Memoirs are a genre unto themselves, sometimes walking the line between fiction and nonfiction. Even if the story of the life being described is [allegedly] true, there’s still a wash of subjectivity and the veneer of recollection that sometimes say as much about the author as they do about the subject. The best memoirs are thus arguably not mere recollections—they distill the life of the subject into something uncanny and luminous that takes you along for the journey. Below, you’ll find a list of the best memoirs that do exactly that and are sure to please as much as they haunt you.
Venice, an Interior by Javier Marías
In Venice, an Interior, Spanish novelist Javier Marías returns to the city where he lived as a young man and lets Venice itself become the protagonist of his memories—but it’s less about “what happened” and more about what ultimately lingers. Marías examines interiority, loneliness, and the places that make us, making this one of the most intimate memoirs about Venice, Italy.
A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
This Hemingway classic is a tender but brutal recollection of 1920s Paris, when the author was broke, hungry, in love with Hadley, and surrounded by fellow “Lost Generation” literary giants like F. Scott Fitzgerald and Gertrude Stein. Published after his death, it honestly feels like a novel—except it was written by the man who actually lived (and drank) it.
Just Kids by Patti Smith
Winner of the National Book Award, Just Kids is a memoir of the love story between Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe in late-’60s and early-’70s New York. If you or someone you know is an artist or an idealist, you’ll love this raw, moving tale of poetry, poverty, the Chelsea Hotel—and the ripple effect of two kids promising each other the world.
The Interior Circuit by Francisco Goldman
When Guatemalan American novelist and journalist Francisco Goldman’s wife died suddenly, he took his grief to Mexico City, where he learned to drive again—literally—to navigate both the chaotic traffic and the depths of his despair. Part urban portrait, part meditation on fear and renewal, the book spins narco-violence, traffic jams, and protest marches into a picture of how Goldman moved from bereavement back to life.
Of Walking in Ice by Werner Herzog
Looking for the story of one of the strangest pilgrimages in history? Herzog’s memoir more than delivers. In November 1974, Werner Herzog walked from Munich to Paris. He trudged through freezing rain and blizzards—and even broke into empty houses to sleep—all because he believed his walk would somehow save a dying friend. This slim diary of the trek is pure Herzog: hypnotic, deranged, and a bit overwhelming.
See the best memoirs on Audiobooks, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon/Audible.
Quicksand by Henning Mankell
Written after the author of the Wallander novels was diagnosed with cancer, Quicksand is an unflinching late-life mosaic of memory, rage, and gratitude. Short chapters jump from childhood summers to apartheid South Africa to the meaning of Bob Dylan.
Shakespeare and Company by Sylvia Beach
Once upon a time, James Joyce’s Ulysses sat untouched by publishers—until Sylvia Beach came along. This is the story of Beach’s Parisian bookshop, which became the beating heart of literary modernism. She recalls Hemingway borrowing books he never returned, Joyce’s eye surgeries, and the day the Nazis closed her doors. It’s a love letter to books and to the people who live for reading them.
Oscar Wilde: Reminiscences by André Gide
This is a short but electrifying account of Gide’s encounters with Wilde in Paris and Algiers in the 1890s, and later in Paris after Wilde’s release from prison. Gide captures Wilde’s tragic grandeur with merciless clarity. Some critics have called it a “literary séance,” since Wilde’s restless spirit speaks on nearly every page. If you already love Wilde’s work, you won’t want to miss this; it’s one of the best memoirs ever written.
The Summing Up by W. Somerset Maugham
Written when he was sixty-four, Maugham’s memoir isn’t about scandalous lovers or exotic travels. Instead, it focuses on the craft of writing and how his pursuit of it relates to his philosophy of a well-lived life, one that emphasized personal freedom. Cool and candid, it’s a great choice for fellow writers.
Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell
If you remember reading Nickel and Dimed in the early 2000s, you might be surprised to learn that Orwell wrote a book with a similar concept decades earlier. Down and Out is a quasi-exposé that takes an unflinching plunge into poverty: what is it really like not to “get by,” and how does one survive at that level of society? Through biting satire and blunt description, Orwell recounts washing dishes in hellish Parisian hotel kitchens, sleeping in “spikes” (workhouse casual wards), and tramping the roads with other down-and-out men. Read this Los Angeles Review of Books review of Down and Out in Paris and London.
Duchamp’s Last Day by Donald Shambroom
As the title implies, this book details the author’s last twenty-four hours spent with the French French American artist and chess player, Marcel Duchamp, on October 1, 1968—the day before he died. The events of the book took place over coffee, chess, and quiet conversation in the Greenwich Village apartment of one of the greatest 20th century artists. It’s a fine read about creative genius, endings–and the beauty to be had in the mundane.
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Not every upbringing is simple, and the road to success isn’t always paved with stability. In The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls describes how her nomadic, unconventional parents both inspired and held her back. If you moved around a lot as a kid, you’ll find much to relate to. If you didn’t, it’s a vivid look at the childhood that shaped Walls’s path to becoming an author, journalist, and MSNBC.com gossip columnist.
Know My Name by Chanel Miller
Know My Name is Chanel Miller’s moving account of being sexually assaulted while unconscious after a Stanford fraternity party in 2015. The case sparked a national debate about believing survivors and about the leniency shown to her attacker, Brock Turner, who received a six-month sentence. The book follows the trial and its aftermath, along with Miller’s journey to heal and reclaim her identity.
Find the best memoirs on Audiobooks, Amazon/Audible, and Bookstores who are not Amazon.
You’ll enjoy The Best Books about Venice, Italy and Best Audible Books Ever.
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