Books that left me with a broken soul

I'm sure if you are book lover and good stories you know exactly the feeling I'm going to tell you about. That emptiness, that anger, or that deep thought about what you just read.

All these emotions are present—at least in me— much deeper in books than in any other medium such as filmAnd don't get me wrong. There have been movies that have made me shudder and music that has made me cry. But it's different.

I'm talking about that feeling. That feeling that your mind is stuck, not on a specific phrase or event, but on that book in general. A feeling that those words have managed to steal a piece of your soul and have kept it as a reminder that you passed through its pages.

I'm going to tell you about 3 books that you may not know and that I have read this year and that They have left me with a "bad time" even for daysAnd I'm going to try to do it without spoilers, but I warn you:

IF YOU'RE THINKING OF READING ANY OF THEM, IT'S BETTER TO DO SO WITHOUT READING THIS, SO SHARE IT WITH SOMEONE AND SAVE THE ARTICLE FOR ANOTHER TIME.

The Tatra Desert

This book was a recommendation I read on a forum after finishing it. Silk, one of my favorite books by Alessandro BariccoI wasn't familiar with Dino Buzzati, its author, and I didn't really have high expectations, but I wanted to try something I knew nothing about, and I have to admit that the forum member sold it to me well.

Throughout the book, he gives you a glimpse into a topic that can sometimes be suffocating: The passage of time. I think it is a universal concern and that We are all concerned in one way or another about whether our time is being useful or not..

There is a moment in life when the passing of the years becomes a more present reality and sometimes you wonder "Was it worth it?" or it may even be that You face regret and think about whether the decisions you have made were the right ones or whether you would go back and take a different path.

Well The end of this book opens that door to doubt. It is a reminder of a time that escapes us all between the fingers and that your condition, resources or position does not matter, that there is no money that can buy it or make it go back.

It is really a book whose plot seems far from this topic at first, but as you advance through the pages it makes you rethink the use of your time. and leaves you with a pinch in your stomach due to the conclusions of its protagonist...

Unworthy of the human being

I read this book solely because I loved the title and cover of the English version—No Longer Human. Well, that and because I was interested in starting with Japanese literature outside of Haruki Murakami, which we all know how great it is, but from my ignorance I wanted to immerse myself in something new.

I have to admit I had a hard time getting into the swing of things at first. I knew nothing about the book itself. It tells the story of Yozo and all the hardships he endures throughout his childhood and adolescence. His socialization issues, his fears, and his excesses.

It deals with tough topics such as suicide, drug use and prostitution and approaches them with a hyperrealistic vision., which I appreciate. I was looking forward to reading a story that didn't sugarcoat these themes and showed them as they really are, albeit from a different culture like Japan.

The hard part came when I finished the book and that is that At the end there is a summary of the author's life and you discover that more than a novel it was an autobiography. From beginning to end I talked about him and you can imagine—if you haven't read it yet—how this left me.

You begin to see how Every word about approaching death, relationships with women, or drug use was not mere literary license but was exactly what the author had been through. Piercing.

A Thousand Splendid Suns

I can't remember a book that made me so angry or left me so sad for days. It's horrible. Well, the book is spectacular, but it's so good that it's able to convey the horror of its protagonists as if you were experiencing it firsthand.

All that suffering through the lives of two women in Afghanistan before and during the Taliban government. And all that suffering does not have a single origin.

Death, abandonment—both by family and by governments—abuse, helplessness, betrayal, lack of hope, war, hatred, and regret. He doesn't leave out even a tragic theme.

As I say, It is a spectacularly well-written book, woven together and with characters you empathize with immediately after the first introductions and that is precisely what makes the story so compelling.

A masterclass in writing in which every word is put in its place. and that pierce your heart like a lance, but you can't stop reading it for the hope that everything will get better...

And you? What are those books you've read that left you feeling unwell for a few days? I read you in comments and on social media.