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.

Grendel

by John Gardner

Publication year 1971

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Beauty, Good & Evil, Art, Order & Chaos, Loneliness, Revenge, Hate & Anger

Tags Fantasy, Mythology, Postmodernism, Education, Education, Classic Fiction

John Gardner’s 1971 novel Grendel is a retelling of the story of Beowulf, an Anglo-Saxon epic poem from the 6th century, from the perspective of the villain, the monster Grendel. In Grendel, the monster Grendel is an anti-hero, challenging the conventions of traditionally heroic behavior as he tries to understand the world in which he lives. In 1982, an animated Australian film adaptation of the novel called Grendel Grendel Grendel was released in major cities... Read Grendel Summary

Guts

by Raina Telgemeier

Publication year 2019

Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction

Themes Mental Health, Fear, Friendship, Family, Perseverance, Art

Tags Coming of Age, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Guts is the third mid-grade graphic memoir in a trilogy by author/illustrator Raina Telgemeier through which she relates the true story of her childhood. Guts specifically records Raina’s fourth- and fifth-grade years, when she transitioned from nine to 10 years old. During this period, she first experiences gastrointestinal issues, eventually diagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Panic attacks accompany the IBS, and the two conditions exacerbate each other, intensifying her distress. Her narrative chronicles how... Read Guts Summary

Heartbeat

by Sharon Creech

Publication year 2004

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Aging, Death, Teamwork, Siblings, Friendship, Coming of Age, Art, Birth, Memory, Childhood & Youth, Mothers, Family

Tags Relationships, Coming of Age, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read Heartbeat Summary

Held

by Anne Michaels

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Memory, Death, Future, The Past, Family, War, Art, Music, Religion & Spirituality, Science & Technology

Tags Military & War, World History, Literary Fiction, Historical Nonfiction

... Read Held Summary

Here

by Richard McGuire

Publication year 2014

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Art, Place, Memory, Environment, Grief, Joy, Loneliness, Love, Indigenous Identity, Aging, Childhood & Youth, Death, Future, The Past, Climate, Objects & Materials, Space, Family, Mothers, Beauty

Tags Historical Fiction, Dramatic Literature, World History, Arts & Culture

Here by Richard McGuire is a graphic novel published on December 4, 2014, by Pantheon Books. The graphic novel focuses on the same corner of a room over billions of years. It depicts the area long before the house is built and long after it falls. By using different visual styles, overlapping panels, and non-chronological narration, McGuire creates a narrative that comments on the nature of time and life. Here is considered a transformative work... Read Here Summary

Holy the Firm

by Annie Dillard

Publication year 1977

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Good & Evil, Art

Tags Religion & Spirituality, Science & Nature, Philosophy, Philosophy

SummaryHoly the Firm is a 1977 book on Christian spirituality by American naturalist and author Annie Dillard. Dillard, whose 1974 Pilgrim at Tinker Creek won the 1975 Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction, is often championed for her ability to describe and narrativize the natural world. In Holy the Firm, Dillard applies this ability to what happened during a three-day period on an island in Puget Sound. Dillard ultimately stayed on this Island for two years... Read Holy the Firm Summary

Horse

by Geraldine Brooks

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Art, Animals, The Past

Tags Historical Fiction, Animals, Race & Racism, American Civil War, Sports, World History, Arts & Culture

... Read Horse Summary

Howards End

by E. M. Forster

Publication year 1910

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Art, Social Class

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Relationships, Social Class, British Literature, World History, Romance

E. M. Forster’s Howards End (1910) tells the story of two families, the Schlegels and the Wilcoxes, who represent different aspects of society in Edwardian England. Specifically, it follows the Margaret Schlegel, the novel’s protagonist, amid her attempts to manage her own family as she becomes engaged to and marries the widowed Mr. Wilcox. In 1992 it was adapted into an Academy Award-winning film, directed by James Ivory, and in 2017 it was adapted into... Read Howards End Summary

How to Be Both

by Ali Smith

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Art, Grief, Love, Memory, Gender Identity, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Future, The Past, Self Discovery, Social Class, Justice

Tags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ+

How to be Both is a 2014 novel by Scottish author Ali Smith. The narrative explores common threads of grief, identity, and memory from the perspectives of recently bereaved 16-year-old English schoolgirl George and a character named Francescho, inspired by the real 15th-century Italian artist Francesco del Cossa. The book, exploring themes such as The Impact of Grief on Personality, Ambiguity as an Inescapable Feature of Life, and Everyday Resistance to Injustice, was a critical... Read How to Be Both Summary