Publication year 1600
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Family, Masculinity, Politics & Government, Power & Greed, Social Class
Tags Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Korean Literature, Action & Adventure
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 Story of Hong Gildong
The Story of My Experiments with Truth
The Storyteller's Secret
The Street Lawyer
The Summer Guests
The Sunbearer Trials
The Surgeon
The Survivor Wants to Die at the End
The Swimmer
The Sword of Kaigen
The Tale of Despereaux
The Taming of the Shrew
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
The Theory of the Leisure Class
The Thief and the Dogs
The Thing Around Your Neck
The Things We Never Say
The Thirty Nine Steps
The Threepenny Opera
The Time Machine
Publication year 1600
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Family, Masculinity, Politics & Government, Power & Greed, Social Class
Tags Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Korean Literature, Action & Adventure
Publication year 1927
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Truth & Lies, Religion & Spirituality, Politics & Government, Colonialism, Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Social Class, Education, Justice
Tags Indian Literature, Philosophy, Religion & Spirituality, Politics & Government, Asian History, World History, Health, Poverty, Military & War, Race & Racism, Relationships, Social Justice
The Story of My Experiments with Truth is the autobiography of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, more widely known as Mahatma Gandhi. A key political and spiritual leader of India and the Indian independence movement, Gandhi penned this work to narrate his quest for truth and the principles that underpinned his life’s journey. Originally published in 1927, this memoir provides a meticulous account of Gandhi’s spiritual, moral, and political evolution. The literary era in which this was... Read The Story of My Experiments with Truth Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Colonialism, Social Class, Friendship, Community, Literature, Mothers, Love, Marriage
Tags Realistic Fiction, Indian Literature, Asian History, Gender & Feminism, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Historical Fiction, Romance, Arts & Culture
Publication year 1998
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Community, Social Class, Race, Justice
Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Crime & Law
The Street Lawyer, by John Grisham, was originally published by Bantam Books in January 1998. Grisham’s ninth novel, The Street Lawyer occupied a spot in Grisham’s streak of top-ten bestselling novels, which began with the record-breaking success of his second novel, The Firm, and lasted over two decades. Prior to penning his first novel, A Time to Kill, Grisham earned a JD from University of Mississippi School of Law and practiced civil and criminal trial... Read The Street Lawyer Summary
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Appearance & Reality, Family, Social Class
Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Espionage
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Fear, Hope, Loneliness, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Gender Identity, Coming of Age, Animals, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Social Class, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Wins & Losses
Tags Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Mythology
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Conflict, Grief, Memory, Revenge, Mental Health, Childhood & Youth, Death, The Past, Family, Siblings, Self Discovery, Social Class, Education, Politics & Government, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Health
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Guilt, Hope, Love, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Death, Family, Fathers, Mothers, Self Discovery, Social Class, Economics, Science & Technology
Tags Romance, Fantasy, Science Fiction, LGBTQ+
Publication year 1964
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Social Class, Family, Midlife
Tags Surrealism, Symbolic Narrative, Education, Education, US History, American Literature, World History, Classic Fiction
“The Swimmer” is a short story by John Cheever that was originally published in The New Yorker in 1964. The story is told in third-person limited narration and utilizes elements of Surrealism. The narrative draws on the myth of Narcissus and alludes to Homer’s The Odyssey while exploring the dynamics of post–World War II American suburbia.Content Warning: The source material and this guide include references to alcohol addiction.“The Swimmer” opens on Neddy Merrill, an upper-middle-class... Read The Swimmer Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Regret, Femininity, Coming of Age, Death, Marriage, Social Class, Community, Politics & Government, War, Truth & Lies
Tags Fantasy, Science Fiction, Asian Literature
Publication year 2003
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Social Class, Friendship, Literature, Family, Fate, Forgiveness, Good & Evil, Grief, Hope
Tags Fairy Tale & Folklore, Fantasy, Animals, Children`s Literature, Action & Adventure, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1593
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Marriage, Gender Identity, Social Class
Tags Elizabethan Era, Comedy & Satire, Humor, Education, Education, Dramatic Literature, Romance, Classic Fiction
