"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 1170
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Romance, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, French Literature, Education, Education, Mythology, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
Erec and Enide is a book-length poem written by French poet Chrétien de Troyes around the year 1170. The poem is one of Chrétien’s series of so-called Arthurian romances—a genre of poem in the Middle Ages that told the stories of the individuals associated with King Arthur’s court. His poems are among the earliest to refer to King Arthur and his knights, and Erec and Enide focuses on the adventures of the knight Erec. This... Read Erec and Enide Summary
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Aging, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Everybody’s Fool is a 2016 novel by American Pulitzer Prize–winning author Richard Russo. The second in Russo’s North Bath trilogy, Everybody’s Fool is set in the small, eccentric, and troubled town of North Bath, New York. The tragicomic novel follows a group of characters whose dramas unfold over a single Memorial Day Weekend, exploring how individuals react to and rebel against their emotional and moral ties to their communities. The novel also grapples with existential themes... Read Everybody's Fool Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Romance, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Immigration, Natural World: Place, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Fathers, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Animals, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Society: Education, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Relationships: Grandparents
Tags Auto/Biographical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Immigration / Refugee, History: Middle Eastern, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Identity: Mental Health
Tags Romance, Sports, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Magical Realism, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction
Originally published in 2015, Fates and Furies is the third novel by Lauren Groff. The book dissects the twenty-four-year-long marriage between Lotto Satterwhite and Mathilde Yoder and incorporates many elements of Greek myths. The novel starts with their quickie marriage and jumps around in a disjointed timeline to chronicle everything from their childhoods before meeting one another in college to Mathilde’s decades as a widow after Lotto’s death. The majority of the events circle around... Read Fates and Furies Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Historical Fiction, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Relationships, History: World
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Historical Fiction, History: U.S., Gender / Feminism, History: World
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage
Tags Jewish Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Fleishman Is in Trouble is the debut novel by journalist and writer Taffy Brodesser-Akner. Originally published in 2019, it is a satiric novel work of domestic fiction. The book was long listed for the 2019 National Book Award. This guide references the June 2019 hardcover edition by Penguin Random House.Plot SummaryThe story is told by a narrator, Libby, who speaks in both third and first person. Rachel and Toby Fleishman, professionals in their 40s who... Read Fleishman Is in Trouble Summary
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Birth, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Globalization, Natural World: Environment
Tags Climate Change, Science / Nature, Modern Classic Fiction
Barbara Kingsolver’s 2012 novel Flight Behavior presents a symbolic connection between Dellarobia Turnbow, an unhappy farm wife who secretly dreams of running away from it all, and a surprising migration of monarch butterflies that alight upon her in-laws’ property in Feathertown, Tennessee. As the butterflies struggle to survive and reproduce to continue their species, Dellarobia struggles in her efforts to deal with the consequences of her past decisions and the possibility of her new life... Read Flight Behavior Summary
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Relationships: Family, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Indigenous, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Historical Fiction, History: U.S., Survival Fiction, History: World
Publication year 1962
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Lyric Poem, Post Modernism, Love / Sexuality
Publication year 1940
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Relationships: Marriage, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags American Literature, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Military / War, History: World
For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940) is a novel by the Modernist American author Ernest Hemingway. The novel tells the story of Robert Jordan, an American volunteer working as a demolition specialist for the Republican army during the Spanish Civil War. Robert, sent to blow up a bridge to aid a Republican offensive, enlists the aid of a band of guerrilla fighters in the mountains. Robert falls in love with a woman in their care... Read For Whom the Bell Tolls Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction
Frankissstein is a novel by Jeanette Winterson that combines speculative and historical fiction in revisiting Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel, Frankenstein. Winterson is a prolific author, known for her explorations of physical reality, gender, sexuality, and identity. Her first novel, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, won the 1985 Whitbread Prize for First Novel, and Frankissstein was longlisted for the 2019 Booker Prize. Winterson is a professor of Creative Writing at the University of Manchester, and... Read Frankissstein Summary
Publication year 2013
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage
Tags Mythology, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Relationships, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, History: World
Publication year 1564
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: Education, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Classic Fiction, Play: Comedy / Satire, Fantasy, Humor, French Literature
The Life of Gargantua and Pantagruel is a series of five novels written in French by François Rabelais in the 16th century. The novel-cycle relates the adventures of two giants in hyperbolic, satirical prose. Using humor ranging from slapstick to irony, Rabelais explores serious themes such as the development of education and religious reformation. The books are noted for their colorful, rich literary style, bursting with puns, allusions, and social commentary. An early example of... Read Gargantua And Pantagruel Summary
Publication year 1992
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt
Tags Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Survival Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
Publication year 1979
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1955
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Life/Time: Midlife, Identity: Femininity
Tags Inspirational, Philosophy, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Gender / Feminism, Philosophy, Biography, Self Help, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Gift from the Sea is a 1955 work of inspirational nonfiction literature by American author Anne Morrow Lindbergh. While vacationing on Captiva Island, Florida, Lindbergh explores the questions of how to find a new, more natural rhythm of life and how to gain a deeper relationship with herself and others. To gain inspiration for this, she discusses various shells that she finds on the beach. The first two shells she finds symbolize the importance of... Read Gift From The Sea Summary