Class

The titles in the Social Class Collection explore the historical and contemporary implications of social class and class division in cultures around the world. Representing a diverse range of perspectives, cultures, and societies, the selections in this Collection span a broad range of genres and forms, including essays, biographies, and fiction.

The Proving Ground

by Michael Connelly

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Guilt, Regret, Disability, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Death, Daughters & Sons, Teamwork, Social Class, Community, Economics, Justice, Power & Greed, Science & Technology, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses

Tags Science, Technology, Science/Technology, Gender & Feminism, Biography, US History

... Read The Proving Ground Summary

The Pursuit of Love

by Nancy Mitford

Publication year 1945

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Love, Social Class, Perseverance, Hope, Femininity, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Death, The Past, Animals, Marriage, Economics, War

Tags Romance, Satirical Literature, Humor, Historical Fiction, British Literature

... Read The Pursuit of Love Summary

The Rainbow

by D. H. Lawrence

Publication year 1915

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Femininity, Social Class, Sexual Identity

Tags Classic Fiction, Love & Sexuality, British Literature, Modernism, World History, Historical Fiction, Romance

The Rainbow (1915) by D. H. Lawrence follows three generations of the Brangwen family in Nottinghamshire, England, during the Second Industrial Revolution. The novel covers approximately 65 years in the Brangwens’ agricultural dynasty and explores how each generation changes in the face of modernity and industrial progress. The novel’s depiction of sexual desire and its role in the protagonists’ relationships and spiritual lives led to The Rainbow being the center of an obscenity trial a... Read The Rainbow Summary

The Rain God

by Arturo Islas

Publication year 1984

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Grief, Guilt, Loneliness, Memory, Shame & Pride, Disability, Gender Identity, Indigenous Identity, Language, Masculinity, Mental Health, Race, Sexual Identity, Death, The Past, Environment, Place, Marriage, Self Discovery, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Immigration, Religion & Spirituality

Tags LGBTQ+, Arts & Culture, Race & Racism

... Read The Rain God Summary

The Razor's Edge

by W. Somerset Maugham

Publication year 1944

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Social Class, Economics, Masculinity, Good & Evil

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Philosophy, Existentialism, Business & Economics, Religion & Spirituality, Finance, British Literature, French Literature, World History, Philosophy

W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) wrote The Razor’s Edge in 1944. The novel’s title comes from a quotation translated from the Katha Upanishad, with the assistance of Christopher Isherwood: “Rise, wake up, seek the wise and realize. The path is difficult to cross like the sharpened edge of the razor." The story has been adapted for film twice, once in 1946 starring Tyrone Power and again in 1984 with Bill Murray. When World War I air... Read The Razor's Edge Summary

The Reckoning

by John Grisham

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Guilt, Grief, Hate & Anger, Revenge, Shame & Pride, War, Social Class, Colonialism, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Race, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Femininity, Masculinity, Daughters & Sons, Family, Fathers, Marriage, Mothers, Siblings, Death, Coming of Age, The Past, Nation

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Crime & Law, Race & Racism, Military & War, World History

... Read The Reckoning Summary

The Reckoning

by Caroline Peckham, Susanne Valenti

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Hate & Anger, Love, Memory, Shame & Pride, Masculinity, Nature Versus Nurture, Family, Fathers, Friendship, Siblings, Self Discovery, Social Class, War, Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Romance

Published in 2019, The Reckoning is a dark-fantasy romance novel by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti. It’s the third installment in their popular Zodiac Academy series, which belongs to the subgenres of dark academia and bully romance, and follows Ruthless Fae (2019). Peckham and Valenti are #1 Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling authors known for their interconnected fantasy worlds, with the Zodiac Academy series gaining significant popularity with reader communities on social-media platforms... Read The Reckoning Summary

The Red and the Black

by Stendhal (Marie-Henri Beyle)

Publication year 1830

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Hate & Anger, Shame & Pride, Coming of Age, Family, Social Class, Economics, Nation, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice, Power & Greed

Tags Historical Fiction, French Literature, Classic Fiction, Psychological Fiction

The Red and the Black (in French, Le Rouge et le Noir: Chronique du XIX siècle) is an 1830 historical novel by Marie-Henri Beyle, better known by the pen name Stendhal. The Red and the Black follows the rise and fall of Julien Sorel, a bright and ambitious, but in many ways naïve, young man of lowly birth, who resolves to work his way up in the highly stratified French society during the Bourbon Restoration... Read The Red and the Black Summary

The Red Shoes

by Sheila Black

Publication year 2014

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Grief, Love, Community, Conflict, Safety & Danger

Tags Narrative Poem, Confessional, Grief & Death, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Relationships, Mental Illness, Disability

... Read The Red Shoes Summary

There Is No Place for Us

by Brian Goldstone

Publication year 2025

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Hate & Anger, Shame & Pride, Mental Health, Race, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Economics, Globalization, Nation, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Sociology, Politics & Government, Political Science, Journalism, Poverty, Urban Studies

... Read There Is No Place for Us Summary

The Remains of the Day

by Kazuo Ishiguro

Publication year 1989

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Love, Social Class, Self Discovery, Aging, The Past, Religion & Spirituality, Grief

Tags Historical Fiction, British Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

The Remains of the Day is a novel by British writer Kazuo Ishiguro. Released in 1989, the novel tells the story of Stevens, who once worked as a butler at a stately home in England. In his old age, he returns to the house and reminisces about his experiences in the 1920-1930s. Most of the novel is told in flashback. The novel was adapted into a critically-acclaimed film of the same name, released in 1993... Read The Remains of the Day Summary