# Suggest some books that won't make me want to cut my wrists **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 29, 2014, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-some-books-that-wont-make-me-want-to-cut-my-wrists/689599 "2014-05-29T22:56:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jayrey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/47e85d/32.png) [@jayrey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayrey)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2014, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-some-books-that-wont-make-me-want-to-cut-my-wrists/689599/1 "2014-05-29T22:56:52Z")
I’ve read some good books lately, but they all have been real downers. Old people, ill and alone, struggling with modern life; the last years of Romanov dynasty and its brutal end; life and death (a lot of death!) and other weirdness in ancient Eqypt. I’m ready to throw myself off a bridge at the dismalness of it all! So, suggest to me some books that well-written and engaging but aren’t too dark or romantically sappy or juvenile. I love Terry Prachett, but have read everything of his except the most recent, which hasn’t gotten the greatest reviews here. I’ve read **Khadaji"s What’cha Reading** thread (have it bookmarked!) and have noted a couple of good titles, which I now have on hold at the library, so it will be awhile before I can read those. I’ve read and enjoyed Rothfuss, Harkness, Prachett, McCall Smith, Owen Perry and their ilk. I love historical fiction but I’m sick of war and pestilence. Ready, set, go! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2014, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-some-books-that-wont-make-me-want-to-cut-my-wrists/689599/2 "2014-05-29T23:06:22Z")
The _Flashman_ series by George Macdonald Fraser. Since you like Pratchett, I might recommend the works of Robert Rankin and/or Tim Holt. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2014, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-some-books-that-wont-make-me-want-to-cut-my-wrists/689599/3 "2014-05-29T23:14:34Z")
PG Wodehouse, Dude. Jeeves and Wooster. Start with either one of the collections of short stories, or _The Code of the Woosters_. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2014, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-some-books-that-wont-make-me-want-to-cut-my-wrists/689599/4 "2014-05-29T23:17:09Z")
Carl Hiaassen. Big Trouble, Dave Barry ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2014, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-some-books-that-wont-make-me-want-to-cut-my-wrists/689599/5 "2014-05-29T23:18:33Z")
[Headlong](http://www.amazon.com/Headlong-A-Novel-Bestselling-Backlist/dp/0312267460#) by Michael Frayn It’s basically about a guy who is trying to finish his dissertation and becomes obsessed with the idea that a painting he found blocking the draft from the chimney in his rental cottage is a lost work of a master (Bruegel, IIRC). Thoroughly zany, but not at all juvenile. It was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, too. ETA: oh, yes, PG Wodehouse for sure. You might also consider [Three Men in a Boat](http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/308) by Jerome K. Jerome if you like that sort of thing, and maybe even [To Say Nothing Of the Dog](http://www.amazon.com/Say-Nothing-Dog-Connie-Willis/dp/0553575384) by Connie Willis, a time-travel comic SF novel set the same week as TMiaB. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2014, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-some-books-that-wont-make-me-want-to-cut-my-wrists/689599/6 "2014-05-29T23:25:24Z")
[West With the Night](http://www.amazon.com/West-Night-Beryl-Markham/dp/1578989531) by Beryl Markham. No reason, I just think everyone should read it. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2014, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-some-books-that-wont-make-me-want-to-cut-my-wrists/689599/7 "2014-05-29T23:28:29Z")
Correction to my above: Tom Holt. I’d suggest his earlier works like _Expecting Someone Taller, Who’s Afraid of Beowolf?_ and _Flying Dutch_. ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_wuzzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a8b319/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_wuzzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_wuzzy)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2014, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-some-books-that-wont-make-me-want-to-cut-my-wrists/689599/8 "2014-05-29T23:32:11Z")
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, by Suzanna Clarke. A great mixture of historical fiction, fantasy and humour. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2014, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-some-books-that-wont-make-me-want-to-cut-my-wrists/689599/9 "2014-05-29T23:34:05Z")
