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Franz Kafka is definitely one of my favorite authors. The Metamorphosis was wonderful and I'm currently reading The Trial. His work has a subtle absurdity to it which I find intriguing.
Kafka was what I thought when I saw this post! If you like him, also check out James Joyce and Milan Kundera. They tend to be more realistic in terms of content, no insect transformations, but I get a similar absurdity vibe.
I was thinking of The Trial. Something about how the stairs go nowhere and the structure makes no sense fits that novel. Also, I'm pretty sure most opaque, oppressive bureaucracies are populated by lizard people (or people with the emotional intelligence and humanity of your average lizard.)
So this isnât a âbookâ but âThe Mazeâ by Christopher Manson is a puzzle book with vibes like this. Each page is a âroomâ in the maze and you pick numbers to go through different doors. I think youâd like the imagery.
It didnât initially make me think of crime and punishment, but now that you mention it, I would have to say I completely agree.
Line from the book:
>! â. . . candle draws the moth . . . moth canât help it. Heartâs pounding, that wonât do.â !<
The line I shared isnât a spoiler; Iâm the sort of person who doesnât even like to read the summary on the back of a book, I want every last bit of it to be a surprise.
Tam Lin by Pamela Dean <- dark academia (70s?) retelling of Tam Lin.
Dubious Hills by Pamela Dean <- fantasy world
I find Pamela Deans books kinda bewildering when trying to figure out the world building. I can never decide if its cus shes a good author or if shes just really bad. But I've read 5 of her books now so......
The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage by Sydney Padua.
Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler.
The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa.
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St John Mandel.
Movie: Eraserhead.
Spot on with Eraserhead, as it absolutely feels like this. Itâs one of the most brilliant movies Iâve ever seen although I will never watch it again.
I know this is about books but for another movie recommendation with similar vibes: Synecdoche, New York.
It's YA from the 70s but *House of Stairs* by William Sleator is about a group of teens trapped in a place with a bunch of stairs inspired by MC Escher (the first image is also called House of Stairs)
Not mazes specifically, but lots of horrific disorientation: The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers, just the first few stories:
* Cassilda's Song
* The Repairer of Reputations
* The Mask
* In the Court of the Dragon
* The Yellow Sign
Also Wylding Hall by Elizabeth Hand - mostly more a folk horror feel, but has a good "lost in a staircase" scene.
The Castle by Franz Kafka it works sooooooooooo well within absurdism. (Honestly, any Franz Kafka book, but this one especially, it's pretty short as well.)
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Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
Absolutely!
Came here to say this!
Came to say this đ
Came here to say this!
House of leaves
It's almost like OP was holding House of Leaves and posted this to make sure it was the right choice
Hahahaha
Absolutely the first book I thought of. It was immediate from the first picture and cemented by the rest.
Iâm trying to read this right now⌠again⌠I bought it like 7 years ago (God time flies). I hear its worth it eventually đĽ˛
Came here to say this!
Came here to say that
Second this!
*Labyrinths* by Jorge Luis Borges
Came here to say this
this reminds me of franz kafka for some reason, maybe check some of his work? cause idk if metamorphosis necessarily fits this level of confusion
Franz Kafka is definitely one of my favorite authors. The Metamorphosis was wonderful and I'm currently reading The Trial. His work has a subtle absurdity to it which I find intriguing.
[ŃдаНонО]
Kafka was what I thought when I saw this post! If you like him, also check out James Joyce and Milan Kundera. They tend to be more realistic in terms of content, no insect transformations, but I get a similar absurdity vibe.
The Castle features a town which is labyrinthian not so much in its layout as in its societal structure, and I always think of it in these questions.
I was thinking of The Trial. Something about how the stairs go nowhere and the structure makes no sense fits that novel. Also, I'm pretty sure most opaque, oppressive bureaucracies are populated by lizard people (or people with the emotional intelligence and humanity of your average lizard.)
The Trial was the first thing that I thought
Southern Reach Trilogy by Jeff Vandermeer
Most anything by Jeff Vandermeer
The Trial by Franz Kafka
Came here to say this. This definitely is the building with the courthouse.
Junji Itoâs Uzumaki
I read this last year and holy hell. What a mindfuck. Of course then I promptly read Black Paradox and Tomie.
I hope you get good recommendations, but this image freaks me the fuck out
The Hike by Drew Magary
Isnât that a great book?? Iâve read it almost every year since I was given it as a gift.
Dark Matter (kind of?)
The Metamorphosis
Reminds of journey to the end of the night by Celine for some reason. Pretty much anything by Kafka or Poe though.
Gideon the Ninth, Tamsyn Muir
So accurate. Also I love this book- it deserves all the flowers
House Of Stairs
So this isnât a âbookâ but âThe Mazeâ by Christopher Manson is a puzzle book with vibes like this. Each page is a âroomâ in the maze and you pick numbers to go through different doors. I think youâd like the imagery.
