Can we ever fully trust our senses, or are they too unreliable to perceive the world as it is? In this collection, we gather texts that explore the idea of appearance versus reality, from classics such as Aristotle's On the Soul to contemporary bestsellers like Jia Tolentino's Trick Mirror.
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Internet Culture / Social Media, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2009
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Place
Tags History: World, Action / Adventure, Travel Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: The Americas, Race / Racism, WWI / World War I, Anthropology, Anthropology, Science / Nature, Biography
David Grann’s The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon (2009) tells the story of Percy Harrison Fawcett’s ill-fated expedition into the Brazilian jungle. After nearly two decades spent exploring the region and gathering evidence, Fawcett concluded that a sophisticated ancient civilization, a city he called Z, lay hidden deep in the Amazonian wilderness. In 1925, while searching for Z, Fawcett disappeared along with his son Jack and Jack’s friend... Read The Lost City of Z Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, WWII / World War II, Military / War, French Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Language, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Fantasy, Animals, Action / Adventure, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Romance, Love / Sexuality, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Disability, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 1965
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Sexuality, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, British Literature, Fantasy, Post Modernism
The Magus (1965) by John Fowles is a metafictional psychological thriller that blends a twisty, mysterious plot with existentialist philosophy and Postmodernist narrative play. Set on a beautiful, remote Greek island, the novel follows Nicholas Urfe, a disaffected British schoolteacher who becomes entangled in a surreal psychosexual game orchestrated by the enigmatic Conchis. Nick’s descent into Conchis’s world leaves him grappling with The Quest for an Authentic Self Amid Illusions, Narrative Instability as Metaphor for... Read The Magus Summary
Publication year 1930
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Immigration
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Classic Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Roaring Twenties, Great Depression
Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon (1930) is a detective novel that was first serialized in the magazine Black Mask. As Hammett’s third novel, The Maltese Falcon includes the introduction of Sam Spade as the protagonist, a departure from the nameless Continental Op who narrated his previous stories. Spade’s hard exterior, cool detachment, and reliance on his own moral code would become staples of the hardboiled genre, and The Maltese Falcon has since been named one... Read The Maltese Falcon Summary
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction
Publication year 1977
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Education, Education, Mystery / Crime Fiction, American Literature
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Community
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, British Literature
Publication year 1904
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Language, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, 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: Nurture v. Nature, Natural World: Objects, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Children's Literature, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2019
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Self Discovery, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Incarceration, Self Help, Inspirational, Social Justice, Biography
Publication year 1999
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Identity: Mental Health, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Self Help, Religion / Spirituality, Relationships, Philosophy, Psychology, Love / Sexuality, Philosophy, Inspirational, Psychology
Publication year 1596
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Classic Fiction, Play: Tragedy, Elizabethan Era, Education, Education, Drama / Tragedy
The Merchant of Venice is a play by English playwright William Shakespeare. It is one of Shakespeare’s many comedies, which include As You Like It, Twelfth Night, and The Taming of the Shrew. Written in the 1590s, it concerns a Jewish moneylender in Venice named Shylock who is determined to extract a pound of flesh from a merchant who failed to pay a debt on time. As the narrative unfolds, it considers themes like The... Read The Merchant of Venice Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Disability, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Self Discovery, Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Family, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Science / Nature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1796
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Sexuality
Tags Classic Fiction, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Historical Fiction, Gothic Literature, British Literature
Written when he was just 19 (and, the author claimed, in only 10 weeks), Matthew Lewis’s The Monk: A Romance proved spectacularly popular with readers upon its first publication in 1796. At the same time, this Gothic tale of religious hypocrisy, sexual depravity, and supernatural visitations was roundly condemned as immoral; critics and readers alike were shocked by the novel’s explicit depictions of violence and sexuality. Lewis published four further editions of the novel in... Read The Monk Summary
Publication year 1868
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Victorian Period, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, British Literature, History: World, Victorian Literature / Period
The Moonstone is a Victorian mystery novel by the English writer Wilkie Collins. It was originally published in serial installments between January and August 1868. The Moonstone is sometimes considered one of the first detective novels in English, with its suspenseful and dramatic plot building on the success Collins had achieved with an earlier mystery novel, The Woman in White (1860). Throughout The Moonstone, Collins explores the themes of Public Reputation Versus Inner Nature, The... Read The Moonstone Summary
Publication year 2015
Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction
Themes Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Philosophy, Psychology, Self Help
“The Moral Bucket List” is an essay by David Brooks first published in the New York Times Op-Ed Section on April 11, 2015. Born in Toronto and raised in New York, Brooks is a prominent cultural journalist, political analyst, and book author. Since 2003, he has written a twice-weekly column for the New York Times, and since 2004, he has been a political analyst for PBS NewsHour. “The Moral Bucket List” is an adapted excerpt... Read The Moral Bucket List Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Romance, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Holidays & Occasions