberto Eco · 2004
A lavish, intellectual stroll through the galleries of human history, guided by a master philosopher.
Shares:
- contemplative
- erudite
03
The language of the night
Ursula K. Le Guin
A fierce, illuminating masterclass on the necessity of imagination and the profound truth hidden within fantasy.
Shares:
- contemplative
- passionate
- philosophical
04
Consider the lobster, and other essays
David Foster Wallace · 2005
A dizzying, hyper-articulate plunge into the absurdities and moral anxieties of modern American life.
Feels:
- intellectually dizzying
- neurotic
- darkly comic
05
The Library at Night
Alberto Manguel
An elegant, essayistic exploration of the Platonic ideal of libraries and the profound joy of reading.
Shares:
- contemplative
- intellectual
- reverent
- thoughtful
06
Le città invisibili
Italo Calvino · 1998
A surreal, kaleidoscopic journey through imaginary metropolises that ultimately maps the contours of human memory and desire.
Shares:
- contemplative
- philosophical
07
Lectures on Literature. Austen, Dickens, Flaubert, Stevenson, Proust, Kafka, Joyce
Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov
An authoritative, scholarly exploration of the craft of fiction through the lens of classic 19th and 20th-century literature.
Shares:
- contemplative
- intellectual
08
Comment voyager avec un saumon
Umberto Eco · 2000
A brilliant philosopher turns his towering intellect toward the mundane annoyances of modern life, with hilarious results.
Shares:
- erudite
09
Literary theory
Terry Eagleton
An engaging, unpretentious journey through the major movements of contemporary literary thought.
Shares:
- contemplative
- intellectual
10
How to read and why
Harold Bloom
An impassioned, erudite invitation to treat the reading of great literature as a profound act of self-discovery.
Shares:
- contemplative
- intellectual
- reverent
- erudite
11
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:
- contemplative
- philosophical
12
Artful
Ali Smith
A ghostly, genre-defying conversation about love, loss, and the literature that keeps us alive.
Shares:
- erudite

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