Can we ever fully trust our senses, or are they too unreliable to perceive the world as it is? In this collection, we gather texts that explore the idea of appearance versus reality, from classics such as Aristotle's On the Soul to contemporary bestsellers like Jia Tolentino's Trick Mirror.
Publication year 1925
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
Published in 1925, Theodore Dreiser’s realist novel An American Tragedy is one of the author’s most critically acclaimed works. Set in the 1920s in Kansas City, Chicago, and small-town New York state, the historical fiction novel is the story of how Clyde Griffiths, the son of poor, itinerant preachers, kills Roberta Alden during a boat trip in the Adirondack Mountains.This guide is based on the Kindle edition published by Rosetta Books.Content Warning: This novel contains... Read An American Tragedy Summary
Publication year 1995
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Identity: Disability, Identity: Mental Health
Tags Health / Medicine, Science / Nature, Psychology, Psychology
Publication year 1865
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Natural World: Place, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Lyric Poem, Science / Nature, Realism, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Transcendentalism
Publication year 1939
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Society: Colonialism
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modernism, Classic Fiction
Published in 1939, And Then There Were None is a mystery novel by Agatha Christie, best-selling novelist of all time, outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. With over 100 million copies sold, And Then There Were None is the world’s best-selling crime novel as well as one of the best-selling books of all time. It has had more adaptations than any other work by Agatha Christie, including television programs, films, radio broadcasts, and most... Read And Then There Were None Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Femininity, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1748
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Philosophy, Psychology, Science / Nature, Religion / Spirituality, Education, Education, History: World, Psychology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1668
Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: War, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Literary Criticism, Education, Education
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Identity: Race, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Arts / Culture
Publication year 1890
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: War, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Fame
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, American Civil War, Education, Education, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Military / War, American Literature, History: World
Ambrose Bierce, an American writer and Civil War veteran, wrote “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” in 1890. Bierce’s story was first published in The San Francisco Examiner and later became part of his collection Tales of Soldiers and Civilians published in 1891. “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” is considered one of Bierce’s best works for its use of the stream-of-consciousness narrative technique and the hero’s journey as well as its exploration of death... Read An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge Summary
Publication year 1868
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Animals
Tags Lyric Poem, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Romance
Publication year 1756
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Art, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Philosophy, Arts / Culture, Age of Enlightenment, Literary Criticism, Gothic Literature, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government
Publication year 1992
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Society: Community, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Lyric Poem, Race / Racism
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Identity: Mental Health, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Identity: Gender
Tags Women's Studies (Nonfiction), African American Literature, History: World
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Midlife, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 1860
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Free verse, Lyric Poem, Relationships
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Music
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Humor
Publication year 1977
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Psychological Fiction, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Classic Fiction
Phillip K. Dick’s A Scanner Darkly, first published in 1977, is a dystopian novel that is testament to a time—late ‘60s-early ‘70s—when drug experimentation was a viable alternative to the grown-up world of nine-to-five jobs and suburban family life. Set in a future Southern California (1994), the novel is dedicated to many of Dick’s friends who didn’t survive the experiment or were left with permanent brain damage. Dick’s prolific career includes over 40 novels and... Read A Scanner Darkly Summary
Publication year 1896
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Lyric Poem, British Literature