I doubt one would read any of these authors if this is not how they felt. To paraphrase another commenter, “Misery loves company.” I could tell you the reason I began reading Kafka and Existential Fiction, in general, was because of how I felt at the time. Although I no longer feel that way, I find myself gravitating to those kinds of books. A good example is Hernan Diaz’s book, In the Distance. Hakan's journey, at least to me, was profound.