Thirding P.G. Wodehouse. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2014, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-some-books-that-wont-make-me-want-to-cut-my-wrists/689599/10 "2014-05-30T01:13:36Z")
The early novels of Robert Crais with his swingin’ L.A. detective, Elvis Cole, I found most enjoyable. (the later ones, not so much fun). And Robert Parker, in a similar vein. If you like non-fiction, can’t go wrong with David Sedaris or Bill Bryson. ---
**Author:** ![fuchsiagroan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9de0a6/32.png) [@fuchsiagroan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fuchsiagroan)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2014, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-some-books-that-wont-make-me-want-to-cut-my-wrists/689599/11 "2014-05-30T01:18:59Z")
Kelly Link’s Magic for Beginners is a favorite. Ever read any John Sladek? ---
**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2014, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-some-books-that-wont-make-me-want-to-cut-my-wrists/689599/12 "2014-05-30T01:22:08Z")
I strongly recommend the Aubrey-Maturin novels by Patrick O’Brian. They center on war, but they’re light-hearted and very well-written. How about the Foundation series by Isaac Asimov? I don’t think they’ve driven anyone to suicide. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2014, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-some-books-that-wont-make-me-want-to-cut-my-wrists/689599/13 "2014-05-30T02:48:14Z")
Although I can second “To Say Nothing of the Dog” by Connie Willis, if you’re worried about slashing your wrists, don’t read her other time travel works. As extremely well written as they are, they are very depressing. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2014, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-some-books-that-wont-make-me-want-to-cut-my-wrists/689599/14 "2014-05-30T03:52:15Z")
And now for something completely different: I’m going to recommend to you Anthony Trollope, a Victorian novelist. His works are long, the humor is sly and very pointed, the situations are nearly incomprehensible to the modern reader, which makes them all the more fascinating to lose oneself in. He wrote two main series of novels that I have read. One is the Barsetshire series, which is about life in a provincial cathedral town for those in the Church of England hierarchy - gossip, church politics, in-fighting, all the good things, and leavened with that sly wit. The other series is called the Palliser novels, which concerns itself with Parliament and the people who revolve around it. Both take place around the 1860’s and 1870’s. Well, I realize this recommendation is probably not going to be followed, but I can only say that reading these dozen or so novels will probably take you a year or more, and you will come out of it a completely changed person. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2014, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-some-books-that-wont-make-me-want-to-cut-my-wrists/689599/15 "2014-05-30T04:25:09Z")
Trollope is good, but if you are not familiar with the rhythm of Victorian novels, he’s not a good place to start. Thomas Hardy is easier, but you will want to slit your wrists. Maybe try _The Moonstone_, by Willkie Collins. Or some lighter Dickens, like _David Copperfield_. _Dracula_ is exciting, easy to read, and will not make you want to slit your wrists, despite the dark subject. Also, all EM Forster (_A Room with a View_) is a good way to get into Victorian novels. Personally, I happen to love Victorian novels, and I probably know more about them than I do about modern novels. _Pride and Prejudice_, which is older than Victorian, is surprisingly light and easy-going. There’s a reason it has been pretty much been in constant print since it first came out. Also, some non-fiction by Gerald Durrell, particularly _My Family and Other Animals_. If you don’t insist on novels, pick up _The Portable Dorothy Parker_. It has all her published poetry collections (very funny), most of her short stories, and selection of her Constant Reader columns, which are IMO, the best part of the book, plus some of her play reviews. Get the latest edition; the first edition did not have the Constant Reader columns. If you like mysteries, try Josephine Tey. If you have not read Agatha Christie, start. We always called her “lemon sherbet reading”-- something light to clear your mind’s palate in between, say _Testament of Youth_ and _The Mismeasure of Man_, but not trashy, just light and quick. Read an Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple first. Some more really engrossing non-fiction is Stephen Jay Gould’s collections of essays. It’s heavy, because it’s natural history, but he makes it fun-- even the occasional downer subject (like the Buck vs. Bell backstory) usually ends on a hopeful note. ---
