How do we uphold goodness in a world where it can seem impossible? What are the consequences to the human heart when we fail to live up to the ideals of goodness? These are some of the questions posed by the texts in this collection which explores the theme of Good & Evil.
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Realistic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Incarceration, Race / Racism, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Gender / Feminism, History: U.S., Incarceration, Internet Culture / Social Media, Journalism, LGBTQ, Love / Sexuality, Politics / Government, Psychology, Relationships, Social Justice, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Crime / Legal, History: World
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1794
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride
Tags Classic Fiction, Education, Education, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, British Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Gothic Literature, History: World
Caleb Williams, written by William Godwin, is one of the first crime novels in English literature as well as a critique of the injustices and inequities of the political and social system in Britain during the late 1700s and early 1800s. Godwin passionately believed that the social hierarchy that placed the upper class over the lower class was unjust and that the law enabled a tyrannical abuse of power. Although many felt that Caleb Williams... Read Caleb Williams Summary
Publication year 1944
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags French Literature, Philosophy, Play: Drama, Existentialism, Absurdism
Publication year 1945
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Community, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Friendship
Tags American Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Arts / Culture, Anthropology, Animals, Class, Education, Philosophy, Poverty, Relationships, Science / Nature
Cannery Row by John Steinbeck was originally published in 1945. A Nobel Prize-winning writer, Steinbeck grew up in Salinas, California, which is near Monterey—the location of Cannery Row. Aside from a few years in Palo Alto, New York, and Los Angeles, Steinbeck spent most of his adult life living in Monterey County, and he drew on his personal experiences to write Cannery Row.Considered literary fiction or classic literature, Cannery Row is realistic and was written... Read Cannery Row Summary
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Identity: Disability, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Career of Evil (2015) is the third novel in the Cormoran Strike detective series by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling’s pseudonym). The story begins when Strike’s assistant, Robin Ellacott, receives a package containing a woman’s severed leg. The gruesome delivery sparks the investigative duo’s pursuit of a sadistic killer of women. As Strike and Robin investigate suspects from Strike’s troubled past, the story delves into themes of trauma, misogyny, and the lasting effects of violence. A... Read Career of Evil Summary
Publication year 2025
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Teams, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Midlife, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy
Publication year 1990
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Romance
Publication year 1961
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Military / War, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, American Literature, History: World, Humor
Catch-22 is a 1961 satirical novel by Joseph Heller, whose experiences in the US Air Force during World War II inspired the narrative. The novel is set during World War II and portrays the absurd experiences of a group of Army pilots stationed in Italy. In addition to being hailed as one of the most seminal novels of the 20th century, Catch-22 has become an idiomatic expression for a certain kind of conundrum, a paradoxical... Read Catch-22 Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Community
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, History: World, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1948
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family
Tags Classic Fiction, American Literature, Humor, Post-War Era, Parenting, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
American author Shirley Jackson’s short story “Charles” (1948) was first published in Mademoiselle, then in Jackson’s 1949 collection as well as in her 1953 novel Life Among the Savages. Though “Charles” is not in the horror genre, Jackson is a renowned horror writer and has influenced modern writers like Neil Gaiman and Stephen King. The story does, however, have an element of mystery—another genre for which the author is famous. This study guide cites the... Read Charles Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams, Society: Immigration, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Children's Literature, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Action / Adventure
Publication year 1791
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, American Literature
Charlotte Temple: A Tale of Truth, written by Susanna Rowson (1762-1824) and published in 1791, is a cautionary Sentimentalist novel about Charlotte Temple, an upper-middle-class 15-year-old girl living in England. She leaves her family and home to follow a soldier, who promises to marry her, to the United States. However, Charlotte is betrayed by her companions, which leads to her untimely death. Although the novel did not perform well when originally published in England, the... Read Charlotte Temple: A Tale of Truth Summary
Publication year 1977
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, American Literature, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Mythology, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
Publication year 1983
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Sexuality, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQ, Fairy Tale / Folklore