Loyalty & Betrayal

The texts in this thematic collection organized around the idea of Loyalty & Betrayal range from Dennis Lehane's Mystic River to Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Sweat. But each book explores the idea in its own way, revealing the intricate ways we may maintain loyalty at all costs — or test the bonds of family and friend relationships through deep betrayal.

Christabel

by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Publication year 1816

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Loyalty & Betrayal, Place, Sexual Identity, Safety & Danger, Mothers, Beauty

Tags Narrative Poem, Horror & Suspense, Love & Sexuality, LGBTQ+, Religion & Spirituality, Romanticism, British Literature, Science Fiction, Gothic Literature, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

Samuel Taylor Coleridge, a key figure in the British Romantic Era of poetry wrote the Gothic narrative poem “Christabel” in two parts, the first in 1797, and the second in 1800. Though it was still unfinished, “Christabel” was published in 1816.“Christabel” is Coleridge’s longest poem, at almost 700 lines. It is also the least edited of Coleridge’s work. Most of the poem contrasts the innocent piety of Christabel with the experience and supernatural abilities of... Read Christabel Summary

Christine

by Stephen King

Publication year 1983

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Safety & Danger, Conflict, Fear, Hate & Anger, Nostalgia, Femininity, Masculinity, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Death, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Beauty, Fate, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, Mystery & Crime Fiction

... Read Christine Summary

City Spies

by James Ponti

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Gratitude, Joy, Loneliness, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Death, Justice, Art, Good & Evil, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Science & Technology, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Teamwork, Family, Climate, Appearance & Reality, Environment, Self Discovery, Community, Wins & Losses, Friendship, Place, Order & Chaos

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction

... Read City Spies Summary

Cloud Atlas

by David C. Mitchell

Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Power & Greed, Loyalty & Betrayal, Religion & Spirituality, Colonialism, Social Class, Future, The Past, Justice, Order & Chaos, Truth & Lies

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Social Justice, Anthropology, Social Class, Depression & Suicide, Finance, Politics & Government, Love & Sexuality, Race & Racism, Sociology, Religion & Spirituality, Modern Classic Fiction, World History

Cloud Atlas is a 2004 dystopian novel by British author David Mitchell. The sprawling narrative is composed of a series of nested stories, spanning centuries into the past and the future. In addition to winning numerous literary and science fiction awards, the novel was adapted into a 2012 film of the same name. This guide uses the 2014 Sceptre edition of Cloud Atlas.Content Warning: The novel and this guide depict slavery and discuss racism, death... Read Cloud Atlas Summary

Clytemnestra

by Costanza Casati

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mothers, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Hate & Anger, Revenge, Femininity, Family, Politics & Government, War, Fate, Justice

Tags Mythology, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Gender & Feminism, World History

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Confessions of a Shopaholic

by Sophie Kinsella

Publication year 2000

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Guilt, Hope, Love, Regret, Shame & Pride, Mental Health, Midlife, Family, Friendship, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Economics, Education, Politics & Government, Beauty, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies

Tags Romance, Humor

Published in 2000, Confessions of a Shopaholic was the breakout success of British novelist Sophie Kinsella (the pen name of Madeleine Wickham), a former financial journalist from London. Before adopting the Kinsella pseudonym, Wickham published several traditional novels, but she gained international recognition through the Shopaholic series, along with later stand-alone works such as Can You Keep a Secret? and The Undomestic Goddess.The novel follows Rebecca Bloomwood, a journalist whose compulsive spending habits clash comically... Read Confessions of a Shopaholic Summary

Corrupt

by Penelope Douglas

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Revenge, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Coming of Age, Social Class, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Horror & Suspense

... Read Corrupt Summary

Cosmic

by Frank Cottrell Boyce

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Space, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Coming of Age, Future, Environment, Nature Versus Nurture, Place, Fathers, Friendship, Self Discovery, Community, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt

Tags Science Fiction, Action & Adventure, Humor, Fantasy

... Read Cosmic Summary

Cracker

by Cynthia Kadohata

Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Teamwork, Animals, War, Perseverance

Tags Military & War, Historical Fiction, Animals, Action & Adventure

Cynthia Kadohata’s Cracker!: The Best Dog in Vietnam is a work of historical fiction that centers around a dog, Cracker, and her handler, Rick Hanski, during their deployment in Vietnam. It is aimed at an audience of middle-grade readers but is also an enjoyable and educational read for adults. Told from the perspective of both the canine and human main characters, Kadohata reveals the vitally important work conducted by military dogs and their handlers during... Read Cracker Summary

Cross Down

by James Patterson

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Family, Teamwork, Politics & Government, War, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Military & War, Action & Adventure

... Read Cross Down Summary

Cupid and Psyche

by Apuleius

Publication year 170

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Love, Fate

Tags Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Mythology, Romance, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome

Content Warning: The source text and study guide both contain references to suicide.“Cupid and Psyche” is a story from the ancient Roman novel The Metamorphoses (also known as The Golden Ass) by Apuleius, written around 160 CE. The story describes the love between Cupid, the god of love, and Psyche (pronounced SY-kee), a young woman, and the trials they undergo as the result of human and divine meddling.Although the legend of Cupid and Psyche was... Read Cupid and Psyche Summary

Cymbeline

by William Shakespeare

Publication year 1623

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Forgiveness, Love, Regret, Femininity, The Past, Nature Versus Nurture, Daughters & Sons, Nation, War, Trust & Doubt

Tags Classic Fiction, British Literature, Comedy & Satire, Romance

Cymbeline is a play by William Shakespeare. Its first recorded performance was in 1611, and it was published in the First Folio in 1623. Some scholars have posited that sections may have been written collaboratively. The play is loosely inspired by accounts of the historical British king Cunobeline, but also draws on other sources. It has never been considered a history play, reflecting the looseness of this connection.Cymbeline is king of ancient Britain. His sons... Read Cymbeline Summary

Dangerous Liaisons

by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos

Publication year 1782

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Marriage, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Femininity, Love, Revenge, Sexual Identity

Tags Classic Fiction, French Literature, Historical Fiction, Romance, Love & Sexuality

Dangerous Liaisons is an epistolary novel (i.e., a story told through a series of letters) first published in 1782, seven years before the start of the French Revolution, by Pierre-Ambroise-François Choderlos de Laclos. The story revolves around the scheming and manipulative activities of two aristocrats, the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont. They take pleasure in seducing and ruining the reputations of others, using their wit and charm to manipulate those around them... Read Dangerous Liaisons Summary

Darling Girls

by Sally Hepworth

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Memory, The Past, Family, Siblings, Self Discovery, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Truth & Lies

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

... Read Darling Girls Summary