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.
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Gender, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 1982
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Literary Criticism, Philosophy, Arts / Culture, Philosophy, History: World, Sociology, Politics / Government, Modernism
Publication year 2023
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty
Tags History: World, Arts / Culture, Biography
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Objects, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Place, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Mental Illness
Publication year 2009
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Military / War, WWII / World War II, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance
Publication year 2019
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Race / Racism, Education, Education, Drama / Tragedy
Publication year 1980
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Society: War, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Historical Fiction, British Literature, WWI / World War I, Arts / Culture, History: World, Classic Fiction
A Month in the Country is a fiction novel published in 1980 by the British author J.L. Carr, a retired schoolteacher and publisher. The novel tells the deceptively spare tale of Thomas Birkin, a veteran of World War One who, having just returned from overseas, accepts summer employment to restore a mural. Dating back nearly five centuries, the mural adorns the wall of an old country church in northern England. During the weeks he painstakingly... Read A Month in the Country Summary
Publication year 1998
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Ian McEwan’s Amsterdam, a satirical novel published in 1998, won the prestigious Booker Prize. McEwan is a highly regarded British author, known for acclaimed works such as Atonement, The Children Act, and Saturday. Set in London during the late 1990s, Amsterdam captures the cynical atmosphere of post-Thatcherite Britain, particularly the codependent relationship between politics and the press. The novel follows two successful middle-aged friends, a composer and a newspaper editor, who make a fateful euthanasia... Read Amsterdam Summary
Publication year 1936
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Identity: Language
Tags Arts / Culture, Drama / Tragedy, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction
Constantin Stanislavski (1863-1938), one of the most influential and formative practitioners in the history of western theatre, published An Actor Prepares in 1936. The text is based on his work and teachings at the Moscow Art Theatre in Russia. As translator Elizabeth Reynolds Hapgood notes, Stanislavski dreamed of creating “a manual, a handbook, a working textbook” (v) for actors. Stanislavski’s technique, which incorporates the practices of many theatre artists that came before him, has become... Read An Actor Prepares Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty
Tags Love / Sexuality, Realistic Fiction, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Historical Fiction, Romance
Publication year 2013
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Disability, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Humor
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Art
Tags Animals, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, History: World, Arts / Culture
Publication year 1895
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Art
Tags Play: Comedy / Satire, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Romance, Victorian Literature / Period, Humor, Classic Fiction
An Ideal Husband is a satirical play about blackmail, politics, morality, and marriage by Victorian writer Oscar Wilde. It was first performed at the Theatre Royal in Haymarket, London, on January 3, 1895. Wilde was an acclaimed playwright in London at the time, though his imprisonment in late 1895 marked his fall from public grace. The play has since been adapted for both film and theater across the world, as have many of Wilde’s other... Read An Ideal Husband Summary
Publication year 2007
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Art
Tags Food, Arts / Culture, Science / Nature, Creative Nonfiction
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (2007) is, on its surface, a memoir detailing a year in the life of one family, told through an account of their food. However, it is also at times a manifesto and frequently veers into academic exploration of themes like sustainability and the current state of farming in the US. Author Barbara Kingsolver sets out to chronicle a year in her family’s food life when they undertake an experiment: to “attempt to... Read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle Summary
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Identity: Race, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Arts / Culture
Publication year 1756
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Art, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Philosophy, Arts / Culture, Age of Enlightenment, Literary Criticism, Gothic Literature, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government
Publication year 1916
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Art, Identity: Language
Tags Classic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Irish Literature, Modernism, Education, Education, History: World
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is the 1916 debut novel by Irish author James Joyce. The novel tells the story of Stephen Dedalus, a thinly-veiled alter ego for Joyce, who embarks on a journey of artistic awakening. As a landmark novel in the history of literary modernism, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man has been hailed as one of the most important works of the 20th century and... Read A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Summary
Publication year 1908
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Identity: Femininity, Self Discovery, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Art
Tags British Literature, Italian Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Satire, Edwardian Era
A Room with a View is a 1908 historical fiction/romance novel by British author E. M. Forster. The novel is split between Italy and England, telling the story of Lucy Honeychurch, a young and spirited middle-class Englishwoman who embarks on a journey of self-discovery during a trip to Italy. During her travels, Lucy falls in love with the free-spirited and unconventional George Emerson, a fellow tourist, but is later forced to choose between her heart's... Read A Room with a View Summary