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10 Books: Existential Men

A List

By Annie KapurPublished 4 years ago 7 min read
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Men have constantly been the source for great soliloquies of existentialism in literature. Just thinking about some such as the speeches of Hamlet in William Shakespeare’s eponymous play, Victor Frankenstein in Mary Shelley’s magnum opus and in the works of Dostoevsky, Gogol, Victor Hugo, and many more. These books always have men who are mentally disturbed by either their own existence, are disturbed by someone else’s existence, feel either hunted, alienated from reality, treated like outsiders for some reason or have been rejected, resented or hated for reasons that are not entirely fair, but you can definitely see where the other characters are coming from.

When we read about existential men in literature, we notice that this emotion has been around since the beginning of philosophy itself - as long as men have known about thought processes they have thought about their own existence. They have either thought about their own existence in perspective to others, thought about their own existence in perspective of their own death as well and so, that normally incurs fear - and finally, there are thoughts about the fact that they have either accomplished not enough or are nowhere near their own goal that was set out at the beginning of the novel. It’s a mental crisis and an incredible question that has been explored through many different men in many different cultures and many different times of literature. So let us explore the ten that I think you will need to get you started.

The List

10. Under the Volcano by Malcolm Lowry

I’m not going to lie, I only read this in the last year or so and it takes place on the final day of a man’s life. He walks around thinking about his entire relationship with this woman who he doesn’t see anymore. He goes through the streets making these philosophical observations on his life and analysing whether he has actually lived at all. The book is so existential and internalised that sometimes I think I’ve known this guy all my life - and by the end, you don’t really know what happens at all, because you’ve been stuck in this philosophical nightmare for so long.

9. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers

There is nothing like seeing the story of tragic male friendship and how it takes a toll on their mental health. When it comes to Carson McCullers, she knows how to write about relationships and how they crumble. Her Southern Gothic nature is great for these men to let out their emotions in a dark and dismal way without looking out of place entirely. We have a story that is practically made of the atmosphere of their emotions and so, we get a big insight without the first person narrative - it’s amazing.

8. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Often not thought of as a mental crisis, we can actually see that it is because of the way in which Marlow slowly but surely almost loses his mind through the immorality and inhumanity of the novel. From witnessing cannibalism to heads on sticks to a man who is so evil towards the end of the book we get the haunting lines ‘the horror! the horror!’ which echo through the subconscious of Marlow long after he’s left the journey through the Belgian Congo. The question of whether he ever mentally recovers from this traumatic experience will remain unanswered though.

7. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by RL Stevenson

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is probably the epitome of a man having a mental breakdown after trying to change his own existence for his own good. Unfortunately, it doesn’t do other people much good after he goes on a murderous rampage as Mr. Hyde and when push comes to shove, he needs to do what is absolutely necessary. Characters like Lanyon go through massive existential crises related to truth and lies after seeing what is practically the unthinkable and sealing it away and Mr. Utterson may be forced to break his own rules in order to stop this madness.

6. Hamlet by William Shakespeare

A brilliant play and possibly the text that is most associated with existentialism and the breakdown of the rational male mind. This text revolves around a man’s biological impulse to protect his family and with Hamlet trying to protect his, he results into going mad over the death of his power. Hamlet, having no want to be King - seeks to kill his uncle for his murderous act. The madness comes from the solution to the problem though and throughout the entire play, Hamlet has mental breakdowns that stall and break his plan to bits. In return, there’s a question of whether he really prevents anything at all.

5. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

The existential characters of this novel are many and their approach to their own existence is often shrouded with guilt. From Jean Valjean who is guilty about his past and the way he stole from people and went to jail to Javert who is guilty of being so inhumane towards Jean and yet, when in confrontation, Jean spares his life - causing a massive emotional crisis in Javert’s very being. Then with the next generation we get the warming Marius who feels guilty for not going with his fellow men to war earlier and so, when he goes, we get this massive crisis of emotion by the end when he realises what has happened to all of his friends. And finally, we have Enjorlas who has an existential crisis shrouded in what he thinks he should be doing - dying for France.

4. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

In a book where looks and youth are everything, you can only tell that when one man gets what he wants (eternal youth) he has massive existential crises filled with love and passion for his young and lost love Sybil Vane. After this turbulent affair, he becomes worse and worse, covering his existentialism in hedonism to no avail - whilst Basil tries to talk him back to reality, Henry increasingly philosophises on his life, moving Dorian to the very edge of the earth. It’s captivating and written in a way that will undoubtedly change your life forever.

3. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

When readers of “The Brothers Karamazov” talk about existentialism and conflicting thoughts in the novel, they normally mention one name in particular - Ivan Fyodorovich Karamazov. The middle brother who has a great education that prevents him from believing in the piousness of his younger brother, Alyosha and yet, prevents him from going along with the impulsiveness of his elder brother, Dmitri. He is stuck in the middle and his brothers are constantly giving him grief trying to drag him one way or the other - and yet, he is unmoved.

2. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

When Pierre marries Helene, we can only see the very beginning of his existential crisis. When people like Andrei, Nikolai and the rest of the men are going off to war, Pierre stays behind to build his money and empire. Even the antagonistic Anatole goes to war. Ultimately, when Pierre finds out that he is not the man respected that he wanted to be, his mind breaks down to what he should do and he results to go to war with his fellow men. But is this the right answer or is Pierre just compensating for lost time? What he sees will break him emotionally and cause yet another crisis, and whether it gets resolved by the end is really up to the reader.

1. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

With entire paragraphs, pages and even a whole half a chapter dedicated to achievement and what is means on a man’s existence, Mary Shelley writes about male accomplishment in a way that only a woman could: from the point of view that too much is evil. Victor Frankenstein’s attempt to bend nature to his whim sends him into a cycle of depressing episodes and when his brother dies, it only gets worse and worse. He regrets everything he has ever done and ends up more alienated from the common man than ever. Isolated and alone, he cannot face his love, Elizabeth, just yet and neither can he stop going after this monster he has created. His obsession will seek to destroy him.

literature
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About the Creator

Annie Kapur

190K+ Reads on Vocal.

English Lecturer

🎓Literature & Writing (B.A)

🎓Film & Writing (M.A)

🎓Secondary English Education (PgDipEd)

📍Birmingham, UK

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