The Popular Study Guides Collection brings together a selection of our most-visited Guides in one convenient place. Featuring titles ranging from classic literature with enduring appeal to popular book club picks, this Collection represents a diverse array of literature readers can't get enough of.
Publication year 1972
Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race
Tags Race / Racism, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Politics / Government, History: U.S., History: World, Social Justice, Classic Fiction, Biography
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Fate, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Objects, Natural World: Place, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Historical Fiction, Science / Nature, History: World, Magical Realism
Publication year 1916
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Beauty
Tags Mythology
Publication year 1969
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Community, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags African Literature, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Gender / Feminism, Race / Racism, African American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2014
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race
Tags Lyric Poem, Black Lives Matter, Race / Racism, African American Literature
Publication year 1785
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation, Society: Colonialism
Tags Education, Education, Science / Nature, History: World, Philosophy, American Revolution, Classic Fiction, History: U.S., Politics / Government, Philosophy, Race / Racism
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1956
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: Colonialism, Society: Class
Tags Race / Racism, Health / Medicine, African Literature
Publication year 2023
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Politics / Government, History: U.S., Trauma / Abuse / Violence, History: World, Biography
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Identity: Mental Health, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Teams, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure, Narrative / Epic Poem
Publication year 1820
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Education, Education, Romanticism / Romantic Period, British Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
Publication year 60
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags Play: Tragedy, Mythology, Education, Education, Classical Period, Drama / Tragedy, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
Publication year 401
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Classical Period, Play: Tragedy, Mythology, Ancient Greece
Oedipus at Colonus is an ancient Athenian tragedy composed by Sophocles in (it is widely believed) the last year of his life, approximately 406 BC. His grandson, who was named Sophocles after him, first produced the play in 401 BC at the Festival of Dionysus, also known as the Great Dionysia. Along with Oedipus Rex and Antigone, it is one of three surviving tragedies by Sophocles, known as the Theban plays, that retell episodes from... Read Oedipus at Colonus Summary
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags Play: Tragedy, Mythology, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Ancient Greece, Classic Fiction, Education, Education, Drama / Tragedy, Fantasy
Sophocles’s play Oedipus Rex, first performed in the early-to-mid 400s BCE, is one of the most famous and influential tragedies left to us from the ancient Greek tradition. Based on the myth of Oedipus, whose cursed fate was to marry his mother and kill his father, the play explores themes of destiny, free will, and literal and metaphoric vision and blindness. This guide uses the 1984 Penguin edition of The Three Theban Plays, translated by... Read Oedipus Rex Summary
Publication year 1902
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Race, Relationships: Family
Tags Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Race / Racism, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Mystery / Crime Fiction, British Literature, History: World
Publication year 1962
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation
Tags Russian Literature, Historical Fiction, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Education, Education, History: World
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, first published in 1962 in the USSR, is a novel by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. It follows the protagonist, Ivan Denisovich Shukhov, during a typical day in the forced labor camp where he is imprisoned. The novel explores the human cost of Stalinism in Soviet Russia. Shukhov and the other prisoners waver between unity and division as they attempt to survive in the labor camp, which is situated far... Read One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich Summary
Publication year 1964
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Community
Tags Philosophy, Politics / Government, Psychology, Education, Education, Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Psychology, Philosophy
Publication year 1967
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Family, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags Magical Realism, Latin American Literature, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fantasy
One Hundred Years of Solitude, first published in Spanish in 1967 as Cien años de soledad, is an internationally renowned and classic work of literature by Colombian writer Gabriel García Márquez. The most highly regarded English version of the book is Gregory Rabassa’s translation, which was first published in 1970. This guide uses citations from the HarperPerennial Modern Classics Edition, which was released in 2006. García Márquez became the fourth Latin American winner of the... Read One Hundred Years of Solitude Summary
Publication year 2008
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Society: Politics & Government, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Latin American Literature, Education, Education, Classic Fiction