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 Other Two

by Edith Wharton

Publication year 1904

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Marriage

Edith Wharton’s short story “The Other Two,” published in The Descent of Man in 1904, is an ironic exploration of marriage and divorce. Mr. Waythorn, a rich New York stockbroker, and Mrs. Alice Waythorn, twice divorced, are newlyweds. While divorce is stigmatized at the time, society has excused Alice’s divorces and approves of her new marriage to Mr. Waythorn. Yet Mr. Waythorn soon finds out that he has not fully understood the consequences of his... Read The Other Two Summary

The Painted Veil

by W. Somerset Maugham

Publication year 1925

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Loyalty & Betrayal, Self Discovery, Colonialism, Marriage

Tags Romance, Historical Fiction, British Literature, Classic Fiction, World History, Chinese Literature

The Painted Veil (1925) is the 11th novel by British novelist and playwright William Somerset Maugham (1874-1965). He obtained the title from the opening lines of an untitled sonnet by British Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, posthumously published in 1824: “Lift not the painted veil which those who live / Call Life” (Shelley, Percy Bysshe. “Lift Not the Painted Veil.” 1824. Reprint. The Reader, 6 Feb. 2017. Accessed 17 Jul. 2022). The novel originally appeared... Read The Painted Veil Summary

The Paris Agent

by Kelly Rimmer

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Memory, The Past, Daughters & Sons, Marriage, Nation, War, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, World War II, Military & War, French Literature, World History

... Read The Paris Agent Summary

The Paris Wife

by Paula McLain

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Marriage, Forgiveness, Love, Self Discovery, Art, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Historical Fiction, Life-Inspired Fiction

Paula McLain’s 2011 novel, The Paris Wife, is a work of biographical historical fiction that reimagines the marriage of the writer Ernest Hemingway and his first wife, Hadley Richardson. Narrated largely from Hadley’s perspective, the story chronicles their passionate courtship and their life as American expatriates in Jazz Age Paris as part of the “Lost Generation.” The novel explores themes such as The Competing Demands of Love and Artistic Ambition, Defining the Self in a... Read The Paris Wife Summary

The Phantom of the Opera

by Gaston Leroux

Publication year 1910

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Death, Loyalty & Betrayal, Art, Safety & Danger, Hate & Anger, Music, Love, Fear, Beauty, Nature Versus Nurture, Justice, Perseverance, Conflict, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Marriage, Good & Evil, Appearance & Reality, Fathers, Gratitude

Tags Classic Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Romance, Gothic Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, French Literature, Historical Fiction, Fantasy

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux is a Gothic mystery novel first published serially in 1910. The novel follows a “ghost” who haunts the Paris Opera and the mysterious incidents attributed to this figure. The characters and the narrator himself try to uncover the secret of this ghost, who is really a masked man infatuated opera singer, Christine Daaé. The novel has been adapted into several formats, most notably a 1925 silent film... Read The Phantom of the Opera Summary

The Pilot's Wife

by Anita Shreve

Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Marriage

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Romance, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction, Dramatic Literature

The Pilot’s Wife, by Anita Shreve, was first published in 1998 by Little Brown, and was Oprah’s Book Club selection for March of 1999. Shreve, who died in 2018, was also the author of the bestselling novel, The Weight of Water, adapted into a film starring Sean Penn and Sarah Polley. Shreve’s work is known for its depth, interiority, and examination of women’s emotional lives. The Pilot’s Wife is the third novel of four in... Read The Pilot's Wife Summary

The Playboy of the Western World

by John Millington Synge

Publication year 1907

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Community, Fathers, Loneliness, Marriage, Masculinity

Tags Drama, Classic Fiction, Irish Literature, Trauma & Abuse, Comedy & Satire

The Playboy of the Western World is a comedy written by Irish playwright John M. Synge. The play was first produced in 1907 at the Abbey Theatre, or the National Theatre of Ireland. Although his work was largely criticized during his lifetime, Synge is one of Ireland’s most famous 20th-century playwrights. He wrote only six plays during his relatively short career; the most notable among his works are The Playboy of the Western World and... Read The Playboy of the Western World Summary

The Portrait of a Lady

by Henry James

Publication year 1881

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Conflict, Femininity, Marriage, Power & Greed

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, US History, British Literature, American Literature, Italian Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

The Portrait of a Lady, by Henry James, is considered one of the most important novels written in English. It was published first in serial form between 1880 and 1881, and later revised for another edition in 1908. The novel details the experience of a young American woman, Isabel Archer, who travels to Europe. She is committed to her freedom, rejecting two marriage proposals. After she inherits an unexpected fortune, she falls victim to the... Read The Portrait of a Lady Summary

The Postmortal

by Drew Magary

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Aging, Death, Future, Science & Technology, Marriage, Conflict

Tags Science Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Fantasy

The Postmortal by Drew Magary is a science fiction thriller that follows a man named John Farrell in the decades following the “postmortal cure,” a type of genetic engineering that stops aging. The novel grapples with the human experience amid technological advantages, religious zeal, and increasingly human-driven crises. Magary, whose legal name is Andrew Schuyler Magary, is a journalist, humor writer, and novelist. He has written for magazines such as GQ and is the co-founder... Read The Postmortal Summary

The Pursuit of Love

by Nancy Mitford

Publication year 1945

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Love, Social Class, Perseverance, Hope, Femininity, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Death, The Past, Animals, Marriage, Economics, War

Tags Romance, Satirical Literature, Humor, Historical Fiction, British Literature

... Read The Pursuit of Love Summary

The Push

by Ashley Audrain

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mothers, Memory, Marriage

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

... Read The Push Summary