"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 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Fantasy, Romance
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Romance, New Adult
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Identity: Race, Relationships: Family
Tags Romance, New Adult
Publication year 1920
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Scandinavian Literature
Kristin Lavransdatter is a trilogy of historical novels by Norwegian author and Nobel Prize winner Sigrid Undset. Published between 1920 and 1922, the trilogy consists of The Wreath (see the comprehensive SuperSummary guide to The Wreath here), The Wife, and The Cross. The novels chronicle Scandinavian life during the Middle Ages. They follow the eponymous protagonist, Kristin Lavransdatter, a woman living in 1300s Norway. The trilogy is generally considered Undset’s magnum opus. This guide is... Read Kristin Lavransdatter Summary
Publication year 1928
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Femininity
Tags Classic Fiction, Romance, Love / Sexuality, British Literature, Modernism, History: World, Historical Fiction
Lady Chatterley’s Lover is a Modernist novel by the English writer D. H. Lawrence. It was written between 1926 and 1928, while Lawrence was living in Italy, and first published privately in 1928. Since it was considered scandalous and obscene, the novel was not widely available in America or the United Kingdom until the 1960s. The novel was controversial because of its explicit sexual content, as well as its depiction of an adulterous affair between... Read Lady Chatterley's Lover Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Society: Politics & Government, Identity: Gender, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags Historical Fiction, WWI / World War I, WWII / World War II, British Literature, Military / War
Publication year 1871
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Romance, Classic Fiction, British Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction
The narrative follows the exploits of Lady Susan, a beautiful and charming widow whose husband has recently died. Lady Susan is an excellent conversationalist who manipulates men into falling in love with her; they forget her socially unacceptable behavior and incorrigible flirtations after merely speaking with her. At the outset of the novella, Lady Susan has sold off her late husband’s family estate instead of giving it to his younger brother, Charles Vernon, as is... Read Lady Susan Summary
Publication year 1953
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Post-War Era, Gender / Feminism, Education, Education, Classic Fiction
First published in Harper’s Magazine in 1953, “Lamb to the Slaughter” is Roald Dahl’s best-known short story for adults. Dahl (1916-1990) was a British novelist, screenwriter, short story author and, arguably, one of the greatest children’s storytellers of the 20th century. Many of his popular children’s books have been adapted for stage and screen, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The Witches, James and the Giant Peach, and Fantastic Mr. Fox.Dahl published four collections... Read Lamb To The Slaughter Summary
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Mythology, Military / War, Italian Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 1670
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage
Tags French Literature
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, otherwise known as Molière, premiered his five-act comedy, Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, in 1670 for the court of King Louis XIV at the Château of Chambord. The title, often translated as The Middle-Class Gentleman, is a contradiction in terms, since the word “gentleman” refers to a man who was born into nobility. Therefore, a bourgeois gentleman could not exist. Molière is one of the most well-known writers of French literature, and translations of his... Read Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Midlife, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Gender / Feminism
Publication year 1989
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Sexuality, Natural World: Food, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: War
Tags Magical Realism, Latin American Literature, Historical Fiction, Romance, Food, Gender / Feminism, Love / Sexuality, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
Like Water for Chocolate is the debut novel of Laura Esquivel, published in Mexico in 1989 and then translated into English by Carol and Thomas Christensen. Esquivel has sold over four million copies of the novel worldwide. She is a novelist and active politician serving in the Mexican Chamber of Deputies. She collaborated with her husband at the time to adapt the novel into a film in 1992, which was then nominated for a Golden... Read Like Water for Chocolate Summary
Publication year 2002
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Literature, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Free verse, Lyric Poem, Play: Comedy / Satire, American Literature, Love / Sexuality
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction, Literary Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, British Literature, History: World, Regency Era
Longbourn (2013) is a work of fiction by British author Jo Baker, who is the author of several other novels of historical fiction and literary suspense. Longbourn depicts what life is like for the servants of the Bennet family of Jane Austen’s classic novel Pride and Prejudice. While events in Austen’s book frame this novel, Longbourn follows the inner lives of housemaid Sarah, housekeeper Mrs. Hill, and James Smith, the mysterious footman who shows up... Read Longbourn Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Midlife, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: Immigration
Tags History: World, Historical Fiction, Irish Literature