The Taming of the Shrew is one of William Shakespeare’s earliest comedies, probably first performed around 1593. While the play’s depiction of women is the subject of much debate among modern readers and scholars, its popularity endures, and the play continues to be reproduced in various mediums. Notable adaptations include the 1967 film starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, and the 1999 romantic comedy 10 Things I Hate About You.This guide refers to the 2014... Read The Taming of the Shrew Summary
Publication year 1848
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Love, Marriage, Self Discovery, Social Class, Religion & Spirituality
Tags Victorian Period, Classic Fiction, Romance, British Literature, Gothic Literature, Gender & Feminism, Trauma & Abuse, Addiction & Substance Abuse, World History, Historical Fiction, Victorian Era
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is the second and final novel written by Anne Brontë (1820-1849), the youngest of the three celebrated Brontë sisters. The novel was published in 1848 under Anne’s pseudonym, Acton Bell. Unlike Anne’s first novel, Agnes Grey (1847), The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was an immediate sensation and stirred strong reactions to its subject matter, which touched on adultery, marital separation, alcohol use disorder, and domestic abuse. After her death, Anne’s... Read The Tenant of Wildfell Hall Summary
Publication year 1899
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Economics, Power & Greed, Social Class
Tags Business & Economics, Education, Education, Social Science, World History, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Sociology, Philosophy, Politics & Government
The Theory of the Leisure Class: An Economic Study of Institutions (1899), written by Norwegian-American sociologist and economist Thorstein Veblen, is a critique of consumerism and conspicuous culture promoted by the wealthy leisure class in America during the Industrial era. Veblen proposes that economics is not simply the study of markets and cash flow; it must include sociological analysis to accurately reflect a society’s consumption patterns and their cultural and economic repercussions. Though the book... Read The Theory of the Leisure Class Summary
Publication year 1961
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Social Class, Revenge
Tags Symbolic Narrative, Social Class, Existentialism, African Literature, Education, Education, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction
The Thief and the Dogs is a 1961 surrealist, existentialist novel by Egyptian author Naguib Mahfouz. Mahfouz won the 1988 Nobel Prize for Literature and The Thief and the Dogs is considered one of his most celebrated works. The novel has been adapted for Egyptian television, and is the first novel written in Arabic to use the stream-of-consciousness style. Published nearly ten years after the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, the novel is also considered an... Read The Thief and the Dogs Summary
Publication year 2009
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Family, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Immigration
Tags African American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, African Literature, Colonialism & Postcolonialism, Relationships, Gender & Feminism
The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was published in 2009. Adichie had previously published two novels, making this text her third book and her first short story anthology. Some of the stories had been published previously in publications like The New Yorker and The Iowa Review. The book received praise, situating Adichie as a rising star of Nigerian literature. These short stories deal with problems of political conflict, immigration, artistic integrity, and... Read The Thing Around Your Neck Summary
Publication year 2026
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Fear, Grief, Loneliness, Mental Health, Death, Future, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Fathers, Marriage, Social Class, Nation, Politics & Government, Justice
Publication year 1915
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Appearance & Reality, Politics & Government, Social Class
Tags Action & Adventure, Horror & Suspense, Classic Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction
The Thirty-Nine Steps, an early spy thriller, was published by Scottish author John Buchan in 1915. It was the first of five books to feature protagonist Richard Hannay. Alfred Hitchcock adapted the story to film in 1935, emphasizing the thriller elements and changing most of the secondary characters. A theatrical version, which drew from Hitchcock’s movie but restored the comedic tone of Buchan’s novel, ran in London’s West End for 10 years. Buchan’s story of... Read The Thirty Nine Steps Summary
Publication year 1928
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Social Class, Justice, Power & Greed
Tags Comedy & Satire, Classic Fiction, Poverty, Trauma & Abuse
Publication year 1895
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Science & Technology, Future, Social Class
Tags Science Fiction, Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Action & Adventure
The Time Machine is a science fiction novel by H. G. Wells published in 1895. The book’s protagonist, who is never named and called only the Time Traveller, is a brilliant Victorian inventor who travels 800,000 years into the future. He finds that humans have evolved into two distinct species, called the Eloi and the Morlocks. The Eloi are peace-loving and childlike simpletons who are farmed and eaten by the brutal Morlocks, who live underground... Read The Time Machine Summary