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 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 1947
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Community
Tags Classic Fiction, American Literature, History: U.S., History: World
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Society: Politics & Government, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Magical Realism, Action / Adventure, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Daughters & Sons
Tags Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 1951
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Self Discovery
Tags Philosophy, Psychology, Religion / Spirituality, Psychology, Philosophy, Mental Illness, Self Help
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Identity: Gender, Society: Education, Society: Class, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure, Finance / Money / Wealth, Poverty, Narrative / Epic Poem
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Disability, Identity: Language, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Fantasy
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, History: World, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1832
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Colonial America, Education, Education, American Literature, Classic Fiction
“The Wives of the Dead,” a short story published in 1832 by American dark-romantic author Nathaniel Hawthorne, tells of sisters-in-law in colonial Massachusetts whose husbands die at the same time and details their attempts to help each other cope with the loss. The eerily surreal story touches on several of Hawthorne’s literary obsessions, including Gothic horror, Puritan guilt, love and devotion, Early American history, and feminism. The story later appeared in an 1851 collection, The... Read The Wives of the Dead Summary
Publication year 1952
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Art
Tags Modernism
Publication year 1816
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Identity: Indigenous
Tags Fairy Tale / Folklore, Mythology, American Literature
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Family
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction
Publication year 1991
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Business / Economics, Self Help, Science / Nature, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Psychology, Politics / Government
Publication year 1917
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Animals, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Natural World: Environment
Tags Animals, Science / Nature, Lyric Poem, American Literature, Education, Education, Classic Fiction
Wallace Stevens is the author of “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird,” and he first published the poem in 1917 as a part of the literary anthology Others: An Anthology of New Verse. In 1923, he included the poem in his first collection of poetry, Harmonium, which features many of Stevens’s most well-known poems—poems that continue to appear in anthologies—like “The Snow Man“ and “The Emperor of Ice-Cream.” Stevens was born in Pennsylvania and... Read Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird Summary
Publication year 2009
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Grief / Death, Lyric Poem, Gender / Feminism
Publication year 2006
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Language, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Science, Psychology, Music, Science / Nature