Literature
Explore books in the Literature category
144 books in this category
The Old Man and the Sea
Ernest Hemingway
A novella about an aging fisherman's epic battle with a giant marlin, symbolizing perseverance and personal triumph.
The Oxford Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
A complete collection of Shakespeare’s plays, with analysis and commentary on language, themes, and cultural impact.
A Gentleman in Moscow
Amor Towles
A novel about a Russian count sentenced to house arrest, exploring themes of resilience and adaptability.
Song of Solomon
Toni Morrison
A novel exploring African American identity, history, and family, with deep cultural and emotional themes.
An American Marriage
Tayari Jones
A novel exploring love, race, and social injustice, focusing on a marriage disrupted by wrongful incarceration.
The Iliad
Homer
An ancient Greek epic poem about the Trojan War, exploring themes of honor, heroism, and fate.
The Kite Runner
Khaled Hosseini
A novel about friendship, betrayal, and redemption set against the backdrop of Afghanistan’s tumultuous history.
Station Eleven
Emily St. John Mandel
A post-apocalyptic novel that follows the lives of survivors after a global pandemic, exploring themes of art, resilience, and humanity.
The Epic of Gilgamesh
Anonymous
An ancient Mesopotamian epic poem following the adventures of Gilgamesh, exploring themes of friendship, mortality, and heroism.
Americanah
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
A novel about a Nigerian woman’s experiences with race, identity, and love in America and Nigeria.
The Moviegoer
Walker Percy
A novel about a man searching for meaning in his life, exploring themes of alienation, identity, and self-discovery.
The Swerve
Stephen Greenblatt
Chronicles the rediscovery of Lucretius’s *On the Nature of Things*, and its impact on modern thought and the Renaissance.
The Overstory
Richard Powers
A novel exploring the interwoven lives of people connected by their experiences with trees, highlighting ecological themes.
The Things They Carried
Tim O'Brien
A novel about a platoon of American soldiers in the Vietnam War, blending fiction and memoir to explore trauma and memory.
As I Lay Dying
William Faulkner
A Southern Gothic novel about a family’s journey to bury their matriarch, exploring themes of family, identity, and mortality.
What Makes Sammy Run?
Budd Schulberg
A novel about a ruthless screenwriter in Hollywood, critiquing ambition, greed, and the American Dream.
In Search of Lost Time
Marcel Proust
A multi-volume novel exploring memory, time, and identity, often considered one of the greatest works of modern literature.
A Fine Balance
Rohinton Mistry
A novel set in India during the Emergency period, exploring the lives of four people brought together by adversity.
Kafka on the Shore
Haruki Murakami
A surreal novel blending parallel narratives, exploring themes of memory, fate, and the unconscious.
Leaves of Grass
Walt Whitman
A collection of poetry celebrating individuality, nature, and the human spirit.
How to Read a Book
Mortimer J. Adler
A guide to reading comprehension, offering techniques for understanding and analyzing books effectively.
All the Light We Cannot See
Anthony Doerr
A novel set during WWII following a blind French girl and a German soldier, highlighting resilience and fate.
Great Expectations
Charles Dickens
A coming-of-age novel about an orphan named Pip, exploring themes of wealth, love, and identity.
A Thousand Splendid Suns
Khaled Hosseini
A novel about the struggles of two Afghan women over decades, highlighting resilience and the impact of war.
The Hero with a Thousand Faces
Joseph Campbell
Analyzes the universal hero myth, showing recurring themes in mythology and storytelling across cultures.
In Cold Blood
Truman Capote
A true crime novel about the brutal murder of a family in Kansas, blending reportage with novelistic storytelling.
The Corrections
Jonathan Franzen
A novel about a dysfunctional Midwestern family, exploring themes of ambition, regret, and family dynamics.
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
Michael Chabon
A novel about two Jewish cousins in the comic book industry during WWII, blending history, love, and adventure.
Lincoln in the Bardo
George Saunders
A novel set in the afterlife, exploring grief and redemption as Abraham Lincoln mourns his young son.
The Opposing Shore
Julien Gracq
A philosophical novel set in an imaginary land, exploring themes of isolation, waiting, and existentialism.
Bel Canto
Ann Patchett
A novel about a hostage crisis at a diplomatic party, exploring themes of love, beauty, and human connection.
A Suitable Boy
Vikram Seth
A novel set in post-independence India, following the lives of four families and exploring themes of love, politics, and society.
The Sheltering Sky
Paul Bowles
A novel about an American couple traveling in North Africa, exploring themes of existentialism and alienation.
