Firstly: Alice Walker. She is most famously known for her novel ‘The Colour Purple’, which, amongst many striking themes, highlights the importance of solidarity between women, whether it be a romantic or platonic relationship, this story truly emphasises just how far a little kindness between girls can go. However, it is her novel ‘The Third Life of Grange Copeland’ that I felt most impacted by. It is a tragic story, following several familial and romantic relationships, but most importantly it demonstrates how an individual's past can influence their treatment of those in their future, conveying that taught negative cycles should be broken with haste.
Another writer who does not shy from the ugly in relationships: Charles Bukowski. His gritty confessionalist style is undeniably addictive to read and his brutally honest accounts of women, sex and alcohol serve as a relevant reminder that not everybody is searching for perfection. The relationships in his work are often fleeting and selfish, but his autobiographical characters are mostly content with their own company and unconventional ways.
Another great influence is Anais Nin, her work is unapologetic and unforgiving towards those who dislike it. Her writing explores raw desire and sexuality and advocates for pursuing one's pleasure even if it does not match what is typically expected. I find the experience of her writing is liberating and useful as a reminder that you don't have to do what everyone else is doing. Relationships and identity can both be flexible as her writing will certainly stress.
Finally, it would be heinous not to mention James Baldwin, in particular his novel ‘ Giovanni's Room’. This piece considers themes of sexuality and loyalty and features the most beautiful writing. Baldwin effectively weighs societal pressures and personal conflicts against the relationships in the novel, though through the tragedy of this work, he can urge the reader that it is much better to stay true to themselves than to the expectations and promises made to those around them.
In short, if you're feeling stumped by something in your relationships or yourself, there are countless books out there to show you different approaches. After all, the best cure to skewed interpretations of relationships is to try on some new perspectives.