Books & Literature

The Dutch philosopher Erasmus said, “When I have a little money, I buy books; and if I have any left, I buy food and clothes.” Why do we value books and literature so highly? This thematic collection gathers books that offer unique insights into the power, energy, and appeal of, well, books!

Iambicum Trimetrum

by Edmund Spenser

Publication year 1580

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Love, Literature

Tags Lyric Poem, Renaissance, Elizabethan Era

Along with his contemporary Philip Sidney, Edmund Spenser is one of the most important literary figures from the English Renaissance (c. 1550-1660), also known as the Early Modern Period. Spenser’s work was greatly influenced by his studies of Classical and Italian Renaissance poets, including Virgil, Ludovico Ariosto, and Torquato Tasso. His faith and study of Christianity also informed his work. With Sidney, who was also an influence, and his friend Gabriel Harvey, Spenser belonged to... Read Iambicum Trimetrum Summary

I Am The Messenger

by Markus Zusak

Publication year 2002

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Fear, Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Conflict, Forgiveness, Hate & Anger, Guilt, Perseverance, Apathy, Memory, Love, Regret, Shame & Pride, Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Daughters & Sons, Fathers, Mothers, Beauty, Literature

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, New Adult, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Originally published in 2002, Markus Zusak’s I Am the Messenger is a young adult realistic fiction novel. Ed Kennedy, the protagonist and narrator, is a 19-year-old cab driver whose average life takes an unexpected turn when he stops a bank robber. After this moment of heroism, he begins receiving mysterious playing cards with cryptic messages that lead him to people in need of his assistance. The novel is set in suburban Sydney and draws on... Read I Am The Messenger Summary

If on a Winter's Night a Traveler

by Italo Calvino

Publication year 1979

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Literature, Truth & Lies, Art, Community, Beauty

Tags Magical Realism, Postmodernism, Italian Literature, Science & Nature, Arts & Culture, Politics & Government, Sociology, World History, Classic Fiction

If on a winter’s night a traveler is a 1979 postmodernist novel by Italo Calvino. The dual narrative is composed of two parallel strands: numbered chapters in which the narrator directly describes to the audience the process of reading the book, and titled chapters constructed from hypothetical first chapters of various books that the audience is reading. The innovative novel has been praised by critics and hailed as highly influential.This guide uses the 1998 Vintage... Read If on a Winter's Night a Traveler Summary

I Know Who You Are

by Alice Feeney

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Hope, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Revenge, Mental Health, Childhood & Youth, Midlife, Death, Future, The Past, Animals, Nature Versus Nurture, Place, Family, Marriage, Mothers, Siblings, Self Discovery, Social Class, Economics, Fame, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction

... Read I Know Who You Are Summary

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

by Maya Angelou

Publication year 1969

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Race, Literature, Coming of Age

Tags African American Literature, Creative Nonfiction, Trauma & Abuse, Race & Racism, Gender & Feminism, Classic Fiction, Biography

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings is an autobiographical novel by Maya Angelou. Angelou discusses the struggles of growing up African American in the 1950s. The novel has themes of overcoming adversity and trauma, both used as a general metaphor for the struggle against racism. Angelou wrote the novel as a challenge to create literature out of an autobiography, and what emerged is a classic that is still revered today.The novel begins on a... Read I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings Summary

I Lost My Talk

by Rita Joe

Publication year 2007

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Race, Indigenous Identity, Forgiveness, Grief, Memory, Language, Childhood & Youth, Colonialism, Wins & Losses, Literature

Tags Lyric Poem, Education, Arts & Culture, Diversity, History of the Americas, Race & Racism, Trauma & Abuse, Colonialism & Postcolonialism

... Read I Lost My Talk Summary

Indecent

by Paula Vogel

Publication year 2015

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Hope, Love, Language, Race, Death, Teamwork, Immigration, War, Equality, Literature

Tags Drama, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ+, Jewish Literature, Gender & Feminism, Education, Education, World History, Dramatic Literature

... Read Indecent Summary

Inferno

by Dan Brown

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Death, Globalization, Art, Literature, Science & Technology, Environment, Future, Power & Greed

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Arts & Culture, Science & Nature, European History, Renaissance, Italian Literature, Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure

Inferno by Dan Brown is the fourth installment in Brown’s Robert Langdon series of mystery/thriller novels, following (in order) Angels & Demons, The Da Vinci Code, and The Lost Symbol, and preceding Origin. Each edition covers a self-contained story, so readers need not follow the series in order, and often includes themes centered on European and Christian history and cultural traditions. The title character, Robert Langdon, is the only recurring character. Inferno won the Goodreads... Read Inferno Summary

In My Craft or Sullen Art

by Dylan Thomas

Publication year 1934

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Loneliness, Love, Space, Fame, Literature, Power & Greed

In “In My Craft or Sullen Art” (1946), renowned Welsh poet Dylan Thomas (1914-1953) asks the age-old question: Why write poetry? In the poem, a poet sits alone at a writing desk bathed in moonlight. He is compelled by an energy he does not entirely understand to spend his night toiling over lines of poetry. The poem explores the creative process that links a lonely poet to the people he writes for—not guaranteed readers, but... Read In My Craft or Sullen Art Summary

Intermezzo

by Sally Rooney

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Forgiveness, Love, Nostalgia, Regret, Disability, Mental Health, Midlife, Place, Siblings, Social Class, Economics, Literature, Wins & Losses

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

... Read Intermezzo Summary

Invisible Cities

by Italo Calvino

Publication year 1972

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Colonialism, Conflict, Literature

Tags Fantasy, Magical Realism, Italian Literature, Asian History, European History, Arts & Culture, Classic Fiction

Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino (1923-1985) was originally published in 1972 in Italian and translated into English in 1974. Calvino’s ninth novel, it received a Nebula Novel Award nomination in 1975.According to New York Times reviewer Joseph McElroy, Calvino already had the reputation of being Italy’s “most original storyteller” for his use of fantastical and fabulist motifs to explore philosophical and scientific themes such as evolution (McElroy). Invisible Cities continues this trend by using the... Read Invisible Cities Summary

Ion

by Plato

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Literature, Art

Tags Philosophy, Ancient Greece, Education, Education, Philosophy, Arts & Culture, Literary Criticism, Classical Period, Classic Fiction

... Read Ion Summary

Killing Mr. Griffin

by Lois Duncan

Publication year 1978

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Apathy, Conflict, Fear, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Coming of Age, Appearance & Reality, Friendship, Community, Education, Family, Good & Evil, Fate, Justice, Power & Greed, Literature, Trust & Doubt, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Realistic Fiction, Dramatic Literature, Trauma & Abuse, Education, Education

... Read Killing Mr. Griffin Summary