"It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages," said philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. The texts in this collection depict happy and unhappy marriages—and those that fall somewhere in between.
Publication year 1987
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia
Tags Lyric Poem, Free verse, Confessional, WWII / World War II, Relationships
Publication year 1992
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Self Help, Psychology, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Philosophy, Philosophy, Psychology, Romance
Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus (1992) is a self-help and personal development book by American author John Gray. The book is designed to help couples improve their relationships by accepting how different men and women are. Although the book was initially met with critical acclaim, it has lost popularity due to critiques about sexist content and the book’s worldview. Although this is Gray’s best-known work, Gray has published many similar books concerned... Read Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus Summary
Publication year 1952
Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Religion / Spirituality, Christian literature, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction
Mere Christianity by Clive Staples Lewis (more commonly known as C. S. Lewis) was first published in 1952 as an expansion of some radio talks Lewis gave during World War II. Though Lewis is best known for his children’s fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia (particularly The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe), Mere Christianity is likely Lewis’s most famous work of Christian apologetics—a genre dedicated to addressing various critiques of Christian theology. Lewis was... Read Mere Christianity Summary
Publication year 1871
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Society: Community, Society: Class
Tags Classic Fiction, Victorian Period, Historical Fiction, British Literature, History: World, Romance, Victorian Literature / Period
Middlemarch or Middlemarch: A Study of Provincial Life is a Victorian realist novel by George Eliot (the penname of Mary Ann Evans). Published over the course of 1871-72, the novel depicts the trials and tribulations of life in the small English town of Middlemarch. The novel has been hailed as one of the greatest works of English literature and has been adapted for radio, television, theater, and opera. Other works by Eliot include The Lifted... Read Middlemarch Summary
Publication year 1941
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Class, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Marriage, Identity: Gender
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Relationships, Parenting, Class, Business / Economics, Finance / Money / Wealth, Great Depression, American Literature, Love / Sexuality, Gender / Feminism, History: World, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1722
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Identity: Gender
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, British Literature, History: World
Published in 1722, The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe tells the life story of a woman who carves her own path through late 17th-century England and North America. Like Defoe’s first novel, Robinson Crusoe, this work also tells the tale of a singular individual who overcomes adversity—in her case, extreme poverty—to become considerably wealthy. Moll Flanders is a wife, a thief, a sex worker, and an impresario. She is... Read Moll Flanders Summary
Publication year 1999
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Society: Immigration, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Relationships: Marriage, Identity: Gender
Tags Indian Literature
Publication year 2009
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Publication year 1598
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Classic Fiction, Elizabethan Era, Play: Comedy / Satire, Modern Classic Fiction, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Class, Gender / Feminism, Renaissance, Education, Education, Romance, Humor
Much Ado About Nothing, a comedy dating from the mid-career period of William Shakespeare was probably written just prior to 1600. The play has the trappings of a theatrical farce with its use of assumptions and misunderstandings. Main characters Benedick and Beatrice are duped into announcing their love for each other while Claudio is fooled into spurning Hero at the altar when he mistakenly believes that she has not been faithful to him. The theme of lovers being tricked... Read Much Ado About Nothing Summary
Publication year 1930
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Classic Fiction, British Literature
Published in 1930, Murder at the Vicarage is Agatha Christie’s first novel featuring the elderly detective Miss Marple. The character first appears in a 1927 short story entitled “The Tuesday Murder Club.” In Murder at the Vicarage, unpopular bully Colonel Protheroe dies from a gunshot wound in the study of St. Mary Mead’s Vicarage. All suspects have an alibi, including the victim’s wife and her lover, who each admits guilt to divert suspicion from the... Read Murder at the Vicarage Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Natural World: Place
Tags New Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Love / Sexuality
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Fame
Tags History: U.S., History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance, American Revolution, Politics / Government
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Romance, French Literature
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Family
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction
Publication year 2013
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Lyric Poem, Relationships
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Identity: Race, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Emotions/Behavior: Regret
Tags Race / Racism, Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1994
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Politics & Government, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Community
Tags Religion / Spirituality, Gender / Feminism, Politics / Government, Sociology, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), History: World, Travel Literature
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Fame, Identity: Gender
Tags Romance, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor
Publication year 1817
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Class, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Classic Fiction, Romance, Historical Fiction, Satire, Gothic Literature, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, British Literature, History: World
Northanger Abbey is an early novel by Jane Austen. Though it wasn't published until after her death in 1817, Austen wrote the novel in 1803, intending it as a satire of the gothic novels that were popular during this period. Northanger Abbey follows the life and loves of its unlikely heroine, seventeen-year-old Catherine Morland, a naïve young woman away from her family for the first time and trying to navigate the world and the heart—with... Read Northanger Abbey Summary
Publication year 1987
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Auto/Biographical Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Drama / Tragedy, Biography