Marriage

"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.

Emma

by Jane Austen

Publication year 1815

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Marriage, Social Class

Tags Classic Fiction, Victorian Period, Romanticism, British Literature, Historical Fiction, Romance, Humor, Social Class, Gender & Feminism, European History, Relationships, World History

Emma is a fiction novel published in 1815 by the English author Jane Austen. The book centers on the character development of its eponymous protagonist, a genteel young woman on a country estate who meddles in the love lives of friends and neighbors. Jane Austen was conscious that Emma’s snobbery, vanity, and meddling might make her a “heroine whom no one but myself will much like” (Austen-Leigh, James Edward. A Memoir of Jane Austen. London:... Read Emma Summary

Erec and Enide

by Chrétien De Troyes

Publication year 1170

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Love, Loyalty & Betrayal, Marriage

Tags Romance, Medieval, 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

Everybody's Fool

by Richard Russo

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Marriage, Hope, Memory, Masculinity, Mental Health, Aging, Place, Friendship, Community, 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

Everything Sad Is Untrue

by Daniel Nayeri

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Religion & Spirituality, Immigration, Place, Coming of Age, Siblings, Memory, Daughters & Sons, Mothers, Fathers, Childhood & Youth, Animals, The Past, Love, Shame & Pride, Education, Marriage, Perseverance, Politics & Government, Nation, Truth & Lies, Nostalgia, Hope, Loneliness, Grandparents

Tags Life-Inspired Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Immigration & Refugeeism, Middle Eastern History, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

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Family Lore

by Elizabeth Acevedo

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Femininity, Love, Memory, Mental Health, Race, Sexual Identity, Childhood & Youth, Death, Marriage, Mothers

Tags Magical Realism, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Modern Classic Fiction

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Fates and Furies

by Lauren Groff

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Marriage, 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

Fear of Flying

by Erica Jong

Publication year 1973

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Guilt, Loneliness, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Marriage, Mothers, Self Discovery, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Love & Sexuality, Gender & Feminism

Fear of Flying (1973) is author Erica Jong’s first novel, considered by many to be semiautobiographical. Like her protagonist, Isadora Wing, Jong was married multiple times, published a book of poetry, and earned degrees from Barnard College and Columbia University. She also underwent psychoanalysis, a process in which Isadora has been engaged for many years. Isadora is married to an analyst, and the novel follows her as she attempts to reconcile her desire for sexual... Read Fear of Flying Summary

Finding Margaret Fuller

by Allison Pataki

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Love, Revenge, Femininity, Midlife, Future, Friendship, Marriage, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Education, Equality, Fate, Justice

Tags Historical Fiction, US History, Gender & Feminism, World History

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Finding My Way

by Malala Yousafzai

Publication year 2025

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Fame, Love, Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Place, Family, Marriage, Self Discovery, Education, Nation, Politics & Government, Equality

Tags Memoir & Autobiography

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Flashlight

by Susan Choi

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Forgiveness, Loneliness, Memory, Language, Mental Health, Race, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Midlife, Death, Place, Family, Marriage, Community, Immigration

Tags Coming of Age

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Fleishman Is in Trouble

by Taffy Brodesser-Akner

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes 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

Flesh

by David Szalay

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Apathy, Shame & Pride, Mental Health, Marriage, Social Class, Economics, Power & Greed

Tags Literary Fiction, Contemporary Literature

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