Religion & Spirituality

In this collection we've gathered fiction and nonfiction texts that address humanity's age-old search for meaning and purpose within a higher power.

The Monkey's Paw

by W.W. Jacobs

Publication year 1902

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Death, Fate, Family

Tags Horror & Suspense, Classic Fiction, Gothic Literature, Education, Education, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Religion & Spirituality

W. W. Jacobs (William Wymark Jacobs) wrote his well-known horror story “The Monkey’s Paw” in 1902. The short story is about the White family and the three wishes granted to them through an ominous monkey’s paw. The “monkey’s paw” has become part of popular culture and appeared, for example in The Simpsons television show as part of its Treehouse of Terror episodes. This guide cites the paragraphs of the Project Gutenberg version.Written in the third... Read The Monkey's Paw Summary

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

by Robin S. Sharma

Publication year 1996

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Future, Midlife, Self Discovery, Mental Health, Beauty, Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Gratitude, Fate, Religion & Spirituality, Environment

Tags Self-Improvement, Philosophy, Religion & Spirituality, Inspirational, Psychology, Business & Economics, Psychology, Philosophy

... Read The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari Summary

The Mountain Is You

by Brianna Wiest

Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Mental Health, Religion & Spirituality, Self Discovery, New Age, Conflict

Tags Self-Improvement, Psychology, Relationships, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Mental Illness, Health, Religion & Spirituality

... Read The Mountain Is You Summary

The Muqaddimah

by Ibn Khaldun

Publication year 1377

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Politics & Government, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Race, Religion & Spirituality, Community

Tags World History, Medieval, Middle Eastern History, Middle Eastern Literature, Sociology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics & Government, Religion & Spirituality

... Read The Muqaddimah Summary

The Myth of Sisyphus

by Albert Camus

Publication year 1942

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Death, Truth & Lies, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Philosophy, Depression & Suicide, Religion & Spirituality, Absurdism, French Literature, Philosophy, World History, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

One of the monuments of 20th-century philosophy, The Myth of Sisyphus, by Nobel Prize-winning author Albert Camus, delves deeply into the emptiness of life and how to cope with it. Published in France in 1942, during the darkest days of World War II, the book resonated strongly with French readers and soon had a worldwide following. The 2018 edition of the 1955 English translation by Justin O’Brien forms the basis for this study guide.The book’s... Read The Myth of Sisyphus Summary

The New Couple in 5B

by Lisa Unger

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Love, Memory, Regret, Revenge, Gender Identity, Friendship, Marriage, Social Class, Community, Art, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Religion & Spirituality, Psychological Fiction, Horror & Suspense

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The Nine Billion Names of God

by Arthur C. Clarke

Publication year 1967

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Future, Science & Technology, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Science Fiction, Technology, Science & Nature, Religion & Spirituality, Cold War, Post-War Era, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

The Nine Billion Names of God is a collection of science-fiction short stories published in 1974 by the English author Arthur C. Clarke. Most of the stories in the collection were written in the late 1940s and ’50s. One of the most successful and prolific early science fiction writers, Clarke wrote about space exploration, scientific inventions such as satellites, and aliens long before humans even landed on the moon. His short story “The Sentinel,” which... Read The Nine Billion Names of God Summary

The Ocean at the End of the Lane

by Neil Gaiman

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Family, Appearance & Reality, Truth & Lies, Safety & Danger, Good & Evil, Memory

Tags Fantasy, Magical Realism, Horror & Suspense, Religion & Spirituality

In The Ocean at the End of the Lane (2013), a dark fantasy novel by Neil Gaiman, a young boy accidentally brings an evil entity from another reality into his world, and he needs the help of three mysterious women to try to get rid of the threat. A number-one New York Times bestseller, the novel won several honors, including the British Book Awards Book of the Year and the Locus Award for best fantasy... Read The Ocean at the End of the Lane Summary

Theogony

by Hesiod

Genre Poem, Fiction

Tags Mythology, Narrative Poem, Philosophy, Science & Nature, Philosophy, Classical Period, Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

The Theogony is an epic poem by the archaic Greek poet Hesiod. It is both a theogony—or account of the origins of the gods—and a cosmogony, an explanation of the origins of the universe. At just over a thousand lines in length, the Theogony is among the earliest surviving works of Greek literature, dating to the late eighth or early seventh century BCE. It is an epic poem, a genre defined by its meter (dactylic... Read Theogony Summary

The Old Willis Place

by Mary Downing Hahn

Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Death, Friendship, Siblings, Loyalty & Betrayal, Childhood & Youth, Forgiveness, Loneliness, Family, Guilt, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, Grief & Death, Science Fiction, Children`s Literature, Religion & Spirituality

... Read The Old Willis Place Summary

The Once and Future Witches

by Alix E. Harrow

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fate, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Good & Evil, Wins & Losses, Love, Fear, Perseverance, Conflict, Siblings

Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Gender & Feminism, LGBTQ+, Fairy Tale & Folklore, Science Fiction, World History, Religion & Spirituality

... Read The Once and Future Witches Summary

The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot

by Marianne Cronin

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Community, Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Gratitude, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Hope, Joy, Death, Self Discovery, Art, Truth & Lies, Guilt

Tags LGBTQ+, Romance, Arts & Culture, Grief & Death, Health, Love & Sexuality, Mental Illness, Parenting, Relationships, Religion & Spirituality, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot Summary

The Pilgrim's Progress

by John Bunyan

Publication year 1678

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Perseverance, Community

Tags Classic Fiction, Christian, Symbolic Narrative, Religion & Spirituality

The Pilgrim’s Progress was written by John Bunyan and published in 1678. The work is a religious allegory that is among the most famous works of English literature; many critics also consider it the first English example of the novel genre. Like Christian, the main character in Part 1, Bunyan’s path to Christianity was a journey. After rejecting religion early in his life, Bunyan devoted himself to God and became a Puritan. He believed the... Read The Pilgrim's Progress Summary