Art

From Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita to Raven Leilani's Luster, the texts in this collection investigate themes related to the power and promise of many types of art — from the written word to visual arts such as painting and cinema.

The Book of Magic

by Alice Hoffman

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Love, Femininity, Death, Future, The Past, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Objects & Materials, Place, Mothers, Siblings, Self Discovery, Community, Education, Art, Beauty, Fate, Good & Evil, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Historical Fiction

... Read The Book of Magic Summary

The Bridges of Madison County

by Robert James Waller

Publication year 1992

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Love, Art, Fate

Tags Romance, Arts & Culture, Love & Sexuality, Relationships, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

A world-traveling photographer and a farmer’s wife connect in a sudden, impossible romance in The Bridges of Madison County, a 1992 novel by Robert James Waller. Lauded by critics as a soaring, spiritual story of true love thwarted, but ridiculed by others for greeting-card sentimentality, Bridges became a #1 New York Times bestseller and stayed on the list for three years. With theater and film adaptations, it is one of the most widely read books... Read The Bridges of Madison County Summary

The Cat Who Saved Books

by Sōsuke Natsukawa, Transl. Louise Heal Kawai

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Animals, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Hope, Joy, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Coming of Age, Death, Future, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Friendship, Grandparents, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Economics, Education, Art, Beauty, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Science & Technology, Truth & Lies

Tags Fantasy, Magical Realism, Japanese Literature, Contemporary Literature

... Read The Cat Who Saved Books Summary

The Celestial Omnibus

by E. M. Forster

Publication year 1911

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Literature, Beauty, Art, Social Class, Self Discovery, Childhood & Youth

Tags Action & Adventure, Symbolic Narrative

“The Celestial Omnibus” is a short story by British author E. M. Forster, originally published in 1911 in an anthology titled The Celestial Omnibus and Other Stories. Forster primarily saw success as a novelist, penning classics like A Room with a View (1908) and Howard’s End (1910), but all of his works are similarly preoccupied with issues of class, gender, and intellectual hypocrisy. In its eponymous collection, “The Celestial Omnibus” joins other stories of fantastical... Read The Celestial Omnibus Summary

The Chase

by Elle Kennedy

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Femininity, Friendship, Art

Tags Romance, Sports, Contemporary Literature

Published in 2018, The Chase is a New Adult romance novel by Elle Kennedy. A New York Times and USA Today bestseller, the book is the first installment in the Briar U series, a spin-off of Kennedy’s popular Off-Campus series. Both series are set at the fictional Briar University and center on the lives and relationships of the school’s elite hockey players. The novel follows Summer Heyward-Di Laurentis, a fashion-loving student who, after being rejected... Read The Chase Summary

The Children

by Melissa Albert

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Revenge, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Childhood & Youth, Death, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Mothers, Siblings, Self Discovery, Art, Fate, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger

Tags Fantasy

The narrative alternates between the adult life of Guinevere "Guin" Sharpe and her childhood at a remote Vermont house called the Farmhouse. Guin is the daughter of Edith Sharpe, author of the popular Ninth City children's fantasy series, and Llewellyn Sharpe, a deceased stage actor. The series follows two child protagonists, named after Edith's real children, who travel to the Ninth City, a magical realm overseen by the Architect, an elusive figure who steals visitors'... Read The Children Summary

The Circular Ruins

by Jorge Luis Borges

Publication year 1940

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Art, Education

Tags Fantasy, Symbolic Narrative, World History, Magical Realism, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Jorge Luís Borges’s short story “The Circular Ruins” was originally written in 1939 and was first published under the title “Las ruinas circulares” in the Argentinian literary journal Sur in 1940. By the time “The Circular Ruins” was finally translated into English for American audiences in 1962, Borges was on his way to international renown. In 1961, he was awarded the Prix Formentor (an elite international award), and he traveled to the US to become... Read The Circular Ruins Summary

The Collector

by John Fowles

Publication year 1963

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Wins & Losses, Safety & Danger, Beauty, Art, Social Class, Objects & Materials, Loneliness

Tags Horror & Suspense, Psychological Fiction, British Literature, Realistic Fiction, Trauma & Abuse, Gender & Feminism, Social Class, Love & Sexuality, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Classic Fiction

The Collector is English author John Fowles’s debut novel, published in 1963. The story follows a 20-something lepidopterist, Frederick Clegg, who becomes obsessed with a beautiful art student named Miranda Grey. After winning a fortune, Frederick kidnaps Miranda and imprisons her in his cellar, keeping her like a rare butterfly. Fowles combines psychological thriller, romance, and dark comedy genres into a tale that satirizes romances such as Shakespeare’s The Tempest by exposing their psychological and... Read The Collector Summary

The Coming of the Third Reich

by Richard J. Evans

Publication year 2003

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Hate & Anger, Nostalgia, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Disability, Gender Identity, Race, The Past, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Economics, Globalization, Politics & Government, War, Art, Good & Evil, Justice, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger

Tags World History, Military & War, World War II, European History, Politics & Government

... Read The Coming of the Third Reich Summary

The Dark Is Rising

by Susan Cooper

Publication year 1973

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Good & Evil, Fate, Coming of Age, Art

Tags Fantasy, Children`s Literature, Mythology, Action & Adventure, Classic Fiction

The Dark is Rising is a 1973 contemporary fantasy novel for young adult readers by English author Susan Cooper, and the second book in The Dark is Rising Sequence. It is preceded by Over Sea, Under Stone and followed by Greenwitch, The Grey King, and Silver on the Tree. The series, published between 1965 and 1977, focuses on eleven-year-old Will Stanton, who learns on his birthday that he is what is known as an “Old... Read The Dark Is Rising Summary

The Da Vinci Code

by Dan Brown

Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Art, Perseverance, Conflict, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Good & Evil, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Religion & Spirituality, Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown was originally published in 2003 and has become an international bestseller, with sales of over 80 million. It was made into a popular movie starring Tom Hanks, Audrey Tatou, and Ian McKellen. The novel is Brown’s fourth, a fast-paced thriller with political, historical, and religious overtones. Its initial release generated controversy for perceived condemnation of the Catholic Church and historical inaccuracies. Despite the charges, The Da Vinci Code... Read The Da Vinci Code Summary

The Decay of Lying

by Oscar Wilde

Publication year 1889

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Literature, Art, Truth & Lies

Tags Philosophy, Victorian Period, Education, Education, Arts & Culture, Literary Criticism, World History, Philosophy, Victorian Era, Classic Fiction

... Read The Decay of Lying Summary

The Denial of Death

by Ernest Becker

Publication year 1973

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Death, Religion & Spirituality, Fear, Art

Tags Psychology, Philosophy, Religion & Spirituality, Grief & Death, Anthropology, Anthropology, Science & Nature, Sociology, Psychology, Philosophy, Self-Improvement

The Denial of Death was written by the American cultural anthropologist Ernest Becker and published in 1973. The work explores the fear of death and the ways in which rituals and beliefs have helped humans to cope with it throughout history. It was inspired by the fact that Becker had been diagnosed with terminal colon cancer. Over the course of his life, he taught at several prestigious universities, including Syracuse University, UC Berkeley, and, by... Read The Denial of Death Summary