Marriage

"It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages," said philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. The texts in this collection depict happy and unhappy marriages—and those that fall somewhere in between.

Slow Dance

by Rainbow Rowell

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Memory, Nostalgia, Coming of Age, Midlife, The Past, Place, Friendship, Marriage

Tags Coming of Age, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read Slow Dance Summary

Small Pleasures

by Clare Chambers

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loneliness, Love, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Midlife, Marriage, Mothers, Community, Beauty, Science & Technology, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, LGBTQ+, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, World History

... Read Small Pleasures Summary

So Big

by Edna Ferber

Publication year 1924

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Beauty, Perseverance, Loneliness, Love, Regret, Gender Identity, Food, Place, Family, Marriage, Self Discovery, Social Class, Art, Literature

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, American Literature, Poverty

... Read So Big Summary

Someone Else's Husband

by Kimberly McCreight

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Midlife, Family, Marriage

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction

The novel opens with an anonymous narrator reflecting on having killed someone, describing the act as born from fury rather than premeditation. The narrator has fled to a distant place with sparkling canals, but the horror of that night persists like a second heartbeat.The story alternates between two timelines and perspectives. "After" chapters follow Gretchen Falk, the wife of Goldman Sachs managing director Richard Falk, in third person as she contends with the aftermath of... Read Someone Else's Husband Summary

Someone We Know

by Shari Lapena

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Loyalty & Betrayal, Trust & Doubt, Good & Evil, Marriage, Mothers, Conflict, Revenge, Masculinity, Sexual Identity, Family, Justice

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

... Read Someone We Know Summary

Something Borrowed

by Emily Giffin

Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Loyalty & Betrayal, Aging, Forgiveness, Memory, Childhood & Youth, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Love, Shame & Pride, The Past, Fear, Trust & Doubt, Marriage, Wins & Losses, Appearance & Reality, Truth & Lies, Apathy, Conflict, Loneliness

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Relationships

Something Borrowed is a work of romantic fiction from author Emily Giffin, published in 2004. It was a critical and commercial success, earning rave reviews and landing a spot on the New York Times bestseller list. The novel was Giffin’s first, and she has published several more books in the same genre. Some of her other books include Love the One You’re With (2008), Heart of the Matter (2010), Where We Belong (2012), and Something... Read Something Borrowed Summary

Sometimes I Lie

by Alice Feeney

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mental Health, Truth & Lies, Marriage

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Southern Gothic, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction

Sometimes I Lie is a 2017 murder thriller by veteran BBC journalist-turned-novelist Alice Feeney that challenges the reader to piece together an elaborate puzzle, complicated by the unfolding realization that the narrator may be a compulsive liar. The novel, with its decidedly ironic use of stock elements of murder mysteries (a torrid affair, an unexpected pregnancy, a demented stalker turned rapist, dark family secrets, a bad case of amnesia, a tragic house fire, incriminating diaries... Read Sometimes I Lie Summary

So Much Water So Close to Home

by Raymond Carver

Publication year 1981

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Marriage, Trust & Doubt, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies, Gender Identity

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Education, Education

Content Warning: Both the story and the guide reference the graphic murders of women and feature ambiguously consensual sex as well as general misogyny.“So Much Water So Close to Home” is a short story by American writer Raymond Carver; it first appeared in his 1981 collection What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. The story’s earlier iteration, which this guide discusses, embodies the extreme minimalism Carver employed during this phase of his career... Read So Much Water So Close to Home Summary

Strangers

by Belle Burden

Publication year 2026

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Marriage, Family, Conflict, Forgiveness, Grief, Loneliness, Memory, Nostalgia, Regret, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Masculinity, Mental Health, Midlife, Animals, Place, Self Discovery, Social Class, Power & Greed

Tags Memoir & Autobiography, Relationships

... Read Strangers Summary

Strangers On A Train

by Patricia Highsmith

Publication year 1950

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Marriage

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, American Literature, Classic Fiction

Strangers on a Train (1950) is a suspense thriller by Patricia Highsmith, based on the premise that two strangers swap murders. The novel has been adapted multiple times, most famously by Alfred Hitchcock in his 1951 film. Highsmith is known for telling stories in which relatable characters are coerced into crime, although in an interview with Diana Cooper-Clark, Highsmith rejected the idea that just anyone can commit murder. On a train from New York to Metcalf... Read Strangers On A Train Summary

Stripped Down

by Bunnie Xo

Publication year 2026

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Marriage, Forgiveness, Guilt, Love, Memory, Shame & Pride, Sexual Identity, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Midlife, Nature Versus Nurture, Daughters & Sons, Family, Fathers, Self Discovery, Economics, Fame, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger

Tags Memoir & Autobiography, Trauma & Abuse

... Read Stripped Down Summary