Fate

We can call it destiny; we can call it providence; we can even call it the will of the gods. Whatever words we use, the idea that the events in our lives are beyond our control is powerful — which explains why so many authors, past and present, have used the ever-relevant idea of fate to communicate rich lessons about humanity.

Meditations on First Philosophy

by René Descartes

Publication year 1641

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Fate, Order & Chaos, Truth & Lies, Good & Evil, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Philosophy, Age of Enlightenment, Religion & Spirituality, Education, Education, French Literature, World History, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Meditations on First Philosophy is a philosophical treatise by René Descartes. Originally published in Latin in 1641, the text would go on to influence European and global philosophical traditions. In this work, Descartes argues for the existence of God and the immortality of the soul. Two of its major contributions to philosophy are mind/body dualism and the famous phrase “I think, therefore, I am.” The book comprises six meditations wherein Descartes seeks to doubt all... Read Meditations on First Philosophy Summary

Message In A Bottle

by Nicholas Sparks

Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Grief, Fate, Forgiveness, Guilt, Hope, Loneliness, Memory, Regret, Fathers, Friendship, Marriage, Self Discovery, Loyalty & Betrayal, Truth & Lies

Tags Romance, Southern Literature

Message in a Bottle (1998) is the second novel by Nicholas Sparks, the follow-up to his incredibly popular romance, The Notebook. It was inspired by Sparks’s father’s experience after the sudden and unexpected death of Sparks’s mother. They’d been married for 27 years when an accident on a horse led her to develop a cerebral hemorrhage. It was a fluke, a random accident, just like the one that claims Catherine’s life and that of her... Read Message In A Bottle Summary

Mind Games

by Nora Roberts

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Grief, Love, Revenge, Mental Health, Coming of Age, Family, Self Discovery, Fame, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Music, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Romance, Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

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Moo

by Sharon Creech

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Family, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Grief, Loneliness, Memory, Aging, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Death, Animals, Environment, Siblings, Teamwork, Community, Fate, Safety & Danger, Self Discovery

Tags Realistic Fiction, Animals, Children`s Literature

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Moon Palace

by Paul Auster

Publication year 1989

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Love, Fate, Hope, Memory, Disability, Mental Health, Appearance & Reality, Self Discovery

Tags Finance, African American Literature

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Mortal Engines

by Philip Reeve

Publication year 2001

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Forgiveness, Memory, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Love, Revenge, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, War, Good & Evil, Justice, Fate, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Technology, Social Class

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Mother to Mother

by Sindiwe Magona

Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mothers, Fate

Tags Race & Racism, Education, Education, African American Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

In writing Mother to Mother, Sindiwe Magona drew inspiration from a real event: the murder of a white American named Amy Biehl by young black men in 1990s South Africa. The crime caused shockwaves around the world, not least because Biehl herself had come to South Africa to combat apartheid—the system of segregation and discrimination that relegated black South Africans, as well as other people of color, to second-class citizenship.On the face of it, then... Read Mother to Mother Summary

Murder in the Cathedral

by T. S. Eliot

Publication year 1935

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Death, Politics & Government, Fate, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Drama, Historical Drama, Poetry: Dramatic Poem, Religion & Spirituality, Christian, World History, Dramatic Literature, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

Murder in the Cathedral is a verse drama by T.S. Eliot that portrays the final days of Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who was assassinated and martyred in 1170. Written in 1935 for the Canterbury Festival, the play explores themes of faith, power, martyrdom, and the conflict between church and state. Many stage performances of the play have been produced, and Murder in the Cathedral has also been adapted for television, film, and opera... Read Murder in the Cathedral Summary

Murderland

by Caroline Fraser

Publication year 2025

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Hate & Anger, Memory, Masculinity, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Childhood & Youth, Death, Future, The Past, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Climate, Environment, Place, Family, Social Class, Community, Education, Nation, Politics & Government, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags True Crime, Biography

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Never Let Me Go

by Kazuo Ishiguro

Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fate

Tags British Literature, Japanese Literature, Asian Literature, Science Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Classic Fiction

Book Details & Major ThemesNever Let Me Go is a 2005 novel by Kazuo Ishiguro set in a dystopian version of Great Britain in the 1990s in which cloning technology allows for the mass proliferation of organ donation. Medical problems like cancer are cured because organs are harvested from clones through a state-sanctioned program. The cloned “donors” have their organs taken one at a time until they die. The novel is narrated by Kathy H... Read Never Let Me Go Summary

Nightbane

by Alex Aster

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Love, Memory, Appearance & Reality, Fate, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

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Njals Saga

by Anonymous

Publication year 1280

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Masculinity, Fate, Justice

Tags Mythology, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction

Njal’s Saga is a late medieval Icelandic family saga authored around 1280 but set around the year 1000. It combines legend and history—many of its protagonists were historical figures, and other historical sources corroborate some of the major events the saga mentions. However, the author also embellishes characters and events as he describes them in the saga.The saga recounts intermarriage, friendships, and tragic blood feuds between multiple Icelandic families who trace their ancestry back to... Read Njals Saga Summary

No Matter How Loud I Shout

by Edward Humes

Publication year 1996

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Fate, Good & Evil, Community

Tags Sociology, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Social Justice, Politics & Government, Biography

No Matter How Loud I Shout is a work of nonfiction written by Pulitzer-Prize-winning journalist Edward Humes and published in 1996. This work comprises the author’s ethnographical observations and participations in the Los Angeles juvenile justice system for the year of 1994. Humes asserts that the names of juveniles have been changed in accordance with state laws regarding confidentiality; however, everything else is true, and reported in the allegedly unbiased style of 1990s investigative journalism... Read No Matter How Loud I Shout Summary

Norse Mythology

by Neil Gaiman

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fate

Tags Religion & Spirituality, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

Norse Mythology is a 2017 collection of short stories by British author Neil Gaiman. The stories are retellings of tales from ancient Norse mythology, presented mostly in retrospect by an unnamed narrator. Through frequent addresses to the audience, the narration evokes the oral tradition of storytelling.In the beginning, there was nothing but darkness and fire until the creation of the nine worlds. Odin and his brothers create other beings; Odin, the all-father breathes life into... Read Norse Mythology Summary

North Woods

by Daniel Mason

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Environment, Memory, Fate, Death, Future, The Past, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Plants, Objects & Materials, Place, Self Discovery, Community, Beauty, Good & Evil, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger

Tags Historical Fiction, Science & Nature, World History, Magical Realism

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Oedipus

by Seneca

Publication year 60

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Family, Politics & Government, Fate

Tags Tragedy, Mythology, Education, Education, Classical Period, Dramatic Literature, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

... Read Oedipus Summary