What is a sad girl? Why is she sad? Why do we care? If this really is a cult, why is it so alluring? Why is it synonymous with mockery and shallowness? Is there really something deeper in this subgenre that we should be exploring?

My name's Sophie and I, like many others, have a profound love for what we call the 'sad girl novel'. With its popularity on social media, it has become, to many critics, tired and vapid. However, I believe there are wider literary and cultural implications of this subgenre that warrant reexamination. So, if you consider yourself to be a sad girl, or have any interest in the subject at all, come join me as I wade through some of my favourite titles and dissect the nature of the sad girl, and reevaluate the label's meaning, something I think is the true root of its wide appeal. Welcome, let's talk about.

Episode References:

Clark, Alex, ‘my “sad girl fans concern me”, Ottessa Moshfegh in conversation with Carmen Maria Machado (2022)

Jamison, Leslie. “The Cult of the Literary Sad Woman.” The New York Times Book Review, 2019

Manavis, Sarah, '"A smorgasbord of unlikability": the authors helping "sad girl lit" grow up.' The Guardian, 2023

Zhan Mei Yu, Jessica, I grew up loving The Bell Jar. Then I noticed how Sylvia Plath wrote about people that looked like me (2023)

Intro music:

Del Rey, Lana, 'Dealer', from Blue Banisters (Poydor Recods and Interscope Records, 2021).