Books that Feature the Theme of Masculinity

This thematic Collection centers books that explore the concepts of manhood and masculinity. Through novels, plays, and literary genres, a diverse chorus of authors examines various interpretations of masculine identity and the masculine experience through coming-of-age stories, war narratives, and fantasy realms.

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Society: War, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Identity: Race, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Nation

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Crime / Legal, Race / Racism, Military / War, History: World


Publication year 1933

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Fathers

Tags Classic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Animals, American Literature, Historical Fiction

The Red Pony by John Steinbeck was published in installments from 1933 to 1936, as a novella in 1937, and in a short story collection, The Long Valley, in 1945. Steinbeck drew upon his experience living in the Salinas Valley. The four stories that make up The Red Pony are considered works of classic literature and bildungsroman, or coming-of-age stories. Steinbeck also wrote the screenplay for the 1949 film adaptation of The Red Pony, and... Read The Red Pony Summary


Publication year 1926

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Masculinity, Society: Economics

Tags Business / Economics, Finance / Money / Wealth, Self Help, Classic Fiction


Publication year 2005

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Masculinity, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags History: World, Biography, History: U.S., History: The Americas, Politics / Government, Travel Literature, Action / Adventure

The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey (2005) is a work of nonfiction by Candice Millard, a former writer and editor for National Geographic. The book describes Roosevelt’s 1914 expedition down an unexplored river in the Amazon rainforest, which nearly cost him his life. Despite poor preparation for the trip, Roosevelt and the group managed to overcome the Amazon’s physical and psychological challenges and placed a 1,000-mile river on the map in a historic... Read The River of Doubt Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Community, Society: War, Identity: Gender

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, WWII / World War II, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction


Publication year 1965

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Relationships: Fathers

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Religion / Spirituality, Parenting, African American Literature, Post-War Era

“The Rockpile” is a short story by the novelist, essayist, and civil rights activist James Baldwin. Although it was originally published in Baldwin’s only short story collection, 1965’s Going to Meet the Man, it was likely written much earlier, as it uses characters that appear in his 1953 semi-autobiographical debut novel, Go Tell It On the Mountain. This guide refers to the 1995 First Vintage International edition of Going to Meet the Man.“The Rockpile” takes... Read The Rockpile Summary


Publication year 1939

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Identity: Masculinity, Relationships: Marriage

Tags American Literature, Humor, Classic Fiction, Satire, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure

First published in the New Yorker in 1939, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” is James Thurber’s short story about the flamboyant fantasy life of a timid suburban Everyman. A gentle satire of the human imagination (among other things), the story struck an immediate and lasting chord in the midcentury American imagination and is widely regarded as a comic masterpiece. Its distinctive mixture of pathos and parody made it one of the most anthologized short... Read The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Nation, Society: War

Tags African American Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Military / War, History: African


Publication year 1983

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Masculinity, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism

Tags Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, History: U.S., Race / Racism, American Literature, Children's Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction

Published in 1983, The Sign of the Beaver is a historical adventure novel for middle grade readers written by Elizabeth George Speare. Based on a true story that took place in 1760s Colonial America, the book follows the adventures of a young English boy who, while living alone in the Maine wilderness, befriends a local Penobscot boy who teaches him how to survive. The experience changes his views of himself, his family and fellow colonists... Read The Sign of the Beaver Summary


Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Community

Tags Historical Fiction, Satire, Western, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, History: U.S., Addiction / Substance Abuse, Gender / Feminism, American Literature, American Civil War, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Action / Adventure, Humor

The Sisters Brothers is a 2011 novel by Canadian writer Patrick DeWitt. Set in 1851, it traces the journey of Charlie and Eli Sisters, two hired killers traveling from Oregon to San Francisco to find a man called Warm, who allegedly stole something from their boss, the Commodore. The darkly comic Western is in the picaresque genre, as the brothers’ episodic misadventures explore different communities populating the American West.The Sisters Brothers is divided into 64... Read The Sisters Brothers Summary


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Objects, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Action / Adventure, Survival Fiction, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction


Publication year 1963

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Identity: Race, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Race / Racism, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Poverty, African American Literature, Education, Education, Classic Fiction

“The Sky is Gray” by African American writer Ernest J. Gaines is a short story within the collection Bloodline: Five Stories, first published in Negro Digest in August 1963 and in the collection in 1968. Gaines is best-known for his novel, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, published in 1971 and adapted into a television movie starring Cicely Tyson in 1974. Gaines is the winner of numerous awards, including the National Book Critics Circle Award... Read The Sky Is Gray Summary


Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Fathers, Identity: Masculinity

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Scandinavian Literature


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Grandparents, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose

Tags Historical Fiction, Western, History: U.S., History: World


Publication year 1929

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Fate, Society: Economics, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Masculinity

Tags Southern Gothic, Classic Fiction, Modernism, Education, Education, Southern Literature, American Literature, History: World

William Faulkner’s 1929 novel The Sound and the Fury relays the trials and decline of a once-prominent Southern family, the Compsons. The novel grapples with the challenges of a changing cultural landscape as modernity encroaches on the values—and deep-seated prejudices—of the Old South. Told through the perspectives of the three Compson brothers, Benjy, Quentin, and Jason, the novel visits and revisits key events in the family’s past and present. Much of the concern swirls around... Read The Sound and the Fury Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Masculinity, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, History: World, Romance


Publication year 1600

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Masculinity, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Class

Tags Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Korean Literature, Action / Adventure


Publication year 1903

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Masculinity, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose

Tags Mythology, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, History: World, Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Fairy Tale / Folklore

The Story of King Arthur and His Knights, written and illustrated by Howard Pyle, was originally published in 1903. Pyle’s Book 1s part of the Arthurian romance genre, which begins with Geoffrey of Monmouth’s introduction of the Arthur character in The History of the Kings of Britain, written in the twelfth century. The Arthurian, or chivalric, romance genre includes texts from many different eras and in many different languages. Pyle’s novel offers an American perspective... Read The Story of King Arthur and His Knights Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Society: Community, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Natural World: Flora/plants

Tags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Race / Racism, American Civil War, African American Literature, Grief / Death, History: U.S., Love / Sexuality, Post-War Era, Military / War, History: World


Publication year 2005

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Masculinity, Relationships: Fathers

Tags Relationships, Class, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Biography

J. R. Moehringer’s The Tender Bar (2005) is a sweeping memoir that brings the reader on a journey from his earliest childhood memories to his young adulthood. The bar in question, Publicans (previously known as Dickens), played an enormous role in the author’s childhood by introducing him to an array of men who helped fill the void left by his absent father. Moehringer paints a vivid picture of his childhood home in Manhasset, his colorful... Read The Tender Bar Summary