Colonialism & Postcolonialism

With best-selling novels like Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible and influential academic texts such as Edward Said's Orientalism, this collection gathers books from across genres to explore the complex dynamics and lasting legacies of colonialism.

The Lost City of Z

by David Grann

Publication year 2009

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Colonialism, The Past, Truth & Lies, Appearance & Reality, Place

Tags World History, Action & Adventure, Travel Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, History of the Americas, Race & Racism, World War I, Anthropology, Anthropology, Science & Nature, Biography

David Grann’s The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon (2009) tells the story of Percy Harrison Fawcett’s ill-fated expedition into the Brazilian jungle. After nearly two decades spent exploring the region and gathering evidence, Fawcett concluded that a sophisticated ancient civilization, a city he called Z, lay hidden deep in the Amazonian wilderness. In 1925, while searching for Z, Fawcett disappeared along with his son Jack and Jack’s friend... Read The Lost City of Z Summary

The Lost Steps

by Alejo Carpentier

Publication year 1953

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Self Discovery, Gender Identity, Indigenous Identity, Masculinity, Race, The Past, Marriage, Colonialism, Art, Literature, Music, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Magical Realism, Symbolic Narrative, Latin American Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

The Lost Steps, first published in 1953 by Cuban novelist Alejo Carpentier, is a parody of the lost world novels that were popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries, including Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864) and Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World (1912). The novel follows an unnamed New York City composer on a quest for Indigenous musical instruments in South America. Carpentier, known for his roles as a... Read The Lost Steps Summary

The Man He Killed

by Thomas Hardy

Publication year 1902

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Social Class, War, Colonialism

Tags Poetry: Dramatic Poem, Victorian Period, Military & War, Social Class, History: African , European History, Psychology, Grief & Death, Trauma & Abuse, Classic Fiction, British Literature

... Read The Man He Killed Summary

The Man Who Knew Infinity

by Robert Kanigel

Publication year 1991

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Perseverance, Loneliness, Religion & Spirituality, Colonialism

Tags Science & Nature, World History, Depression & Suicide, Education, Religion & Spirituality, Indian Literature, Biography

The Man Who Knew Infinity is a 1991 biography of famed Indian mathematician Srinivāsa Ramanujan, written by Robert Kanigel. The text closely follows Ramanujan’s rise from humble origins to become one of the most influential mathematicians of the 20th century. Joining forces with another notable mathematician in his own right, G. H. Hardy of Cambridge University, Ramanujan produced some of the most insightful, imaginative, and original work in mathematics that is still studied today. From Ramanujan’s... Read The Man Who Knew Infinity Summary

The Martian Chronicles

by Ray Bradbury

Publication year 1950

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Space, Colonialism, Nostalgia, Conflict

Tags Science Fiction, Classic Fiction, Fantasy, American Literature

First published in 1950, The Martian Chronicles is a collection of 15 science fiction short stories and 11 vignettes by Ray Bradbury. Upon publication, the book garnered praise from critics and readers for its poeticism and philosophy, and it continues to rank among the most highly respected works in Bradbury’s long career. Each of the stories were previously published in periodicals before Bradbury was given the suggestion to work them into a novel by an... Read The Martian Chronicles Summary

The Mercy of Gods

by James S. A. Corey

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Teamwork, Social Class, Colonialism, Politics & Government, War, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy

... Read The Mercy of Gods Summary

The Message

by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Publication year 2024

Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction

Themes Guilt, Hope, Race, Colonialism, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Equality, Justice, Literature, Truth & Lies

Tags US History, Race & Racism, African American Literature, Biography

... Read The Message Summary

The Mighty Red

by Louise Erdrich

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Forgiveness, Fear, Grief, Love, Memory, Shame & Pride, Indigenous Identity, Masculinity, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Death, Climate, Environment, Plants, Marriage, Mothers, Colonialism, Community, Politics & Government, Justice

Tags Modern Classic Fiction

... Read The Mighty Red Summary

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

by Robert A. Heinlein

Publication year 1966

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Space, Politics & Government, War, Future, Colonialism, Economics, Science & Technology

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (1966) by Robert Heinlein is a classic science fiction novel. It is set in a future in which the Earth has established a penal colony on the Moon. The story follows a revolutionary movement as the Lunar residents rebel against Earth to fight for their economic independence and self-governance. A shorter version of this novel was serialized in The Worlds of If magazine in 1965 and 1966. Robert Heinlein is... Read The Moon is a Harsh Mistress Summary

The Moonstone

by Wilkie Collins

Publication year 1868

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Appearance & Reality, Social Class, Colonialism, Power & Greed, Trust & Doubt

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Victorian Period, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror & Suspense, British Literature, World History, Victorian Era

The Moonstone is a Victorian mystery novel by the English writer Wilkie Collins. It was originally published in serial installments between January and August 1868. The Moonstone is sometimes considered one of the first detective novels in English, with its suspenseful and dramatic plot building on the success Collins had achieved with an earlier mystery novel, The Woman in White (1860). Throughout The Moonstone, Collins explores the themes of Public Reputation Versus Inner Nature, The... Read The Moonstone Summary

The Mosquito Coast

by Paul Theroux

Publication year 1981

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Colonialism, Truth & Lies

Tags Action & Adventure, Coming of Age, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Travel Literature, Classic Fiction

The Mosquito Coast, published in 1981 by Paul Theroux, is an adventure story narrated by 13-year-old Charlie Fox, the son of a brilliant inventor who uproots his family to establish a self-sustaining settlement in the jungles of Honduras. Writing in the tradition of novels like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Robinson Crusoe, The Swiss Family Robinson, and Lord of the Flies, Theroux cited the Jonestown Massacre and the Mormon prophet Joseph Smith as influences in... Read The Mosquito Coast Summary

The Mountain in the Sea

by Ray Nayler

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Animals, Apathy, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Gratitude, Hope, Loneliness, Memory, Future, Appearance & Reality, Climate, Environment, Place, Friendship, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Globalization, Politics & Government, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror & Suspense, Science & Nature, Animals

... Read The Mountain in the Sea Summary

The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket

by Edgar Allan Poe

Publication year 1838

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Colonialism, Coming of Age, Masculinity

Tags Action & Adventure, Classic Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Gothic Literature, American Literature, World History, Fantasy

The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket (1838) is Edgar Allan Poe’s only complete novel. The first two installments were published in 1837 in the Southern Literary Messenger magazine, where Poe was an editor. After leaving the Messenger, he continued working on the novel intermittently until it was published as a complete text in 1838. It brings together various literary genres—including the adventure story, coming-of-age narrative, and scientific guidebook— and infuses them with an... Read The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket Summary

The Night Tiger

by Yangsze Choo

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Sexual Identity, Religion & Spirituality, Colonialism

Tags Asian Literature, Historical Fiction, Chinese Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, World History, Magical Realism, Romance, Fantasy

The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo was published in 2020. Like Choo's debut novel, The Ghost Bride (2013), The Night Tiger is a mixture of genres, including mythology and historical fiction, and it is a New York Times bestseller. The Night Tiger chronicles the period between May and July of 1931. The setting is colonial-era Malaysia, or “Malaya.”Plot SummaryChinese house servant Ren, is a 10-year-old orphan who’s mourning the death of his master, Dr. MacFarlane... Read The Night Tiger Summary