Fictional and historical journals

[used_songs]

I've been reading the Mr Robot book, Red Wheelbarrow (eps1.91_redwheelbarr0w.txt) , which is designed to look like a composition book journal kept by the main character. It got me thinking about fictional journals and then about historical journals.

Does anyone have any recommendations of interesting fictional journals, particularly those that are commentaries on the act of journaling? I'm liking the Mr Robot one but it's really an extended exercise in unreliable narrative, so I'm curious as to how else journaling has been used in fiction in interesting ways.

It also made me think of the book Maud: The Illustrated Diary of a Victorian Woman which I loved as a kid/teenager. It's actually the book that inspired me to start keeping journals. Does anyone know of any other cool, creative or fascinating historical journals that might serve as inspiration for journal keepers today?

Comments

[gokuma]

I highly recommend "Microserfs" by Douglas Coupland => https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2748.Microserfs It's one of my favourite books ever and I love the author's writing style. You can find a small bit of the book (it was a short story first, then became a book) here => https://www.wired.com/1994/01/microserfs/

(I forgot how *much* I liked that book tbh. In fact, writing about it made me want to re-read it again XD)

[used_songs]

Thanks for the links! I'm going to have to check out the book - I really liked the excerpt.

[gokuma]

As for something with a completely different vibe: "Among Others" by Jo Walton => https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8706185-among-others

[used_songs]

OK that book sounds AMAZING! I'm definitely reading that. Thank you!

[lunabee34]

Oh, this is so cool. I am definitely going to check out Maud's diary.

I wish I had a good answer for you.

The closest thing I can think of isn't really what you're asking for. In House of Leaves, the main narrative is interspersed with excerpts from a diary, and the book does some interesting typographical things with the way it's printed.

[used_songs]

I love House of Leaves! I need to reread that book. I had completely forgotten about the diary excerpts.

[lunabee34]

I like it too!

I have to admit that I'm more interested in the narrative about what's happening in the house than I am in the diary parts, but it's been years since I read it. I should do a reread at some point.

[swingandswirl]

Meg Cabot's Princess Diaries series is told in the form of diary entries, and it's one of my favourites - I believe there is some, but not a lot, of commentary on diary-keeping itself but even without that I'd recommend the books, as they're well-written and hilarious, and nothing at all like the movie.

[used_songs]

I didn't know that - thanks! I guess I didn't even realize that the books existed.

[independence1776]

The only fictional journals I know of off the top of my head are the 'Dear America' books for kids. I do not know how well they've aged.

[used_songs]

I have some of those in my classroom library and to me they are stilted and boring, but I usually have at least one student who plows their way through them each year. I read them when I first got them, but I had completely forgotten the journal aspect.

[tinderboxofaheart]

i've really been wanting to check out that mr. robot book! also, this is a great question.

two that come to mind right off the top of my head:

amelia's notebook



as a kid in the 1990s, i was obsessed with the amelia's notebook series, which i just remembered off the top of my head, and haven't thought about in years, but yeah, wow, these were hugely influential on me. of course, now i am in my 30s, and these aren't really age-appropriate anymore, but they really are worth looking through if you never have - and especially if you have kids in your life!

check out the series on author-illustrator marissa moss's site

griffin + sabine



this is one that's better for adults, and it's incredible. i wish i had discovered it when i was younger, but i stumbled into it when i was 28, and it was totally eye-opening. it's actually more of a book series done in the style of mail art / correspondence art (which i also participate in) but i think that there is a lot of worthwhile and inspiring things in these books that make it worth checking out for a journaller/planner fiend. additionally.. the story is just awesome. really clever and surreal. there are actually 6 books in the series.

check out this writeup on chronicle books' site

another nice piece by the washington post for the series' 25th anniversary

[used_songs]

Thank you! I love these, especially because they're so different from each other.

I used to do mail art - the Griffin and Sabine books look like they might inspire me to get back into that.

[tinderboxofaheart]

glad you like the suggestions - they are indeed quite different!

also, how cool!!! always so nice to meet another mail artist, even if you aren't doing it currently ♥ would love to hear about your mail art experiences. i'm not as involved as i was a few years ago, but i maintain a presence. haha. griffin + sabine is super, super inspirational. i hope you enjoy it!