Art

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 1890

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Art

Tags Lyric Poem, Arts / Culture


Publication year 2023

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: New Age, Identity: Language

Tags Arts / Culture, Music, Philosophy, Self Help, Psychology, Business / Economics, Philosophy, Psychology


Publication year 1973

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Fate, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Art

Tags Fantasy, Children's Literature, Mythology, Action / Adventure, Classic Fiction

The Dark is Rising is a 1973 contemporary fantasy novel for young adult readers by English author Susan Cooper, and the second book in The Dark is Rising Sequence. It is preceded by Over Sea, Under Stone and followed by Greenwitch, The Grey King, and Silver on the Tree. The series, published between 1965 and 1977, focuses on eleven-year-old Will Stanton, who learns on his birthday that he is what is known as an “Old... Read The Dark Is Rising Summary


Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown was originally published in 2003 and has become an international bestseller, with sales of over 80 million. It was made into a popular movie starring Tom Hanks, Audrey Tatou, and Ian McKellen. The novel is Brown’s fourth, a fast-paced thriller with political, historical, and religious overtones. Its initial release generated controversy for perceived condemnation of the Catholic Church and historical inaccuracies. Despite the charges, The Da Vinci Code... Read The Da Vinci Code Summary


Publication year 1889

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Philosophy, Victorian Period, Education, Education, Arts / Culture, Literary Criticism, History: World, Philosophy, Victorian Literature / Period, Classic Fiction


Publication year 1973

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Art

Tags Psychology, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Grief / Death, Anthropology, Anthropology, Science / Nature, Sociology, Psychology, Philosophy, Self Help

The Denial of Death was written by the American cultural anthropologist Ernest Becker and published in 1973. The work explores the fear of death and the ways in which rituals and beliefs have helped humans to cope with it throughout history. It was inspired by the fact that Becker had been diagnosed with terminal colon cancer. Over the course of his life, he taught at several prestigious universities, including Syracuse University, UC Berkeley, and, by... Read The Denial of Death Summary


Publication year 1988

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Economics

Tags Business / Economics, Psychology, Science / Nature, Technology, Technology, Psychology, Arts / Culture


Publication year 1964

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Objects, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags History: World, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, Philosophy, Arts / Culture, Literary Criticism, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

Written by C. S. Lewis (1898-1963), The Discarded Image is a 1964 nonfiction book that explores the literary landscape of Europe during the Medieval Era. Lewis, who is best known for his children’s book series The Chronicles of Narnia, was also a literature professor at Oxford and Cambridge, as well as one of the most widely celebrated Christian apologists of his time. Published shortly after his death, The Discarded Image explores how medieval writers and... Read The Discarded Image Summary


Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Relationships: Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Children's Literature, History: World


Publication year 2021

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Art

Tags WWII / World War II, Holocaust, History: European, Military / War, History: World, Biography


Publication year 1962

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Climate, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Climate Change, British Literature

The Drowned World is a 1962 post-apocalyptic science fiction novel by British author J.G. Ballard. Set in a future London that has been completely submerged in the ocean due to climate change-induced flooding, it follows a group of scientists who embark on a mission to study its unique, rapidly evolving flora and fauna. The novel is an extension of a shorter story published in Science Fiction Adventures. The novel is one of the first works... Read The Drowned World Summary


Publication year 1743

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Art

Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Satire, British Literature, Georgian Era, Education, Education, History: World, Humor, Classic Fiction


Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Literature, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Midlife, Society: Education, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Identity: Language, Society: Community, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Philosophy, Philosophy, Class, Arts / Culture, Depression / Suicide, Relationships, French Literature

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery was published in 2006 and translated by Alison Anderson into English for publication in 2008. The novel has been translated into more than 40 languages and was a major bestseller in France. The novel was adapted into a film called The Hedgehog (Le Hérisson) in 2009 to critical acclaim. The Elegance of the Hedgehog follows the narrative point of view of two erudite narrators: Renée, a concierge... Read The Elegance of the Hedgehog Summary


Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Natural World: Appearance & Reality

Tags Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy, Italian Literature, History: World, Indian Literature

The Enchantress of Florence is a 2008 magical-realist novel by Salman Rushdie. The story incorporates many fantastical, folkloric elements as it portrays life in the Mughal Empire and Renaissance Florence in the 16th century. In the novel, a mysterious European man arrives in the Mughal court with a story which can only be told to the emperor. Rushdie described the novel as his most heavily researched work and The Enchantress of Florence was praised by... Read The Enchantress Of Florence Summary


Publication year 1925

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Art, Life/Time: The Past

Tags Religion / Spirituality, Christian literature, Philosophy, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

IntroductionThe Everlasting Man is a work of philosophical history, written by G. K. Chesterton in 1925. In The Everlasting Man, Chesterton seeks to demonstrate the providential ordering of history and the uniqueness of human beings in general and of the person of Jesus Christ in particular. Ever since its publication, the book has been widely influential, even contributing to the intellectual conversion of C. S. Lewis, who called it the best popular apologetic he knew.A... Read The Everlasting Man Summary


Publication year 2018

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Crime / Legal, History: European, Science / Nature, Animals, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World

The Feather Thief by American author, screenwriter, and journalist Kirk Wallace Johnson is about the 2009 heist of the British Natural History Museum at Tring. It retraces the background of the 20-year-old American thief, professional flautist, and master fly-tier, Edwin Rist, who stole 299 rare bird skins from the museum. Johnson first heard about the heist while fly-fishing on a river in New Mexico. Living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after years of aid work... Read The Feather Thief Summary


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Disability, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Gender / Feminism, History: European, Love / Sexuality, Arts / Culture, American Literature, Italian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

The Flamethrowers is a historical fiction novel published in 2013 by the American author Rachel Kushner. It follows the story of Reno, a young woman experiencing the turbulence of the 1970s in New York City. An aspiring artist, Reno finds herself in remarkable situations both in New York and abroad in Italy. Kushner weaves Italian and American history to highlight how people experience the implications of the societies and histories they inherit. Kushner subverts typical... Read The Flamethrowers Summary


Publication year 1943

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Classic Fiction, American Literature, Philosophy, Politics / Government, Philosophy, Arts / Culture

Published in 1945, The Fountainhead was written by Russian American author Ayn Rand (1905-1982) and focuses on the genius architect Howard Roark as he struggles to pursue a career of innovation and integrity in an increasingly hostile society of altruists and con men led by the Machiavellian humanitarian Ellsworth Toohey.In The Fountainhead, Rand promotes values such as radical individualism and the primacy of objective reason, both of which would later form the foundation of her... Read The Fountainhead Summary


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction