Sad Girl Literature – you might think it’s just the next BookTok trend. This literary sub-genre focuses on existentialism and womanhood has been around for a long time, starting with Sylvia Plath and Joan Didion. In this blog I’m going to dive into this genre, tell you what it exactly is and explain more about the history of it.

Sad Girl Literature: what kind of genre is this?

The name itself already explains a little bit. This genre is about sad girls, but it’s way more than that. The genre focuses on themes of melancholy and existentialism and combines it with the struggles of modern (young) women. Those struggles often involve loneliness in the big city, mental heath issues and an overall struggle with daily life. These works often explore deep emotional turmoil, feelings of inadequacy, and the search for identity and meaning in the face of societal pressures.

The protagonists in these books are often introspective, sensitive, and struggling with the complexities of their emotions, relationships, and personal lives. The stories doesn’t always offer resolution, but instead delves into the messy and often painful realities of life, emphasizing raw emotional experiences.

The history of the genre

This isn’t just the next Booktok trend. The genre just now has a name because of TikTok. In the past it has been called melancholic fiction or women’s fiction. In some cases the books are semi-autobiographical – for example, Sylvia Plath. We can even say Annie Ernaux writes Sad Girl Literature, because she writes about her complex emotions, relationships and love during her girl and womanhood in France.

I would say Sad Girl Literature started with Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar is a semi-autobiographical novel exploring mental illness and the pressures of societal expectations. It ticks all the boxes. Besides Plath and Ernaux, I think Joan Didion is a perfect example as well. Play It As It Lays is a story of emotional numbness and disconnection in a woman grappling with the meaninglessness of her life.

Popular Sad Girl Literature nowadays

One of the most popular current sad girl writers is Ottessa Moshfesh. My Year of Rest and Relaxation is Sad Girl Literature at it’s best. In this novel the protagonist tries to escape the pain of life by drugging herself into a year-long hibernation. Another popular author is Sally Rooney. Especially in Normal People and Conversations with Friends, but also in her recent works Beautiful World Where Are You and Intermezzo. Rooney’s characters grapple with intense emotional experiences, isolation, and complex relationships – the core of Sad Girl Literature. However, Rooney writes about sad men as well, because mental health and dealing with everyday life goes beyond gender, of course.

Besides Rooney we have Irish author Naoise Dolan, who writes about the loneliness and emptiness in big cities and complex relationships. And don’t forget the Asian Sad Girl Literature, which contains Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner and also books by Mieko Kawakami and Won-pyung Sohn.

Why Sad Girl Literature resonates in the modern day

I think this sub genre has become quite popular in recent years, especially because of COVID-19. The rise of introspective, emotionally raw, and often millennial-driven narratives has gone hand in hand with the lockdowns because of the pandemic. It resonates because so many readers can identify with it – during lockdown while being inside a lot, feeling the loneliness and overthinking your life. And nowadays – we are drawn to the emotional complexities and darker aspects of modern existence.