We can call it destiny; we can call it providence; we can even call it the will of the gods. Whatever words we use, the idea that the events in our lives are beyond our control is powerful — which explains why so many authors, past and present, have used the ever-relevant idea of fate to communicate rich lessons about humanity.
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Historical Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, History: U.S., Cold War
Publication year 2003
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Relationships, Realistic Fiction
Acceleration (2003) is a young adult novel by Graham McNamee, who is also known for the fantasy-horror novel Bonechiller (2008). Narrated in the first person, Acceleration tells the story of 17-year-old Duncan as he learns of a potential serial killer in his city and his attempt to stop him. It examines themes of guilt, forgiveness, mental health, poverty, and more.Plot SummaryThe story opens with 17-year-old Duncan working a two-month stint at a lost and found... Read Acceleration Summary
Publication year 1896
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Lyric Poem
Publication year 1980
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags Humor, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction
John Kennedy Toole’s novel A Confederacy of Dunces was written in the 1960s but only published years after the author’s death. It depicts the adventures of Ignatius J. Reilly, an academic but lazy man who, at age 30, lives with his mother in New Orleans in the early 1960s. Forced to find a job, he encounters a string of colorful characters endemic to the city of the time.The novel begins outside the D. H. Holmes... Read A Confederacy of Dunces Summary
Publication year 1933
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags Classic Fiction, Health / Medicine
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Romance, Religion / Spirituality, Fantasy, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Class
Publication year 1947
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Identity: Language, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags Trauma / Abuse / Violence
“A Distant Episode,” a modernist short story by Paul Bowles, was first published in 1947 in The Partisan Review. It was one of Bowles’s first published works of fiction. The story follows an unnamed professor of linguistics as he undergoes a horrifying experience while travelling in the remote interior of Algeria.Paul Bowles was born in 1910 and grew up in New York City. He had already developed a reputation as an up-and-coming composer and music... Read A Distant Episode Summary
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Animals, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction
Publication year -1
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags Mythology, Narrative / Epic Poem, Ancient Rome, Italian Literature
An epic poem composed by the Roman poet Virgil between the years of 29 and 19 BCE, the Aeneid represents one of the most important and influential works in Western literature. It centers on the story of Aeneas, a refugee from the Trojan War who was fated to found the Roman nation in Italy. This guide refers to the Oxford World Classic’s edition of the Aeneid, translated by Frederick Ahl. All study guide citations refer... Read Aeneid Summary
Publication year 1955
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Fate, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Allegory / Fable / Parable, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, WWI / World War I, Military / War, American Literature, History: World
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Mythology, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Gender / Feminism
Publication year 458
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Classic Fiction, Mythology, Fantasy, Play: Tragedy, Education, Education, Drama / Tragedy, Classical Period
Agamemnon is an Attic tragedy—a work of the fifth century BCE in Athens—composed by Aeschylus (circa 525-circa 456 BCE). The play was first performed at the City Dionysia in 458 BCE. Agamemnon was the first part of the Oresteia, Aeschylus’s trilogy on the murder of Agamemnon and its grisly aftermath. It was followed by the tragedies Libation Bearers and Eumenides, which also survived, and by a satyr play titled Proteus, which was lost. The play... Read Agamemnon Summary
Publication year 1838
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Russian Literature, Education, Education, History: World
A Hero of Our Time is a classic work of Russian literature written by Mikhail Lermontov and published in 1840. It exemplifies the “superfluous man” trope common in later Russian literature, in which a person of great talent and genius is unable to express these talents healthily due to personal and societal circumstances of some kind. The novel, a work of historical fiction, was highly influential for its critique of tsarist Russian society and for... Read A Hero Of Our Time Summary
Publication year 1961
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Birth, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Midlife, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Literature, Society: Economics
Tags Historical Fiction, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Poverty, Finance / Money / Wealth, Depression / Suicide, Class, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Indian Literature, Asian Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
A House for Mr. Biswas is a 1961 historical fiction novel by V. S. Naipaul. The story takes a postcolonial perspective of the life of a Hindu Indian man in British-owned and occupied Trinidad. Now regarded as one of Naipaul's most significant novels, A House for Mr. Biswas has won numerous awards and has been adapted as a musical, a radio drama, and a television show. Naipaul is also known for the works The Mimic... Read A House for Mr. Biswas Summary
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Classic Fiction, Play: Tragedy, Mythology, Ancient Greece, Drama / Tragedy, Classical Period, Fantasy
Ajax is an ancient Athenian tragedy by Sophocles. Its production date, the festival at which it was first presented, and the other tragedies performed alongside it remain unknown, but it is believed to be among Sophocles’s earlier plays, possibly from the 440s BC. The narrative retells a story from Trojan war mythology concerning the suicide of the hero Ajax and its aftermath, exploring the hero’s excesses, reversals of fortune, and social bonds. Other famous works... Read Ajax Summary
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Play: Tragedy, Ancient Greece, Classical Period, Drama / Tragedy, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Romance, New Adult
Publication year 2009
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Military / War, WWII / World War II, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags Historical Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Class, Immigration / Refugee, Latin American Literature, Military / War, History: World, Romance
Publication year 2013
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Poverty, Parenting, Indian Literature, Biography
A Long Way Home is a 2013 memoir by Saroo Brierley, an Indian-born author who was accidentally separated from his biological family at the age of five and adopted by an Australian couple. The memoir traces Saroo’s remarkable journey from India to Australia and back again 25 years later. The book inspired the 2016 film Lion and became a New York Times Best Seller after the film’s release. This guide refers to the 2015 edition published... Read A Long Way Home Summary