"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 2012
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Language, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Midlife, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation
Tags Memoir / Autobiography, Parenting
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags History: World, History: European, Historical Fiction, British Literature, Elizabethan Era
Bring Up the Bodies (2012) is a Tudor-era historical novel by British writer Hilary Mantel. It is the second novel in a trilogy depicting the life and career of Thomas Cromwell, a 16th-century English politician and advisor to King Henry VIII. Bring Up the Bodies followed Wolf Hall (2009) and preceded The Mirror and The Light (2020). It received significant critical acclaim and was awarded the 2012 Man Booker Prize. BBC produced a television adaptation... Read Bring Up The Bodies Summary
Publication year 2025
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Beauty
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery
Tags Fantasy, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Religion / Spirituality
Bruiser by Neal Shusterman, first published in 2010, is a young adult novel. It explores the life of Brewster “Bruiser” Rawlins, a high school student who has the ability to take pain away from those he cares about. Through his supernatural ability, the novel explores themes of Finding Emotional Balance, The Complications of Empathy, and The Dangers of Excessive Dependence on Others. Shusterman is the author of dozens of young adult novels, short stories, and works... Read Bruiser Summary
Publication year 1901
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, German Literature, History: World, Classical Period
Thomas Mann’s novel Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family was first published in 1901 and came to be recognized as a monumental work in the canon of modern literature. Thomas Mann (1875–1955) was a German novelist and recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1929 for his novels, Buddenbrooks and The Magic Mountain. Mann draws on his own family history to craft Buddenbrooks’ narrative, demonstrating profound understanding of societal and familial dynamics in the... Read Buddenbrooks Summary
Publication year 1970
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Race, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Historical Fiction, Race / Racism, History: World, Arts / Culture
Publication year 1925
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Classic Fiction, African American Literature, Animals
“Cat in the Rain,” a short story by American author Ernest Hemingway, was first published in the 1925 collection In Our Time. Hemingway’s story, like much of his work, is semi-autobiographical and based on his experience as an expatriate in Europe after World War I. Hemingway and his first wife, Hadley, shared a love of cats, and it’s thought he wrote this story for her while they lived in Italy and France. The short story... Read Cat in the Rain Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Music
Publication year 1977
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, American Literature, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Self Discovery, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Society: Community, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Realistic Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Love / Sexuality, Parenting, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction
Clock Dance (2018) is Anne Tyler’s 22nd domestic literary fiction novel that explores the smaller details of the human condition. Clock Dance, which spans time periods from 1967 to 2017, follows Willa, a woman who’s always made herself useful to those around her without any regard for her own needs. Through Willa’s life, Clock Dance explores themes of self-fulfillment, appreciation, passivity, and community to show how people do (or don’t) change throughout time. This novel... Read Clock Dance Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Relationships: Marriage, Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Identity: Femininity
Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Romance, Military / War, History: World, French Literature
Publication year 1986
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Psychology, Mental Illness, Self Help, Psychology, Relationships, Health / Medicine, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2015
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Joy
Tags Gender / Feminism, Science / Nature, Health / Medicine, Relationships, Self Help, Love / Sexuality, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Psychology, Psychology
Publication year 2002
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Midlife, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Feminist Theory, Gender Studies, Self Help, Gender / Feminism, Love / Sexuality, Philosophy, Relationships, Women's Studies (Nonfiction)
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Masculinity, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Daughters & Sons
Tags Historical Fiction, Addiction / Substance Abuse, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Gender, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags History: World
Publication year 2017
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Disability, Identity: Gender, Identity: Language, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Magical Realism, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Korean Literature
Publication year 1964
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Fathers
Tags Confessional, Grief / Death, Education, Education, American Literature, Classic Fiction