The Book of Laughter and Forgetting
Milan Kundera
A novel blending politics, memory, and humor, set in Communist-era Czechoslovakia.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Betty Smith
A coming-of-age novel about a young girl growing up in poverty in early 20th-century Brooklyn.
Under the Volcano
Malcolm Lowry
A novel set in Mexico about an alcoholic British consul, exploring themes of despair, love, and self-destruction.
Beautiful Ruins
Jess Walter
A novel that spans decades and continents, following characters connected by love, fame, and fate.
A Prayer for Owen Meany
John Irving
A novel about faith, destiny, and friendship, following the life of a unique and unforgettable character, Owen Meany.
The Dutch House
Ann Patchett
A novel about siblings grappling with their past, exploring themes of family, forgiveness, and home.
Life
Georges Perec
An experimental novel that captures the essence of daily life through interconnected stories and vignettes.
Sometimes a Great Notion
Ken Kesey
A novel about a family’s struggle in logging town Oregon, exploring themes of independence and resilience.
The Transit of Venus
Shirley Hazzard
A novel about love, loss, and destiny, following the lives of two sisters and their relationships.
Of Mice and Men
John Steinbeck
A classic novel about friendship and hardship during the Great Depression, following two displaced workers.
Paradise Lost
John Milton
An epic poem about the biblical story of the Fall of Man, exploring themes of free will and redemption.
Essays
Plutarch
A collection of Plutarch's essays, covering topics related to ethics, politics, and human nature.
Either/Or
S√∏ren Kierkegaard
A philosophical work examining two different views of life: one based on aesthetics and pleasure, the other on ethics and duty.
Sixteen Satires
Juvenal
A collection of satirical poems critiquing Roman society, touching on themes of corruption, greed, and hypocrisy.
The Red and the Black
Stendhal
A novel about a young man’s ambition and romantic entanglements in post-Napoleonic France, exploring themes of social mobility.
Evenings and Avenues
Stuart Dischell
A poetry collection exploring themes of urban life, relationships, and existential reflection.
The Book of Disquiet
Fernando Pessoa
A fragmented collection of introspective reflections, capturing themes of solitude, existential angst, and introspection.
Dig Safe
Stuart Dischell
A poetry collection by Stuart Dischell, exploring themes of life, memory, and the search for meaning.
The Joy Luck Club
Amy Tan
A novel about Chinese-American immigrant families, exploring themes of identity, generational conflict, and cultural heritage.
A Death in the Family
James Agee
A semi-autobiographical novel about a family’s grief and struggles after the sudden death of the father.
Feel Free
Zadie Smith
A collection of essays on a range of topics including art, politics, and personal experiences.
Backwards Days
Stuart Dischell
A poetry collection that captures the nuances of human relationships, emotions, and self-reflection.
Alien vs. Predator
Michael Robbins
A poetry collection that blends pop culture references with humor and social commentary.
A Tale for the Time Being
Ruth Ozeki
A novel that intertwines the lives of a Japanese teenager and a writer in the Pacific Northwest, exploring themes of time, identity, and loss.
The Signature of All Things
Elizabeth Gilbert
A historical novel following a female botanist in the 19th century, exploring themes of science, adventure, and self-discovery.
Life of Pi
Yann Martel
A novel about a young boy stranded on a lifeboat with a tiger, blending themes of survival, faith, and adventure.
The Western Canon
Harold Bloom
A defense of classic literature, exploring works Bloom considers essential to Western culture.
The Great Code
Northrop Frye
Analyzes the Bible as literature, examining its influence on Western culture and storytelling.
A Collection of Essays
George Orwell
A compilation of Orwell’s essays, covering topics from politics to literature and social commentary.
The Diary of Anais Nin
Anais Nin
A personal diary capturing Nin’s thoughts, emotions, and reflections on relationships and her artistic life.
Words with Power
Northrop Frye
Examines the symbolic power of language and literature, focusing on myth, poetry, and biblical texts.
Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson
A collection of Samuel Johnson's essays and writings, showcasing his reflections on literature, society, and human nature.
The Complete Greek Tragedies
David Grene
A collection of ancient Greek tragedies, including works by Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, translated into English.
The Stone Angel
Margaret Laurence
A novel about a strong-willed elderly woman reflecting on her life, dealing with themes of family, memory, and independence.
Children with Enemies
Stuart Dischell
A poetry collection exploring themes of conflict, humanity, and personal reflection.
Mind-Body Problem
Rebecca Goldstein
A novel exploring the philosophical dilemma of the mind-body problem through the life of a female philosopher.
