Beauty

In her novel The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison writes, "Beauty was not simply something to behold; it was something one could do.” In this thematic collection, we have gathered texts that explore the promises and problems of beauty.

The Book of Disquiet

by Fernando Pessoa

Publication year 1982

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Literature, Apathy, Hope, Loneliness, Nostalgia, Regret, Mental Health, Death, Self Discovery, Art, Beauty

Tags Philosophy, Life-Inspired Fiction, Modernism

The Book of Disquiet is a fragmented modernist novel by Portuguese author Fernando Pessoa. Originally published in Portuguese in 1982 and in English in 1998, the title is a posthumous assemblage of Pessoa’s philosophical musings on life, urbanity, identity, and dreams. The novel is narrated by Bernardo Soares, one of Pessoa’s numerous heteronyms, or literary personas. Soares lives in Lisbon, where he works as an assistant bookkeeper. When he isn’t working, he occupies his time... Read The Book of Disquiet Summary

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 Braggart Soldier

by Plautus

Publication year -1

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Beauty

Tags Classic Fiction, Ancient Rome

Very little is known about Plautus’s life or the productions of his work. The only extant ancient Roman comedies are works written by Plautus and Terence, a playwright who was also a slave. During the time that Plautus was writing, there were no permanent theatres in Rome, as (the first one wasn’t erected until 55 BC in Pompey), so performances occurred in temporary spaces at festivals. Like other Roman playwrights, Plautus adapted his works from Greek... Read The Braggart Soldier 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 Chaperone

by Laura Moriarty

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Beauty, Daughters & Sons

Tags Historical Fiction, World History, Romance

The Chaperone is a work of historical fiction written by American author Laura Moriarty and published in 2012. The novel portrays the Jazz Age of the 1920s in America through a feminine lens. It was inspired by historical people and events, primarily the 1920s silent-film actress Louise Brooks. Moriarty lives in Lawrence, Kansas, and the book is also partially set in Kansas. The Chaperone was adapted into a PBS Masterpiece feature film in 2018. Other... Read The Chaperone Summary

The Charm Offensive

by Alison Cochrun

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Loneliness, Love, Forgiveness, Appearance & Reality, Femininity, Disability, Masculinity, Beauty, Trust & Doubt, Loyalty & Betrayal, Truth & Lies, Friendship

Tags Romance, Humor, Love & Sexuality, Relationships, LGBTQ+, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

... Read The Charm Offensive 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 Comfort of Crows

by Margaret Renkl

Publication year 2023

Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction

Themes Grief, Memory, Aging, Death, Future, The Past, Animals, Climate, Environment, Plants, Food, Nature Versus Nurture, Objects & Materials, Place, Family, Self Discovery, Community, Education, Globalization, Beauty, Equality, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Order & Chaos, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Animals, Science & Nature

... Read The Comfort of Crows Summary

The Correspondent

by Virginia Evans

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hope, Loneliness, Memory, Regret, Disability, Gender Identity, Indigenous Identity, Mental Health, Death, Marriage, Mothers, Siblings, Community, Beauty, Literature

Tags Epistolary Fiction, Domestic Fiction

... Read The Correspondent Summary

The Cricket In Times Square

by George Selden

Publication year 1960

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Equality, Music, Nostalgia, Beauty, Truth & Lies, Self Discovery, Animals, Place

Tags Children`s Literature, Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Animals, Diversity, Science & Nature, Education, Education, Classic Fiction

Trapped in a picnic basket, Chester Cricket travels from his peaceful Connecticut home to the bustling Times Square subway station in George Selden’s classic children’s novel, The Cricket in Times Square (1960). There, Chester makes three good friends who help him navigate—and enjoy—his new city life: Mario Bellini, a young boy whose parents run a struggling newsstand; Tucker, a sociable mouse; and Tucker’s best friend, the cultured Harry Cat. Mishaps in the newsstand set Mama... Read The Cricket In Times Square Summary

The Dog Stars

by Peter Heller

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Beauty

Tags Science Fiction, Action & Adventure

The Dog Stars is a post-apocalyptic novel, published in 2012, by Peter Heller. It was selected as the Apple iBooks Novel of the Year, and an Atlantic Monthly and San Francisco Examiner Best Book of the Year. It follows the experience of Hig, the narrator, and his partner, Bruce Bangley, as the two patrol and protect their eight-mile perimeter around an abandoned airport in Erie, Colorado, outside of Denver, where fuel and survival supplies are... Read The Dog Stars Summary

The Dollhouse

by Fiona Davis

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Loneliness, Memory, Regret, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Coming of Age, Death, The Past, Place, Friendship, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Beauty, Loyalty & Betrayal, Music

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Romance

... Read The Dollhouse Summary

The Doors of Perception, and Heaven and Hell

by Aldous Huxley

Publication year 1954

Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction

Themes Art, Religion & Spirituality, Fear, Joy, Memory, Indigenous Identity, Language, Mental Health, Appearance & Reality, Environment, Objects & Materials, Place, Self Discovery, Community, Politics & Government, Beauty, Good & Evil, Literature, Music, Order & Chaos, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

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

... Read The Doors of Perception, and Heaven and Hell Summary

The Drowned World

by J. G. Ballard

Publication year 1962

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Climate, Death, Future, The Past, Environment, Place, Social Class, Politics & Government, Art, Beauty, Order & Chaos

Tags Science Fiction, Climate Change, British Literature

The Drowned World is a 1962 post-apocalyptic science fiction novel by British author J.G. Ballard. Set in a future London that has been completely submerged in the ocean due to climate change-induced flooding, it follows a group of scientists who embark on a mission to study its unique, rapidly evolving flora and fauna. The novel is an extension of a shorter story published in Science Fiction Adventures. The novel is one of the first works... Read The Drowned World Summary

The Elegance of the Hedgehog

by Muriel Barbery

Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Art, Beauty, Literature, Coming of Age, Midlife, Education, Loneliness, Death, Language, Community, Appearance & Reality, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Philosophy, Philosophy, Social Class, Arts & Culture, Depression & Suicide, Relationships, French Literature

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery was published in 2006 and translated by Alison Anderson into English for publication in 2008. The novel has been translated into more than 40 languages and was a major bestseller in France. The novel was adapted into a film called The Hedgehog (Le Hérisson) in 2009 to critical acclaim. The Elegance of the Hedgehog follows the narrative point of view of two erudite narrators: Renée, a concierge... Read The Elegance of the Hedgehog Summary

The Enchantress Of Florence

by Salman Rushdie

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Art, Power & Greed, Self Discovery, Beauty, Appearance & Reality

Tags Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy, Italian Literature, World History, Indian Literature

The Enchantress of Florence is a 2008 magical-realist novel by Salman Rushdie. The story incorporates many fantastical, folkloric elements as it portrays life in the Mughal Empire and Renaissance Florence in the 16th century. In the novel, a mysterious European man arrives in the Mughal court with a story which can only be told to the emperor. Rushdie described the novel as his most heavily researched work and The Enchantress of Florence was praised by... Read The Enchantress Of Florence Summary