Should we heed our fears, or work to overcome them? Suppress and ignore them, or face them head-on? Do we fight—or should we flight? These books unpack the universal human emotion of fear.
Publication year 2017
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Class, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Community, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Art, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Mothers, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Fathers
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Arts / Culture
Publication year 1942
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Fathers
Tags Lyric Poem, Relationships, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, American Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1938
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Mental Health, Self Discovery
Tags Existentialism, Philosophy, French Literature, Classic Fiction, History: World, Philosophy
Nausea is a philosophical novel by the French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre. Originally published in 1938, the novel was first translated to English in 1949. Nausea takes place in the fictional French city of Bouville (“Mud Town”) and follows the day-to-day life of the reclusive historian Antoine Roquentin. Antoine lives completely alone, without friends or family, as he researches and writes a book on an 18th-century French aristocrat, the Marquis de Rollebon. Antoine’s daily interactions with... Read Nausea Summary
Publication year 1958
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Free verse, Holocaust
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Identity: Race, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Emotions/Behavior: Regret
Tags Race / Racism, Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Fear
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction
Nine Perfect Strangers is a 2018 novel by Liane Moriarty. Set in Sydney, Australia, the novel follows a group of strangers who gather at a wellness retreat to receive treatment from a mysterious health guru. The novel was adapted for a 2021 television series starring Nicole Kidman, Melissa McCarthy, and Michael Shannon.Other works by this author include Apples Never Fall, What Alice Forgot, and Here One Moment.This guide uses an eBook copy of the text... Read Nine Perfect Strangers Summary
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Climate Change, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1928
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Natural World: Place
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Science / Nature
Publication year 1989
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Society: Colonialism, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Race / Racism, Education, Education, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction
South African author Nadine Gordimer (1923-2014) published the short story “Once Upon a Time” in 1989 while South Africa was still under apartheid, an institutionalized system of racism that from 1948 until 1994 discriminated against all people who were not white. Gordimer was the daughter of Jewish immigrants. Though not an Afrikaner (a South African descended from 17th-century Dutch colonizers), Gordimer was white and therefore part of South Africa’s ruling minority. Gordimer wrote about characters... Read Once Upon a Time Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fate, Society: Nation, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Fear
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Arts / Culture, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Depression / Suicide, History: U.S., Mental Illness, History: World
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Society: Class, Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Fear
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Emotions/Behavior: Fear
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Gothic Literature, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Relationships: Siblings
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Bullying, Gender / Feminism, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags History: U.S., Race / Racism, Social Justice, Black Lives Matter, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Education, Politics / Government, History: World
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1910
Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Emotions/Behavior: Fear
Tags Philosophy, Italian Literature, Ancient Rome
On the Nature of Things is a philosophical work by the Roman author Titus Lucretius Carus (whom we call “Lucretius”). It was written in the early 50s BC, in Latin. Though this is a work of science and philosophy, it is also a poem. This work provides a detailed description of Epicurean philosophy, which encompasses theories of atoms, cosmology, theology, and a wide variety of natural phenomena. It also addresses the nature of the mind... Read On The Nature Of Things Summary
Publication year 1955
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness
Tags The Beat Generation, Action / Adventure, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Absurdism, History: U.S., American Literature, History: World, Travel Literature, Classic Fiction
On the Road, published in 1957, is a novel by prominent Beat Generation writer Jack Kerouac that recalls his cross-country travels across the US in the late 1940s. It explores concepts of society, freedom, and—most of all—friendship.Sal Paradise (Kerouac’s pseudonym) is the story’s protagonist and narrator, while other key characters stand in for fellow Beat luminaries in his circle, including poet Allen Ginsberg (best known for the revolutionary 1956 poem Howl) and writer William S... Read On the Road Summary