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 2024
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Music
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Disability, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Publication year 1844
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Teams, Life/Time: The Past, Identity: Masculinity, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge
Tags Action / Adventure, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, French Literature, History: European, Military / War, Love / Sexuality, History: World
The Three Musketeers (1844), by French novelist and playwright Alexandre Dumas, is a novel that borrows tropes from the swashbuckling genre, historical fiction, and romance to recount the adventures of a group of king’s guard who face off against the machinations of nefarious political factions set on destabilizing the monarchy. It was first published through serialization in 1844 to great popularity. Though set in the mid-1600s, the novel connected with the philosophical underpinnings of the... Read The Three Musketeers Summary
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past
Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Inspirational
The Time Keeper (2012) by American author Mitch Albom is a fable that explores the themes of Humans’ Relationship with Time, The Need to Live in the Present, and the Acceptance of One’s Mortality. The inventor of the world’s first clock, Dor, is punished for measuring time and banished to a cave for thousands of years where he becomes an ageless Father Time. Eventually, he is granted his freedom with the condition that he must... Read The Time Keeper Summary
Publication year 1963
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Friendship, Society: War
Publication year 1976
Genre Reference/Text Book, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: New Age, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Education, Education, Christian literature, Philosophy, Philosophy, Arts / Culture, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2011
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Life/Time: The Past
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: The Past
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Historical Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Gothic Literature
Publication year 1993
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Depression / Suicide, Climate Change, Grief / Death, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness, Classic Fiction
The Virgin Suicides is a realistic fiction novel written by Jeffrey Eugenides and originally published in 1993. Using death by suicide as its central motif, the novel examines the themes of The Objectification of Women, Romanticizing the Past, and The Effects of Loss. A statement of youth disillusionment, death by suicide becomes The Death of the Future, another of the novel’s themes. The novel was adapted into a critically acclaimed film directed by Sofia Coppola... Read The Virgin Suicides Summary
Publication year 2000
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Class, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Fate, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride
Tags History: World, Regency Era, Romance, Historical Fiction
Publication year 1979
Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: The Past, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags History: U.S., Journalism, Politics / Government, Arts / Culture, Class, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Grief / Death, American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction, Biography
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: The Past, Society: Class
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Romance, Gothic Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1961
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Life/Time: The Past, Identity: Race, Relationships: Family
Tags Classic Fiction, Finance / Money / Wealth, American Literature, History: World
The Winter of Our Discontent is the final novel of American author John Steinbeck (1902-1968). Published in 1961, the themes reflect Steinbeck’s concern with the degradation of American culture and morality. In some ways, the novel departs from Steinbeck’s more iconic novels, which include East of Eden (1952), The Grapes of Wrath (1939), and Of Mice and Men (1937). Steinbeck takes the novel’s title from a line in William Shakespeare’s play Richard III (1597).The critical... Read The Winter Of Our Discontent Summary
Publication year 1989
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Language, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Immigration
Tags Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Historical Nonfiction
The Winter Room is a 1989 young adult novel by American author Gary Paulsen. The story follows 11-year-old Eldon, who lives on a northern Minnesota farm with his family. The narrative explores Eldon’s relationship with his older brother, Wayne, and their connection to their great-uncle David. The boys grow up working on the farm all year and listening to Uncle David’s stories during the winter. The novel received the Newbery Medal Honor in 1989. Gary Paulsen... Read The Winter Room Summary
Publication year 1990
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Gothic Literature
Publication year 1983
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Gothic Literature, Grief / Death
The Woman in Black (1983) by Susan Hill follows the gothic literary tradition. Hill explores traditional horror tropes, such as abandoned estates and ghost hauntings, set in an unspecified time in England’s countryside. The horror novella focuses on the first-person point-of-view of Arthur Kipps as he reflects on a ghost haunting he experienced as a young man. Hill explores themes of loss and mourning, the impact of holding onto the past, and the clash between... Read The Woman in Black Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: The Past, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
The Woman in the Window, a psychological thriller published in 2018 by William Morrow. The novel was written by A.J. Finn, which is the pen name of American book editor and novelist, Dan Mallory. The novel tells the story from the first-person point of view of an unreliable female narrator, Dr. Anna Fox. The reader learns about Fox’s alcoholism, her agoraphobia, and the traumatizing events of her past, all of which take place in present-day... Read The Woman in the Window Summary
Publication year 2008
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: The Past, Society: Colonialism
Tags History: U.S., Religion / Spirituality, Politics / Government, American Literature, History: World, Humor
Essayist and commentator Sarah Vowell published her historical and social commentary The Wordy Shipmates in 2008. A humorous but seriously critical examination of the Puritan emigrants that traveled with the flagship Arbella from England to Massachusetts in 1630, the book revisits leading Puritan figures and the colonial events and ideologies they created while trying to establish the “city upon a hill” that defined their Christian mission in, what was to them, a New World.Though colonial... Read The Wordy Shipmates Summary
Publication year 1942
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Society: War, Society: Nation, Life/Time: The Past
Tags WWI / World War I, WWII / World War II, Military / War, History: World, Biography
Publication year 2023
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Courage
Tags Biography, Arts / Culture