Books that Feature the Theme of Masculinity

This thematic Collection centers books that explore the concepts of manhood and masculinity. Through novels, plays, and literary genres, a diverse chorus of authors examines various interpretations of masculine identity and the masculine experience through coming-of-age stories, war narratives, and fantasy realms.

The Red Pony

by John Steinbeck

Publication year 1933

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Forgiveness, Shame & Pride, Masculinity, Aging, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Environment, Plants, Place, Fathers

Tags Classic Fiction, Coming of Age, Animals, American Literature, Historical Fiction

The Red Pony by John Steinbeck was published in installments from 1933 to 1936, as a novella in 1937, and in a short story collection, The Long Valley, in 1945. Steinbeck drew upon his experience living in the Salinas Valley. The four stories that make up The Red Pony are considered works of classic literature and bildungsroman, or coming-of-age stories. Steinbeck also wrote the screenplay for the 1949 film adaptation of The Red Pony, and... Read The Red Pony Summary

The River of Doubt

by Candice Millard

Publication year 2005

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Perseverance, Indigenous Identity, Masculinity, Animals, Environment, Plants, Place, Safety & Danger

Tags World History, Biography, US History, History of the Americas, Politics & Government, Travel Literature, Action & Adventure

The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey (2005) is a work of nonfiction by Candice Millard, a former writer and editor for National Geographic. The book describes Roosevelt’s 1914 expedition down an unexplored river in the Amazon rainforest, which nearly cost him his life. Despite poor preparation for the trip, Roosevelt and the group managed to overcome the Amazon’s physical and psychological challenges and placed a 1,000-mile river on the map in a historic... Read The River of Doubt Summary

The Rockpile

by James Baldwin

Publication year 1965

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Masculinity, Race, Fathers

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Race & Racism, Trauma & Abuse, Religion & Spirituality, Parenting, African American Literature, Post-War Era

“The Rockpile” is a short story by the novelist, essayist, and civil rights activist James Baldwin. Although it was originally published in Baldwin’s only short story collection, 1965’s Going to Meet the Man, it was likely written much earlier, as it uses characters that appear in his 1953 semi-autobiographical debut novel, Go Tell It On the Mountain. This guide refers to the 1995 First Vintage International edition of Going to Meet the Man.“The Rockpile” takes... Read The Rockpile Summary

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

by James Thurber

Publication year 1939

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Literature, Masculinity, Marriage

Tags American Literature, Humor, Classic Fiction, Satirical Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Action & Adventure

First published in the New Yorker in 1939, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” is James Thurber’s short story about the flamboyant fantasy life of a timid suburban Everyman. A gentle satire of the human imagination (among other things), the story struck an immediate and lasting chord in the midcentury American imagination and is widely regarded as a comic masterpiece. Its distinctive mixture of pathos and parody made it one of the most anthologized short... Read The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Summary

The Shadow King

by Maaza Mengiste

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Regret, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Race, Social Class, Colonialism, Nation, War

Tags African American Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Military & War, History: African

... Read The Shadow King Summary

The Sign of the Beaver

by Elizabeth George Speare

Publication year 1983

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Race, Coming of Age, Masculinity, Self Discovery, Colonialism

Tags Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure, Coming of Age, US History, Race & Racism, American Literature, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, World History, Classic Fiction

Published in 1983, The Sign of the Beaver is a historical adventure novel for middle grade readers written by Elizabeth George Speare. Based on a true story that took place in 1760s Colonial America, the book follows the adventures of a young English boy who, while living alone in the Maine wilderness, befriends a local Penobscot boy who teaches him how to survive. The experience changes his views of himself, his family and fellow colonists... Read The Sign of the Beaver Summary

The Silkworm

by Robert Galbraith

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Memory, Regret, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Disability, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Mental Health, Death, Appearance & Reality, Marriage, Teamwork, Justice, Power & Greed

