Marcus Aurelius
Meditations: what to read next?
Books close in genre, era, author or reading level, to read in bilingual editions.
SenecaOn the Shortness of Life and Other DialoguesSix dialogues by Seneca, each addressed to a friend or relative, are gathered here. The first argues that life is not short but wasted, spent on everything except living; others treat peace of mind, the happy life and studious leisure. The last two consider the firmness of the…Same countrySame genre
Oscar WildeThe Picture of Dorian GrayDorian Gray, a young man of exceptional beauty, sees his portrait age in his place while he keeps a flawless appearance. Influenced by Lord Henry, a cynical and provocative figure, he abandons himself to a life of boundless pleasure. But every act leaves a mark on his portrait,…Same genre
G. K. ChestertonThe Wisdom of Father BrownTwelve detective stories by the English writer G. K. Chesterton, published in 1914. Father Brown, a small, absent-minded-looking Catholic priest, solves cases that baffle the police and the scientists, often with his friend Flambeau, a former criminal turned detective. A…Same genre
EpictetusEnchiridionEpictetus, a Stoic philosopher, presents a guide to life based on a key distinction: what depends on us and what does not. Through clear and direct maxims, he encourages control of one’s thoughts, acceptance of external events, and cultivation of inner freedom. Far from…Same genre
Virginia WoolfMrs DallowayClarissa Dalloway, a woman of London high society, prepares a party while revisiting her memories and life choices. Over the course of the day, her thoughts intertwine with those of other characters, including Septimus, a former soldier scarred by the war. Their parallel yet…Same genre
Fyodor DostoevskyThe Brothers KaramazovFyodor Karamazov, a debauched father, is set against his eldest son Dmitri over an inheritance and the same woman. Around them Ivan, tormented by the problem of evil, and Alyosha, a novice at the monastery, take opposite paths, while the servant Smerdyakov looks on. When the…Same genre
Friedrich NietzscheBeyond Good and EvilIn nine sections of aphorisms, Nietzsche attacks the prejudices of philosophers and their claim to a disinterested truth. He examines where moral values come from, distinguishes a master morality from a slave morality, and questions the religious certainties of his time. His…Same genre
G. K. ChestertonThe Man Who Was ThursdayGabriel Syme, a poet turned secret agent, infiltrates an anarchist group led by mysterious figures named after the days of the week. As his mission progresses, he discovers that reality is more complex than it seems and that each member hides his true identity. Between chases…Same genre
James JoycePortrait of the ArtistStephen, a sensitive and ambitious young man, grows up in an Ireland marked by religion and social conventions. Very early, he feels out of step with his environment and develops intense reflections on art, faith, and identity. His path is punctuated by doubts, revolts, and…Same genre
Franz KafkaThe TrialOne morning Josef K., a senior clerk at a bank, is arrested in his lodgings by two warders who tell him nothing of the charge and leave him free to go to work. The case proceeds without being explained to him, in the attic of a suburban tenement where a court sits among piles…Same genre
Osamu DazaiNo Longer HumanThree notebooks, found with a few photographs, tell the life of Ōba Yōzō from childhood on. Convinced early that he understands nothing of other people, he plays the clown so that no one will guess his fear, and takes no rest from the act. As a student in Tokyo he drifts into…Same genre
Herman MelvilleBartleby, the ScrivenerA Wall Street lawyer hires a new copyist, Bartleby, silent and at first beyond reproach. Asked one day to do an ordinary task, the clerk answers that he would prefer not to, and repeats it to every later request. Settled in the office, demanding nothing and yielding nothing, he…Same genre