**Author:** ![stui\_magpie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stui_magpie/32/11010_2.png) [@stui\_magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stui_magpie)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2014, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-some-books-that-wont-make-me-want-to-cut-my-wrists/689599/16 "2014-05-30T05:00:59Z")
If you want something that’s akin to watching an 80’s action movie I strongly recommend anything by Matthew Reilly. Did his first book “contest” self published shortly out of school and has done several in the past few years. Fast pace, ripping yarns, great heroes, what more could you want?🙂 > **[Matthew Reilly](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Reilly)** > > Matthew John Reilly (born 2 July 1974) is an internationally bestselling Australian action thriller writer. > Reilly was born on 2 July 1974 in Sydney, Australia the second son of Ray (an employee at the Department of Corrective Services) and Denise, a mathematics teacher. He grew up with his brother Stephen in Willoughby, an affluent suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. > Reilly graduated from Sydney's St Aloysius' College in Milsons Point, in 1992. He then stu... ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2014, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-some-books-that-wont-make-me-want-to-cut-my-wrists/689599/17 "2014-05-30T05:55:50Z")
I’m currently enjoying _Lamb_ by Christopher Moore. Tells the story of Jesus’s early years from the perspective of his best friend. Absurdist, funny, but with a certain edge to it. Arguably a form of historical fiction :). ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2014, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-some-books-that-wont-make-me-want-to-cut-my-wrists/689599/18 "2014-05-30T10:44:55Z")
[Azumanga Daioh](http://www.amazon.com/Azumanga-Daioh-Volume-ADV-Manga/dp/1413900003)? Y’know, for some freebase cuteness? ---
**Author:** ![jayrey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/47e85d/32.png) [@jayrey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayrey)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2014, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-some-books-that-wont-make-me-want-to-cut-my-wrists/689599/19 "2014-05-30T15:48:25Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > And now for something completely different: I’m going to recommend to you Anthony Trollope, a Victorian novelist. His works are long, the humor is sly and very pointed, the situations are nearly incomprehensible to the modern reader, which makes them all the more fascinating to lose oneself in. > > He wrote two main series of novels that I have read. One is the Barsetshire series, which is about life in a provincial cathedral town for those in the Church of England hierarchy - gossip, church politics, in-fighting, all the good things, and leavened with that sly wit. The other series is called the Palliser novels, which concerns itself with Parliament and the people who revolve around it. Both take place around the 1860’s and 1870’s. > > Well, I realize this recommendation is probably not going to be followed, but I can only say that reading these dozen or so novels will probably take you a year or more, and you will come out of it a completely changed person. Ooh! Ooh! Yes, this is perfect. I LOVE this time period. Thanks **Roddy**!! ---
**Author:** ![jayrey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/47e85d/32.png) [@jayrey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayrey)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2014, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-some-books-that-wont-make-me-want-to-cut-my-wrists/689599/20 "2014-05-30T15:59:28Z")
Thanks, these are all great suggestions. I have read all the O’Brien books (and Forester’s Hornblower series, too), all of Connie Willis (loved all of it but, yes, the novel about the plague and the two about WWII, which are fascinating, are very depressing). Love me some Christopher Moore – _Lamb_ was the first one of his I read – and I read _Fool._ I need to peruse the shelves to see if there are others of his I’ve missed. Have also read a lot of Wodehouse, but it was years ago and well worth re-reading. Guy Gavriel Kay is my favorite author – \*Under Heaven \*is flawless, IMHO – but I have read everything else of his, except his very latest, which I have on hold at the library. I’ll start on Anthony Trollope – those sounds great – and will look for the others. \*Magic for Beginners \*and _Headlong_ sound especially good! I don’t watch television, so a continuous stream of good books is necessary in my life. Thanks, again, for the suggestions, and if you think of more, let me know! Cheers, J [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-some-books-that-wont-make-me-want-to-cut-my-wrists/689599.md?page=2)