apart / a part
literary (or literary-leaning) fiction focused specifically on isolation, disconnection, loneliness — and what they teach us about life and humanity.
ft. recs from the community!
created by pachinko
last updated July, 2026
Comments
where the crawdads sing should be here!! :))
Oh look! A list that is going to make me feel all the feelings. Imma grab me some cozy blankets and a hot beverage before diving in
I had missed this list until I saw it in this quarterly voting! My percentage overlap with this tells me that this is one of my favourite topics to read about, even if I wasn't aware of it 😄 You get my vote! 🙂↕️
Also, a book that immediately came to mind was House of Leaves, but that might lean too much into horror? In my opinion it's a novel that had horror elements to it without being full on horror, but I understand if you want to keep this list as focused as possible on lit fic!
pachinkoOP
one of my favourites too, thank you ♥️ ooh interesting - i have House of Leaves on my list to read pretty soon so i’ll bump it up and decide once i’ve read it!
Ooh, I love this!! I've already read 5 on this list and liked them all so I need to read my way through the rest
yess many of these are my favourite books! Stoner, Frankenstein, The Remains of the Day, Piranesi. happy reading :)
I love this theme. If you are taking suggestions, I recommend Toad by Katherine Dunn.
pachinkoOP
ooh this looks like a polarising one, and fascinating. thank you!
Might I also suggest Hour of the Star by Clarice Lispector? I loved that one! The "plot" is pretty much based on the sole character Macabea and how she comes to terms with her identity by herself
I think After the Winter by Guadalupe Nettel would fit in this list!
pachinkoOP
this looks gorgeous, i’ve never heard of it but your review has convinced me
It's one of my favourites! Such a realistic perspective on isolation and people coming together or apart
Lovely list especially for these late winter doldrums! Thank you🌛
pachinkoOP
thank you! happy reading :)
Can I suggest A Gentleman in Moscow? I don't know how you're defining isolation, because the book is very much about the relationships he's still able to form, but the book is about a man on house arrest (the house is a hotel though 🤣). Nonetheless still highly recommended.
pachinkoOP
ooh this has been on my tbr for ages, thank you for the rec! if there’s significant commentary on loneliness and the impact of isolation then it sounds like it could fit
probably not then, it's more a commentary of post revolutionary russia. still highly recommended though, hope you enjoy it when you get to it!
hi i’m currently going through all your lists (i’m in awe, they’re all so unique/singular yet so grounded/real!!) if i may make a suggestion for this list here, one of my top books of all time “In the Distance” by Hernan Diaz would fit perfectly! thank you for this list and all your others 🫶
pachinkoOP
this is so so sweet, thank you so much 🥹 and thanks for the rec! i’ve added :)
I cannot express enough how much I love Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys, and I think it would absolutely fit this list with the themes of isolation, disconnection and loneliness!
pachinkoOP
thank you so much for the rec! i haven’t heard of this one but will look into it :))
u should add where the crawdads sing!!
pachinkoOP
thank you for the rec! while the first part of Where the Crawdads Sing would fit, i think much of the novel broadens out into more of a coming of age story with elements of romance and murder mystery rather than an examination of isolation specifically.
The Girl Who Was Tuesday by Beatriz Seelaender is... a part and apart... partly in a way
