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 Labyrinth of Solitude

by Octavio Paz

Publication year 1950

Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction

Themes Nation, Colonialism, Masculinity

Tags Philosophy, Race & Racism, Sociology, Gender & Feminism, Latin American Literature, Women`s Studies, World History, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

The Labyrinth of Solitude is a nine-part philosophical and historical essay on Mexican identity and culture. Octavio Paz, a famous Mexican poet and career diplomat, began writing The Labyrinth of Solitude during his time as the Mexican ambassador to France in the late 1940s. Originally published in 1951, the first edition of Paz’s work appeared in Spanish under the title El labertino de la soledad, and it is widely considered to be Paz’s masterpiece. This... Read The Labyrinth of Solitude Summary

The Last of the Mohicans

by James Fenimore Cooper

Publication year 1826

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, War, Colonialism

Tags Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Action & Adventure, Military & War, American Literature, World History

James Fenimore Cooper’s The Last of the Mohicans: A Narrative of 1757 (1826) is the second in a series of historical novels known as the Leatherstocking Tales that describe the adventures of 18th-century American frontiersman Natty Bumppo. The Last of the Mohicans is set in 1757, in upstate New York during the French and Indian War. The book follows the attempts of Bumppo, his Mohican friends Chingachgook and Uncas, and other followers as they escort... Read The Last of the Mohicans Summary

The Last Runaway

by Tracy Chevalier

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Femininity, Race, Appearance & Reality, Marriage, Colonialism, Immigration, Nation, Politics & Government, Justice, Truth & Lies

Tags American Literature, World History, Historical Fiction

... Read The Last Runaway Summary

The Left Hand of Darkness

by Ursula K. Le Guin

Publication year 1969

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Gender Identity, Colonialism

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy, Gender & Feminism, LGBTQ+, Classic Fiction

The Left Hand of Darkness is a speculative fiction novel published in 1969 and written by Ursula K. LeGuin. Set in LeGuin’s fictional Hainish Universe, in which life developed on the planet Hain instead of Earth, the novel explores the meeting of two different civilizations and their struggles to understand one another. Gender plays a strong role in the story, as protagonist Genly Ai comes from a planet that considers binary gender the norm, whereas... Read The Left Hand of Darkness Summary

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

by Washington Irving

Publication year 1820

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Colonialism, Community

Tags Horror & Suspense, Classic Fiction, Gothic Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fantasy

American author Washington Irving published “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” in 1820 as part of his short story collection The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent while living abroad in England. “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is a ghost story, an example of American gothic fiction that evokes horror, folklore, and the supernatural. “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” has become a classic Halloween tale for its spectral villain, the Headless Horseman, and its hapless hero, Ichabod... Read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Summary

The Long Song

by Andrea Levy

Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Family, Colonialism

Tags Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction

Set in 19th-century Jamaica during the final years of slavery and the turbulent period following emancipation, the novel is narrated by July, an elderly formerly enslaved woman who writes her life story at the urging of her son, Thomas Kinsman. Thomas, a prosperous printer in Kingston, explains in a foreword dated 1898 that he persuaded his mother to commit her tale to paper as a chapbook. Throughout the narrative, July addresses the reader directly, quarrels... Read The Long Song Summary

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