From Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita to Raven Leilani's Luster, the texts in this collection investigate themes related to the power and promise of many types of art — from the written word to visual arts such as painting and cinema.
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Art, Society: Colonialism, Society: Immigration, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Race
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, LGBTQ
Publication year 1980
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Literary Criticism, Psychology, Philosophy, Arts / Culture, Philosophy, Psychology, Gender / Feminism, French Literature
Publication year 1800
Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Arts / Culture, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Education, Education, British Literature, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction
“Preface to Lyrical Ballads” is an essay by the English Romantic poet William Wordsworth. In 1798 Wordsworth wrote, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the poetry collection Lyrical Ballads. Believing that the poems were so novel in theme and style that they required some explanation, Wordsworth wrote a prefatory essay to accompany the second edition of the poems in 1800; he then expanded the essay for the third edition of 1802.The “Preface” is often considered a manifesto... Read Preface to Lyrical Ballads Summary
Publication year 1650
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Fame
Tags Gender / Feminism
Publication year 2023
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Family, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Art
Tags History: World
Publication year 2007
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Values/Ideas: Art, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Lyric Poem, Relationships
Publication year 2019
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Business / Economics, Psychology, Self Help, Science / Nature, Education, Sports, Music, Arts / Culture, Education, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology
Publication year 2006
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Art, Identity: Language
Tags Literary Criticism, Arts / Culture
Publication year 1997
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: Art, Relationships: Family
Tags Chinese Literature, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: War
Tags Historical Fiction, British Literature, War On Terrorism / Iraq War, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Saturday is a novel by Ian McEwan, first published in 2005 by Jonathan Cape. Ian McEwan is an acclaimed British author who has been shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize numerous times, winning the award for Amsterdam in 1998. In Saturday, McEwan delves into the inner life of a single individual, Henry Perowne, a successful neurosurgeon living in London. The novel takes place over the course of a single day, February 15, 2003, against the... Read Saturday Summary
Publication year 2005
Genre Reference/Text Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Fame, Identity: Language
Tags Arts / Culture, Education, Business / Economics, Self Help
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Art, Society: Colonialism
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fantasy
Publication year 1956
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Grandparents, Values/Ideas: Art
Tags Grief / Death
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Disability
Tags Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Humor, Grief / Death
Publication year 2014
Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Natural World: Animals, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Realistic Fiction, Humor, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2002
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Art, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Historical Fiction, Asian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature
Snow is a novel of postmodern literary fiction published in Turkish in 2002 and in English in 2004. Snow won the Le Prix Médicis étranger award for the best foreign novel in France. The author, Orhan Pamuk, won the 2006 Nobel Prize for Literature and was the youngest person ever to receive this award. Pamuk was born in Istanbul in 1952 and grew up in Nişantaşı, Turkey. He studied architecture and journalism, only to decide... Read Snow Summary
Publication year 1924
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Gender, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, American Literature, Poverty
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Fame, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Colonialism, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Prose poetry, Free verse, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Music, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1591
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Literature
Publication year 1999
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Mental Illness, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Speak is a young-adult realistic fiction novel by Laurie Halse Anderson, first published in 1999. It follows the plight of a teenager, Melinda, who was raped at age 13 and struggles to put her life back together and find her voice. Anderson has written several young adult novels, all of which address pressing issues for teens honestly and empathetically. She was honored with the Margaret A. Edwards award for her important and relevant contributions to... Read Speak Summary