Friendship

The solace and comfort of true friendship — and the pain of its loss — can rival any romantic or familial relationship. In this collection, we present texts that examine the unique qualities and costs of deep friendships.

The Mysterious Island

by Jules Verne

Publication year 1875

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Friendship, Community, Safety & Danger, Order & Chaos, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Animals, Place

Tags Classic Fiction, Science Fiction, Action & Adventure, Fantasy, Survival Fiction, French Literature

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The Name of This Book Is Secret

by Pseudonymous Bosch

Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Good & Evil, Friendship

Tags Fantasy, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Humor

The Name of This Book Is Secret (2007) is the first book in the middle grade fantasy series The Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch, the pen name of writer Raphael Simon. The book is told by an intrusive narrator, the author, Pseudonymous Bosch. The narrator frequently breaks the fourth wall to address the reader directly and interrupts the story to warn the reader of the dangerous nature of the story he is telling, sometimes considering... Read The Name of This Book Is Secret Summary

The New Couple in 5B

by Lisa Unger

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Love, Memory, Regret, Revenge, Gender Identity, Friendship, Marriage, Social Class, Community, Art, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Religion & Spirituality, Psychological Fiction, Horror & Suspense

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The Nickel Boys

by Colson Whitehead

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Race, Coming of Age

Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age, Civil Rights & Jim Crow South, Education, Incarceration, African American Literature, Race & Racism, World History, Historical Fiction

Like his 2016 bestseller, The Underground Railroad, Colson Whitehead’s The Nickel Boys (2019) won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (Whitehead is only the fourth writer in history to win two Pulitzers). The Nickel Boys describes life in a reform school from the point of view of young Black teenager. Whitehead based Nickel Academy on the real life Dozier School, a Florida facility that ran for over a century, until a university investigation publicized its racist... Read The Nickel Boys Summary

The Note

by Alafair Burke

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Nostalgia, Regret, Race, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Friendship, Social Class, Loyalty & Betrayal, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction

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The Octoroon

by Dion Boucicault

Publication year 1859

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Friendship

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

The Octoroon; or, Life in Louisiana by Dion Boucicault premiered in New York City on December 6, 1859. The title refers to a person who is one-eighth black. The Octoroon was a controversial play when it debuted, given its focus on slavery when the pre-Civil War United States was engaged in a heated debate over the institution. Abolitionist John Brown was hanged just three days before the play’s debut, which is seen as one of... Read The Octoroon Summary

The Odd Couple

by Neil Simon

Publication year 1965

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Marriage, Loneliness, The Past

Tags Drama, Comedy & Satire, Relationships, Depression & Suicide, Education, Education, American Literature, Dramatic Literature, Humor, Classic Fiction

The Odd Couple is a satirical play by American playwright Neil Simon. It opened on Broadway in 1965 and chronicles the unconventional relationship between friends turned roommates, Oscar Madison and Felix Ungar. The play found enduring success and inspired subsequent film and television adaptations. It was nominated for a New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award in 1965.Many of Simon’s plays are influenced by his own upbringing. Simon was born in the Bronx and grew up... Read The Odd Couple Summary

The Old Willis Place

by Mary Downing Hahn

Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Death, Friendship, Siblings, Loyalty & Betrayal, Childhood & Youth, Forgiveness, Loneliness, Family, Guilt, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, Grief & Death, Science Fiction, Children`s Literature, Religion & Spirituality

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The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot

by Marianne Cronin

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Community, Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Gratitude, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Hope, Joy, Death, Self Discovery, Art, Truth & Lies, Guilt

Tags LGBTQ+, Romance, Arts & Culture, Grief & Death, Health, Love & Sexuality, Mental Illness, Parenting, Relationships, Religion & Spirituality, Modern Classic Fiction

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Theo of Golden

by Allen Levi

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Community, Forgiveness, Gratitude, Love, Memory, Mental Health, Race, Aging, Death, The Past, Family, Fathers, Art, Beauty, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Literary Fiction, Christian, Contemporary Literature

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The Pact

by Jodi Picoult

Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Death, Coming of Age, Friendship

Tags Romance, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Dramatic Literature, Depression & Suicide, Relationships, Trauma & Abuse

The Pact: A Love Story (1998) by Jodi Picoult tells the story of teens Emily Gold and Chris Harte who enter into a pact to die by suicide. Emily’s death has taken place by the novel’s opening, but Chris is swiftly charged with her murder. As the novel unfolds, the complicated dynamics of the lives of the teens—lifelong best friends who grew up next door to one another—are presented. The nature of the “pact” that... Read The Pact Summary

The Paris Novel

by Ruth Reichl

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loneliness, Coming of Age, The Past, Food, Friendship, Mothers, Self Discovery, Art

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, French Literature, Historical Fiction, Romance, Travel Literature, Food

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