A Farewell to Arms
Ernest Hemingway
A classic novel about love and loss set against the backdrop of World War I.
The Mental Life of Modernism
Samuel Jay Keyser
Examines the cognitive and linguistic influences on modernist literature, focusing on how modernist writers depicted consciousness.
Selected Epigrams
Martial
A collection of witty, often satirical poems by the Roman poet Martial, reflecting on Roman society.
Carried Away
Alice Munro
A collection of short stories by Alice Munro, exploring themes of love, loss, and self-discovery in everyday life.
A Million Little Pieces
James Frey
A controversial memoir about addiction and recovery, later revealed to contain fictional elements.
The Lowland
Jhumpa Lahiri
A novel about two brothers from India, dealing with themes of family, politics, and cultural identity.
The Bluest Eye
Toni Morrison
A novel about a young African American girl facing racism and identity issues, examining the impact of societal beauty standards.
Plato at the Googleplex
Rebecca Goldstein
Imagines Plato in modern-day scenarios to explore philosophical questions, blending ancient and contemporary thought.
Love in the Time of Cholera
Gabriel Garcia Marquez
A novel about love and obsession set in a Caribbean town, exploring themes of passion, aging, and memory.
Happy All the Time
Laurie Colwin
A lighthearted novel about relationships and love, following the lives of two couples navigating romance and friendship.
The Beautiful and Damned
F. Scott Fitzgerald
A novel following a young couple’s decadent lifestyle in 1920s New York, exploring themes of wealth, love, and moral decay.
The Cat's Table
Michael Ondaatje
A coming-of-age novel about a boy’s journey on a ship, filled with rich characters and mysteries.
The Night Circus
Erin Morgenstern
A fantasy novel about a magical competition between two illusionists, set in a surreal, enchanting circus.
Little Boy Blue
Edward Bunker
A gritty novel about a young man's struggle with crime and redemption, based on the author's own life experiences.
I Capture the Castle
Dodie Smith
A coming-of-age story about a young girl living in a crumbling English castle, exploring love, family, and self-discovery.
The Hours
Michael Cunningham
A novel that interweaves the lives of three women, inspired by Virginia Woolf’s *Mrs. Dalloway*, exploring themes of life and art.
The Paris Review Interviews, I
The Paris Review
A collection of interviews with notable writers, discussing their creative processes and personal philosophies.
Gilead
Marilynne Robinson
A novel about an elderly preacher reflecting on his life and faith, addressing themes of forgiveness and legacy.
Jesus' Son
Denis Johnson
A collection of interconnected short stories about addiction, loneliness, and redemption, told from the perspective of a drug addict.
The Goldfinch
Donna Tartt
A novel following a young man whose life is shaped by a tragic event and an obsession with a painting, exploring themes of loss and beauty.
Brideshead Revisited
Evelyn Waugh
A novel about faith, love, and friendship, centered on an aristocratic English family and their relationship with the narrator.
Mythology
Edith Hamilton
A retelling of ancient Greek, Roman, and Norse myths, providing insights into classical mythology.
Infinite Jest
David Foster Wallace
A complex novel exploring addiction, entertainment, and family dynamics, blending dark humor with philosophical themes.
Brief Interviews with Hideous Men
David Foster Wallace
A collection of stories examining complex human behavior, often through dark humor and experimental narrative.
Marjorie Morningstar
Herman Wouk
A novel about a young Jewish woman’s dreams of becoming an actress, set in mid-20th century New York.
Growth of the Soil
Knut Hamsun
A novel that explores the connection between humans and nature, focusing on a man’s life as a farmer in rural Norway.
While I Was Gone
Sue Miller
A novel about a woman confronting her past and re-evaluating her life, exploring themes of identity and regret.
The Topeka School
Ben Lerner
A novel exploring American culture and politics through the lens of a high school debate champion in Kansas.
The White Goddess
Robert Graves
A poetic and scholarly exploration of the “White Goddess” figure in European mythology and poetry.
Cancer Ward
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
A novel set in a Soviet cancer ward, exploring themes of illness, mortality, and human dignity.
Enemies, a Love Story
Isaac Bashevis Singer
A novel about a Holocaust survivor in New York navigating complex relationships and past traumas.
Jimmy Corrigan
Chris Ware
A graphic novel about a lonely man dealing with family issues, told through intricate illustrations and a unique narrative style.
Essays
George Orwell
A collection of Plutarch's essays, covering topics related to ethics, politics, and human nature.
Go Tell It on the Mountain
James Baldwin
A novel about a young African American boy’s journey of faith and identity, set in Harlem.
