Fear

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.

The Fall of the House of Usher

by Edgar Allan Poe

Publication year 1839

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Fear, Grief

Tags Horror & Suspense, American Literature, Gothic Literature, Classic Fiction, Romanticism, Education, Education, Mystery & Crime Fiction

American author Edgar Allan Poe wrote the Gothic short story “The Fall of the House of Usher” in 1839. It first appeared in Burton’s Gentleman’s Magazine and later in Poe’s collection of short stories Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque in 1840. Poe is considered a founding figure of US Gothic and Romantic literature. He is best known for his poetry, including "The Raven" (1845) and "Annabel Lee" (1849), and short stories such as "The... Read The Fall of the House of Usher Summary

The Familiar

by Leigh Bardugo

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Fear, Love, Social Class, Good & Evil, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger

Tags Fantasy, Historical Fiction, World History, Magical Realism, Romance

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The Favorite Girl

by Monica Arya

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Loneliness, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Race, Coming of Age, Marriage, Self Discovery, Social Class, Good & Evil, Justice, Safety & Danger

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Contemporary Literature

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The Fifth Child

by Doris Lessing

Publication year 1988

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Shame & Pride, Disability, Femininity, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Mental Health, Birth, Childhood & Youth, Appearance & Reality, Nature Versus Nurture, Daughters & Sons, Family, Marriage, Mothers, Siblings, Social Class, Beauty

Tags Horror & Suspense, Gothic Literature, Classic Fiction

The Fifth Child is a novella by British writer Doris Lessing, recipient of the 2007 Nobel Prize for Literature. First published in the UK in 1988, the work blends domestic realism and gothic horror in an unsettling portrait of Harriet and David Lovatt, a couple with old-fashioned values whose lives are upended by the birth of their fifth child, Ben. Aggressive, unusually strong, and non-communicative, Ben does not conform to the Lovatts’ expectations of a... Read The Fifth Child Summary

The Firm

by John Grisham

Publication year 1991

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Death, Social Class, Safety & Danger, Siblings, Revenge, Mothers, Guilt, Fear, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Marriage, Justice, Trust & Doubt, Hate & Anger, Politics & Government, Appearance & Reality, Truth & Lies, Conflict, Perseverance

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Crime & Law

OverviewBook DetailsThe Firm is the second legal thriller written by attorney John Grisham. It followed his 1988 debut novel A Time to Kill. The Firm was the top-selling novel of 1991 on the New York Times bestseller list, bringing its author international fame. It focuses on new Harvard Law School graduate Mitch McDeere, who accepts a financially lucrative position with a Memphis law firm that he discovers is embroiled in unethical and illegal activities.Author HighlightsGrisham... Read The Firm Summary

The Five Year Lie

by Sarina Bowen

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Love, Revenge, Objects & Materials, Marriage, Justice, Power & Greed, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Romance

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The Flea

by John Donne

Publication year 1633

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Beauty, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses, Guilt, Love, Fear, Perseverance, Conflict, Hope

Tags Lyric Poem, Metaphysical, Love & Sexuality, Relationships, Education, Education, World History, Romance, Classic Fiction

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The Games Gods Play

by Abigail Owen

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Loneliness, Love, Femininity, Sexual Identity, Death, Appearance & Reality, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Good & Evil, Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Romance

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The German Wife

by Kelly Rimmer

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Guilt, Hope, Regret, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Race, Marriage, Immigration, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Good & Evil, Justice, Safety & Danger

Tags World History, Military & War

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The Gift of Fear

by Gavin De Becker

Publication year 1997

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Fear, Self Discovery, Trust & Doubt, Safety & Danger

Tags Psychology, Self-Improvement, Trauma & Abuse, Crime & Law, Relationships, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Science & Nature, Sociology, Psychology, Mental Illness

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The Girl On The Train

by Paula Hawkins

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loneliness, Conflict, Fear, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Love, Memory, Masculinity, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Truth & Lies, Marriage

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Trauma & Abuse, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Modern Classic Fiction

Paula Hawkins wrote The Girl on the Train over the course of six months in 2014. Hawkins, an Oxford-educated journalist and writer, drew on her experience as a reporter in London to structure the novel and describe its locations. Drawing immediate comparisons to Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, The Girl on the Train had similar performance, debuting at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list in 2015, and remaining there for 13 consecutive weeks... Read The Girl On The Train Summary

The Girl Who Played With Fire

by Stieg Larsson

Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Hate & Anger, Revenge, Femininity, Mental Health, The Past, Politics & Government, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Trauma & Abuse, Scandinavian Literature

The Girl Who Played With Fire is the 2006 sequel to Stieg Larsson’s The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2005). As a crime fiction novel, the story focuses on solving the murders of Dag Svensson, Mia Johansson, and Nils Erik Bjurman, for which the series protagonist, Lisbeth Salander, is the prime suspect. In addition to tracking the murder investigations, the novel examines The Impact of Trauma on Personal Development, The Role of Appearances and Media... Read The Girl Who Played With Fire Summary