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.

The Lais of Marie de France

by Marie De France

Publication year 1100

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Love, Marriage, Siblings

Tags Classic Fiction, Romance, Medieval, Fairy Tale & Folklore, Religion & Spirituality, European History, French Literature, Education, Education, Mythology, Fantasy

The Lais of Marie de France is a collection of 12 romantic narratives—known as Breton Lais—composed in the late 12th century and credited to the French-English poet Marie de France. The lay or lai is a short tale of octosyllabic rhyming couplets which is generally 600–1000 lines long. It can be accompanied by music and is typical of Brittany, a Northern French region with strong Celtic influences. Themes of love, chivalry and the supernatural are... Read The Lais of Marie de France Summary

The Last Runaway

by Tracy Chevalier

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Femininity, Race, Appearance & Reality, Marriage, Colonialism, Immigration, Nation, Politics & Government, Justice, Truth & Lies

Tags American Literature, World History, Historical Fiction

... Read The Last Runaway Summary

The Lifted Veil

by George Eliot

Publication year 1859

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Marriage, Future, Death

Tags Horror & Suspense, Classic Fiction, Gothic Literature, British Literature, World History, Victorian Era

The Lifted Veil by George Eliot is a novella that explores themes of clairvoyance, the limits of consciousness, sympathy, and Victorian-era scientific interests. George Eliot, the pen name of Mary Ann Evans, published The Lifted Veil in the English literary magazine Maga in July 1859 after the success of her first novel, Adam Bede. In The Lifted Veil, Eliot writes of the idealistic and egocentric Latimer, who is in love with his brother’s fiancée and... Read The Lifted Veil Summary

The Light We Carry

by Michelle Obama

Publication year 2022

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Self Discovery, Friendship, Family, Marriage, Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Conflict, Gratitude

Tags Politics & Government, Social Justice, Self-Improvement, US History, Race & Racism, Diversity, Parenting, Relationships, Inspirational, Biography

... Read The Light We Carry Summary

The List

by Yomi Adegoke

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Trust & Doubt, Loyalty & Betrayal, Truth & Lies, Race, Sexual Identity, Appearance & Reality, Marriage, Fame, Justice

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Gender & Feminism, Internet & Social Media, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read The List Summary

The Little Foxes

by Lillian Hellman

Publication year 1939

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Power & Greed, Siblings, Marriage, Family, Justice, Femininity, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Drama, Classic Fiction, American Literature, Education, Education, World History, Dramatic Literature

Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes (1939) is often considered a classic American 20th-century drama. Set in Alabama in 1900, the play explores themes of greed, passive violence, and female agency in the deep south, not yet 50 years removed from the end of the Civil War. The Little Foxes premiered at The National Theatre on Broadway in New York City in 1939 starring Tallulah Bankhead as Regina, before touring for two seasons across the United... Read The Little Foxes Summary

The Longest Ride

by Nicholas Sparks

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Marriage, Coming of Age

Tags Romance, Historical Fiction, Relationships, Grief & Death, Love & Sexuality, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Dramatic Literature

In 2013’s The Longest Ride, Nicholas Sparks, one of the most prolific and successful American romance novelists of the millennium, investigates how despite their differences, opposite personalities can find their way to commitment. In juxtaposing two relationships, one ending after more than 50 years and the other just beginning, this #1 New York Times bestselling novel explores how love can flourish, endure, and sustain even through the most difficult times. The novel is part Western... Read The Longest Ride Summary

The Lost Steps

by Alejo Carpentier

Publication year 1953

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Self Discovery, Gender Identity, Indigenous Identity, Masculinity, Race, The Past, Marriage, Colonialism, Art, Literature, Music, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Magical Realism, Symbolic Narrative, Latin American Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

The Lost Steps, first published in 1953 by Cuban novelist Alejo Carpentier, is a parody of the lost world novels that were popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries, including Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864) and Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World (1912). The novel follows an unnamed New York City composer on a quest for Indigenous musical instruments in South America. Carpentier, known for his roles as a... Read The Lost Steps Summary

The Mad Wife

by Meagan Church

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Guilt, Loneliness, Femininity, Masculinity, Mental Health, Midlife, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Family, Marriage, Mothers, Community, Equality, Science & Technology

Tags Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Gender & Feminism, Domestic Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Horror & Suspense

... Read The Mad Wife Summary

The Magician

by Colm Tóibín

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Literature, Conflict, Sexual Identity, Family, Marriage, Siblings, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Education, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Art, Justice, Music, Order & Chaos, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Life-Inspired Fiction, LGBTQ+, Military & War

... Read The Magician Summary

The Marriage Plot

by Jeffrey Eugenides

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Coming of Age, Marriage, Self Discovery, Social Class, Literature

Tags Romance, American Literature, Relationships

Jeffrey Eugenides’s The Marriage Plot (2011), set in the early 1980s, follows a love triangle among a group of recent Brown University graduates. As the 20-somethings forge a path into adulthood, they explore the dynamics of love and commitment while wrestling with ways to imbue their lives with meaning and make a purposeful mark on the world. The title references a plot trope common to 19th-century British novels, such as those by Jane Austen, in... Read The Marriage Plot Summary