A Lesson Before Dying
Ernest J. Gaines
A novel about a man wrongfully condemned to death and the impact of his story on a small Southern community.
White Teeth
Zadie Smith
Follows the intertwined lives of two families in London, exploring themes of multiculturalism and identity.
A House for Mr Biswas
V. S. Naipaul
A novel about a man’s struggle for independence and identity in post-colonial Trinidad.
The Reader
Bernhard Schlink
A novel about a young man’s relationship with an older woman, exploring themes of love, guilt, and the Holocaust.
Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage
Alice Munro
A collection of short stories examining complex relationships and human connections, often set in rural Canada.
Tolstoy
Henri Troyat
A biography of Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, exploring his life, works, and philosophical evolution.
Mother Night
Kurt Vonnegut
A novel about a former Nazi propagandist reflecting on his actions and identity, questioning morality and duality.
The Tiger's Wife
Téa Obreht
A novel set in the Balkans, blending myth and reality as a young doctor uncovers stories of her grandfather's life.
Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage
Haruki Murakami
A novel about a man’s journey to reconnect with old friends and understand past betrayals, blending existential themes with Murakami’s surreal style.
A Literary Companion to Science
Walter Gratzer
A collection of essays on scientific topics, written to be accessible and engaging for a broad audience.
Beowulf
Seamus Heaney
A modern translation of the classic Old English epic poem, recounting the hero’s battles against monsters.
Fight Club
Chuck Palahniuk
A novel about an unnamed narrator’s descent into anarchy and violence, exploring themes of identity and consumerism.
Cultural Amnesia
Clive James
A collection of essays on influential figures and ideas in Western culture, reflecting on art, history, and politics.
The Dream of a Common Language
Adrienne Rich
A collection of poetry that addresses themes of love, feminism, and social justice.
Bewilderment
Richard Powers
A novel about a widowed father and his son, exploring nature, environmentalism, and human connections.
Ring
Jonathan Yardley
A memoir reflecting on love, loss, and personal transformation, with a focus on the enduring bonds of relationships.
The Source of Self-Regard
Toni Morrison
A collection of essays, speeches, and reflections from Morrison on society, literature, and identity.
The Voice That Is Great Within Us
Hayden Carruth
A collection of essential American poetry from various authors, offering a snapshot of American life.
Dickens and Prince
Nick Hornby
A comparative exploration of Charles Dickens and musician Prince, examining their creativity and cultural impact.
The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
Mordecai Richler
A coming-of-age novel about a young man’s ambition and his complex relationship with family and success.
Ways of Escape
Graham Greene
An autobiography reflecting on Greene’s life, writing, and encounters across the world.
Dante
John Took
A biography and analysis of Dante Alighieri's work and life, especially his *Divine Comedy*.
Paradise
Toni Morrison
A novel about an all-black town and the mysterious events surrounding a convent of women nearby.
Ruby
Cynthia Bond
A novel that explores trauma, resilience, and love within a small Southern town.
Parables and Paradoxes
Franz Kafka
A collection of Kafka’s philosophical reflections and short writings.
The Collected Poems of Dylan Thomas
Dylan Thomas
A complete collection of poetry by Dylan Thomas.
The Orphan Master's Son
Adam Johnson
A novel set in North Korea, blending political thriller with human drama.
The Largesse of the Sea Maiden
Denis Johnson
A collection of short stories reflecting on mortality, redemption, and the human condition.
Anything Is Possible
Elizabeth Strout
Linked stories exploring the lives of small-town characters facing love, pain, and resilience.
Tenth of December
George Saunders
A collection of darkly humorous and thought-provoking short stories.
To Show and to Tell
Phillip Lopate
A guide for writers on crafting personal essays, blending memoir and narrative techniques.
Sing, Unburied, Sing
Jesmyn Ward
A novel about family, history, and race, following a family's journey through the rural South.
Orwell's Revenge
Peter Huber
Examines George Orwell’s work in the context of modern technology and surveillance.
A Swim in a Pond in the Rain
George Saunders
Literary analysis of Russian short stories, blending lessons on writing and life.
The Spectator
Joseph Addison
Collection of essays from *The Spectator* magazine, offering social commentary and wit.
Essential Bukowski
Charles Bukowski
Collection of selected works by poet and novelist Charles Bukowski.
The Annotated Flatland
Ian Stewart
Annotated edition of "Flatland," explaining its mathematical and social themes.
An Autobiography of Anthony Trollope
Anthony Trollope
Memoir of the life and career of Victorian novelist Anthony Trollope.