In George Orwell's 1984 a character says, "Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past." The past may be behind us, but its events—and how we remember them—have a profound effect on the present. In this collection explore texts that examine the complications and complexities of the past.
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Life/Time: Aging, Society: Community, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Class
Tags Romance, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Finance / Money / Wealth, Class, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Irish Literature
Publication year 1985
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Food, Society: Colonialism
Tags Anthropology, Food, Education, Education, Anthropology, Business / Economics, History: World
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Magical Realism, Japanese Literature, Fantasy
Publication year 2003
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem
Publication year 1920
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Society: Community, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Midlife
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Class, Love / Sexuality, Gilded Age, American Literature, Gender / Feminism, History: World, Romance
American writer Edith Wharton’s Pulitzer-Prize winning novel The Age Of Innocence (1920) was a post-armistice reflection on the 1870s New York society of her youth. Wharton, an American who lived abroad in Paris, was already the successful author of other novels, including The House of Mirth (1905) and Ethan Frome (1911).In a The New York Times article, Elif Batuman reflects that “eventually, each classic tells two stories: its own, and the story of all the... Read The Age of Innocence Summary
Publication year 1992
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Art, Identity: Language
Tags Self Help, Psychology, Arts / Culture, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Religion / Spirituality, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy
Publication year 1888
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fame
Tags Classic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Realism, Italian Literature, American Literature, History: World
The Aspern Papers by Henry James is a novella first published in The Atlantic Monthly in 1888. The unnamed protagonist and narrator is an editor and obsessive fan of fictional poet Jeffrey Aspern, who is no longer living. Having heard that a former romantic partner of Aspern’s, Juliana Bordereau, and her niece, Tita Bordereau (renamed Tina in later editions), are in possession a collection of papers related to the poet, the narrator rents rooms in... Read The Aspern Papers Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: New Age, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Fantasy, LGBTQ, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Relationships, Science / Nature, Social Justice, Education, Philosophy
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Humor
Publication year 1798
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Grandparents, Society: War
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Military / War, History: European
“The Battle of Blenheim,” also known as “After Blenheim,” is a satirical, antiwar poem by English Romantic poet Robert Southey, written in 1798 and published in the Morning Post newspaper on August 9 of that year. The poem, which is in the form of a ballad, looks back at the Battle of Blenheim, which was fought around the Bavarian town of Blindheim, in southern Germany, on August 2, 1704, during the War of the Spanish... Read The Battle of Blenheim Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman
The Bear and the Nightingale (2017) is a historical fantasy novel by Katherine Arden. The story is set in medieval Russia and was heavily inspired by the country’s folklore and history. It follows Vasilisa “Vasya” Petrovna, a girl who lives in an isolated village at the edge of a forest and can communicate with household spirits and other supernatural beings that others cannot see. Her life is upended when her father marries a pious woman... Read The Bear and the Nightingale Summary
Publication year 2007
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Immigration, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past
Tags Realistic Fiction, Immigration / Refugee, History: African , African American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Dinaw Mengestu’s 2007 debut novel, The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears, is a NYT Notable Book, a recipient of the Guardian First Book Award, and the LA Times Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction. Originally published in the UK under the title Children of the Revolution, the story takes place across three days in the life of Sepha Stephanos, an Ethiopian refugee living in Washington, DC. In his New York Times review of the book... Read The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Indigenous, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Canadian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 1936
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Grandparents, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Magical Realism, Romance
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family
Tags Historical Fiction, Military / War, American Civil War, History: World
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Class, Society: War
Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Romance
Publication year 1898
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Life/Time: The Past
Tags Education, Education, Classic Fiction, Western, Humor, American Literature
“The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky” is a short story by American author Stephen Crane. Published in 1898, the story parodies tropes of old westerns and addresses the themes of the death of the Old West, domesticity, and masculinity. The story details the journey of Jack Potter, marshal of the small town of Yellow Sky, as he brings his new bride from the East back to his home in Texas on the Western frontier. Once... Read The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky Summary