Marco's Millions by William Sleator
Petersburg by Andrei Bely
crime and punishment by fyodor
It didnât initially make me think of crime and punishment, but now that you mention it, I would have to say I completely agree. Line from the book: >! â. . . candle draws the moth . . . moth canât help it. Heartâs pounding, that wonât do.â !< The line I shared isnât a spoiler; Iâm the sort of person who doesnât even like to read the summary on the back of a book, I want every last bit of it to be a surprise.
Chess story by stefan zweig
The Kingdom of Sweets by Erika Johansen
The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry
I adore this book
The Ruined Map by Kobo Abe
âWeâ by Evgeny Zamyatin
The Castle by Franz Kafka
2666 by Roberto Bolano
A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck.
Alice Knott by Blake Butler
Naked Lunch
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency
The Castle by Franz Kafka
The arrival by Shaun tan
Edgar Allan Poe, few texts by Henry James, Borges, Lovecraft
The Man Who Was Thursday by GK Chesterton
The Yellow Wallpaper Short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
House of Stairs by William Sleator. Moreso than Piranesi in my opinion.
This is what reading House Of Leaves looks like in your brain.
Dreams in the Witch House by Lovecraft
the grotesque patrick mcgrath
In The Vanishersâ Palace, Aliette de Bodard
Daedelian Depths
Tam Lin by Pamela Dean <- dark academia (70s?) retelling of Tam Lin. Dubious Hills by Pamela Dean <- fantasy world I find Pamela Deans books kinda bewildering when trying to figure out the world building. I can never decide if its cus shes a good author or if shes just really bad. But I've read 5 of her books now so......
Iâm not sure but if it had a title it would be âFuzzy Cornersâ.
Coup De Grace by Sofia Ajram May fit this. It's not out yet, so I can't say this with 100% certainty
Julius Corentin Acquefacques by Marc-Antoine Mathieu
What Stalks Among Us -Sarah Hollowell
Requiem for a Dream
The Trial
The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage by Sydney Padua. Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler. The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa. Sea of Tranquility by Emily St John Mandel. Movie: Eraserhead.
Spot on with Eraserhead, as it absolutely feels like this. Itâs one of the most brilliant movies Iâve ever seen although I will never watch it again. I know this is about books but for another movie recommendation with similar vibes: Synecdoche, New York.
Blindsight by Peter Watts
[We Spread by Iain Reid](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60209475-we-spread)
Amnesia moon
Instantly reminded me of the Maze Runner.
Metamorphosis by kafka
It's YA from the 70s but *House of Stairs* by William Sleator is about a group of teens trapped in a place with a bunch of stairs inspired by MC Escher (the first image is also called House of Stairs)
Howl
Spider Patrick McGrath
Images 2 and 3 make me think of Ligotti.
Poor things
House of Leaves
Borne, by Jeff Vandermeer The Crying of Lot 49, by Thomas Pynchon
How you turn my world you precious thing... I'm sorry I couldn't help myself. The novelization of Labyrinth might be good?
Metamorphosis
Kafka
Haunting of Hill House
Borges. The whole Borges universe feels like this.
Not mazes specifically, but lots of horrific disorientation: The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers, just the first few stories: * Cassilda's Song * The Repairer of Reputations * The Mask * In the Court of the Dragon * The Yellow Sign Also Wylding Hall by Elizabeth Hand - mostly more a folk horror feel, but has a good "lost in a staircase" scene.
Piranesi!
There are occasional moments throughout âMy Year of Rest and Relaxationâ that feel like this.
A Scanner Darkly
the doloriad by missouri williams
Umbrella - Will Self
Shutter Island might peak your interest. It is a psychological thriller with some really good twists.
Franz Kafka âThe Trialâ
S by J J Abrams
Paul Auster's The New York Trilogy, followed by Travels in the Scriptorium :)
Piranesi and the metamorphosis
2001 a space odyssey
Commenting to stay in the loop
Im thinking of ending things
The Scar
I immediately thought of the Sandman graphic novels.
Anything by Kafka. Especially âIn the Penal Colonyâ
Einsteins Dreams!
Read Fyodor Dostoevsky!!! đđ§đžââď¸
âThe man who was Thursdayâ comes to mind
The Castle by Franz Kafka it works sooooooooooo well within absurdism. (Honestly, any Franz Kafka book, but this one especially, it's pretty short as well.)
The starless sea by Erin morgenstern
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
Everything sad is untrue
The Name of the Rose
The Obscene Bird of Night by JosĂŠ Donoso
Borges stuff maybe
Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
The windup bird chronicle by Haruki Murakami
Hangsaman by Shirley Jackson
Every book suggested here I've either read and loved, or have never heard of before. Naturally, all of the latter are going straight in my TBR!
The book of disquiet
I feel like a lot of Russian literature feels like this: I would say Master & Margarita (Bulgakov) and Krzhizhanovsky short stories. Russian