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense

J.K. Rowling has published seven novels in the Cormoran Strike mystery series under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, beginning in 2013 with The Cuckoo’s Calling. The Silkworm was released in 2014 as the second installment of the series. The novel received praise for its intricate plotting and satirical take on the publishing industry, though it also drew criticism for its controversial portrayals of gender and graphic imagery. Set in the London literary world, The Silkworm satirizes... Read The Silkworm Summary

The Sisters Brothers

by Patrick Dewitt

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Masculinity, Death, Community

Tags Historical Fiction, Satirical Literature, Western, Symbolic Narrative, Trauma & Abuse, US History, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Gender & Feminism, American Literature, American Civil War, Mystery & Crime Fiction, World History, Action & Adventure, Humor

The Sisters Brothers is a 2011 novel by Canadian writer Patrick DeWitt. Set in 1851, it traces the journey of Charlie and Eli Sisters, two hired killers traveling from Oregon to San Francisco to find a man called Warm, who allegedly stole something from their boss, the Commodore. The darkly comic Western is in the picaresque genre, as the brothers’ episodic misadventures explore different communities populating the American West.The Sisters Brothers is divided into 64... Read The Sisters Brothers Summary

The Skeleton Tree

by Iain Lawrence

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Masculinity, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Death, Animals, Environment, Plants, Food, Objects & Materials, Fathers, Siblings, Self Discovery, Fate, Safety & Danger

Tags Action & Adventure, Survival Fiction, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction

... Read The Skeleton Tree Summary

The Sky Is Gray

by Ernest J. Gaines

Publication year 1963

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Race, Masculinity, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Coming of Age, Race & Racism, Civil Rights & Jim Crow South, Poverty, African American Literature, Education, Education, Classic Fiction

“The Sky is Gray” by African American writer Ernest J. Gaines is a short story within the collection Bloodline: Five Stories, first published in Negro Digest in August 1963 and in the collection in 1968. Gaines is best-known for his novel, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, published in 1971 and adapted into a television movie starring Cicely Tyson in 1974. Gaines is the winner of numerous awards, including the National Book Critics Circle Award... Read The Sky Is Gray Summary

The Son

by Philipp Meyer

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Conflict, Perseverance, Guilt, Loneliness, Regret, Femininity, Indigenous Identity, Masculinity, Race, The Past, Environment, Place, Daughters & Sons, Fathers, Grandparents, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Nation, War, Fate, Power & Greed, Wins & Losses

Tags Historical Fiction, Western, US History, World History

... Read The Son Summary

The Sound and the Fury

by William Faulkner

Publication year 1929

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Power & Greed, Fate, Economics, Siblings, Family, Guilt, Sexual Identity, Masculinity

Tags Southern Gothic, Classic Fiction, Modernism, Education, Education, Southern Literature, American Literature, World History

William Faulkner’s 1929 novel The Sound and the Fury relays the trials and decline of a once-prominent Southern family, the Compsons. The novel grapples with the challenges of a changing cultural landscape as modernity encroaches on the values—and deep-seated prejudices—of the Old South. Told through the perspectives of the three Compson brothers, Benjy, Quentin, and Jason, the novel visits and revisits key events in the family’s past and present. Much of the concern swirls around... Read The Sound and the Fury Summary

The Story of King Arthur and His Knights

by Howard Pyle

Publication year 1903

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Masculinity, Place, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Good & Evil, Wins & Losses

Tags Mythology, Medieval, World History, Classic Fiction, Action & Adventure, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Children`s Literature, Coming of Age, Fairy Tale & Folklore

The Story of King Arthur and His Knights, written and illustrated by Howard Pyle, was originally published in 1903. Pyle’s Book 1s part of the Arthurian romance genre, which begins with Geoffrey of Monmouth’s introduction of the Arthur character in The History of the Kings of Britain, written in the twelfth century. The Arthurian, or chivalric, romance genre includes texts from many different eras and in many different languages. Pyle’s novel offers an American perspective... Read The Story of King Arthur and His Knights Summary