Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Fear, Revenge, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Coming of Age, Social Class, Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Horror & Suspense
Class
This thematic collection covers texts that investigate the particularly fraught dynamics and divisions of class, including Upton Sinclair's The Jungle and Ernesto Galarza's Barrio Boy.
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Fear, Revenge, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Coming of Age, Social Class, Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Horror & Suspense
Publication year 1998
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Loneliness, Mothers, Self Discovery, Social Class
Tags Horror & Suspense, Literary Fiction
Steven is a 25-year-old man living in a decaying flat with his mother, a grotesquely abusive woman he calls the Hagbeast. He did not leave the apartment until age five, and the Hagbeast so thoroughly eroded his capacity for independence that by his teens, existing in the outside world seemed unthinkable. She feeds him deliberately rancid meals he believes are slowly poisoning him. His only companion is Dog, a loyal animal whose back legs were... Read Cows Summary
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Love, Social Class, Family
Tags Romance, Humor, Satirical Literature, Asian Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Crazy Rich Asians is a 2013 romance comedy novel by American author Kevin Kwan about a young Asian American woman who travels with her boyfriend to his native Singapore and finds herself suddenly thrust into the cutthroat world of Asia’s uber-rich. Kwan based the novel loosely on his own experiences growing up in Singapore. It is the first novel in a three-book series, followed by China Rich Girlfriend (2015) and Rich People Problems (2017), all... Read Crazy Rich Asians Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Gender Identity, The Past, Climate, Environment, Food, Place, Social Class, Community, Economics, Globalization, Politics & Government
Tags Psychological Fiction
Publication year 1998
Genre Reference/Text Book, Nonfiction
Themes Literature, Race, Sexual Identity, Environment, Social Class, Colonialism, Justice
Tags Literary Criticism, Philosophy
Publication year 2016
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Race, Social Class, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice
Tags Race & Racism, Education, Education, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Sociology, Social Justice, Politics & Government
Publication year 1949
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Good & Evil, Appearance & Reality, Family, Social Class, Siblings, Nature Versus Nurture
Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, British Literature, Classic Fiction
Crooked House is a crime fiction novel by mystery writer Agatha Christie, and its title was inspired by the house in the nursery rhyme, “There Was a Crooked Man.” The novel was first published in the US in 1949 by Dodd, Mead, and Company, and in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in the same year. Crooked House is one of Christie’s favorites among her own work. The novel takes place in post-World War... Read Crooked House Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Race, Family, Social Class, Justice
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, African American Literature, Race & Racism, Urban Development, World History
Publication year 1989
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Race, Colonialism, Fear, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Memory, Sexual Identity, Family, Self Discovery, Social Class
Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Afro-Caribbean Literature, Women`s Studies, Education, Education, French Literature, World History, Classic Fiction
Crossing the Mangrove (1995) by Maryse Condé was originally published in French as Traversée de la Mangrove. It was translated to English by her husband Richard Philcox. Told from multiple perspectives, the novel opens with a mystery—that of Francis Sancher’s murder. As characters gather to speak at Sancher’s wake, they reveal his impact on the village of Rivière au Sel (“Salty River”), as well as why he returned to the village of his ancestors. While... Read Crossing the Mangrove Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Grief, Love, Nostalgia, Regret, Coming of Age, Place, Family, Self Discovery, Social Class, Economics
Tags Romance, Coming of Age
Publication year 1940
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Gender Identity, Coming of Age, Social Class, Safety & Danger
Tags Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Mystery & Crime Fiction, World History, Classic Fiction
Cue for Treason by Geoffrey Trease is a children’s historical novel published in 1940. Set in Elizabethan England at the end of the 16th century, it follows the adventures of Peter, forced to run away from his Cumberland home. Peter becomes a boy-actor, traveling to London with another runaway, Kit. They uncover a conspiracy against the Queen that takes them on a series of escapades up and down the country.Trease wrote over 100 books and... Read Cue for Treason Summary
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Family, Marriage, Social Class, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology
Tags Psychological Fiction, Horror & Suspense
Publication year 1869
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Politics & Government, Social Class, Religion & Spirituality, Order & Chaos
Tags Philosophy, Politics & Government, Arts & Culture, Social Class, Victorian Period, World History, Philosophy, Victorian Era, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2017
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Fear, Loneliness, Revenge, Disability, Gender Identity, Language, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Death, Appearance & Reality, Family, Marriage, Social Class, Economics, Justice
Tags Horror & Suspense, Magical Realism, Science Fiction, Korean Literature
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Conflict, Hate & Anger, Shame & Pride, Nature Versus Nurture, Fathers, Siblings, Teamwork, Social Class, Good & Evil, Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Romance
Cursed Fates (2020) is a dark fantasy romance novel by British writing duo Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti. It is the fifth book in the internationally bestselling Zodiac Academy series, which is part of the larger United States of Solaria interconnected universe. The series gained significant popularity through social media platforms, particularly TikTok, and has appeared on bestseller lists from outlets including the Wall Street Journal and USA Today. The novel continues the story of... Read Cursed Fates Summary
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Hate & Anger, Gender Identity, Social Class, Politics & Government, Truth & Lies
Tags Romance, Science Fiction
Publication year 1878
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Femininity, Social Class, Conflict, Community
Tags Classic Fiction, Romance, Victorian Period, Education, Education, American Literature, World History
Daisy Miller is a novella by Henry James, first published in Cornhill Magazine in 1878 and in book form a year later. This short piece of fiction explores the differences in class and social expectations in America and Europe, especially for young women just before the turn of the 20th century. James was a member of a prominent and wealthy American family; his education and travels to England and continental Europe allowed him to gain... Read Daisy Miller Summary
Publication year 1975
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Fathers, Daughters & Sons, Justice, Social Class
Tags Classic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Humor, Finance
British author Roald Dahl first published Danny the Champion of the World in 1975. This award-winning children’s novel was adapted into a made-for-TV movie in 1989. The story follows Danny and his single-father, William, as they concoct a plan to poach all of the pheasants from a mean, rich landowner’s woods. Dahl’s children’s books are humorous and unsentimental, usually featuring a heroic young protagonist and an obnoxious adult antagonist. Dahl’s other works for children include The Gremlins... Read Danny, the Champion of the World Summary
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Love, Marriage, Social Class, Coming of Age
Tags Romance, Classic Fiction, Ancient Greece, Pastoralism, Mythology, Classical Period, World History, Fantasy
IntroductionDaphnis and Chloe is an ancient Greek romance novel and the only known work of the mysterious writer Longus, who lived during the 2nd century C.E., when Greece was part of the Roman Empire. The novel is a pastoral work depicting the idealized life of shepherds and rural communities, while following the love story of the two eponymous protagonists, Daphnis and Chloe. Due to the descriptions of nudity, desire, and sex, critics have traditionally considered... Read Daphnis and Chloe Summary
Publication year 2009
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Social Class, Truth & Lies, Family, Hate & Anger, Fear, Masculinity
Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Crime & Law, Modern Classic Fiction
Dark Places is a 2009 mystery thriller novel by American author Gillian Flynn. The narrative moves between two time periods, 1985 and 2009, as the protagonist, Libby Day, tries to solve her family’s brutal murder. The novel deals with the consequences of the 1980s Satanic Panic and the fallout from the 1970s Farm Boom for a community in the rural Midwest. Flynn is also the author of Sharp Objects (2006) and Gone Girl (2012).Dark Places... Read Dark Places Summary