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.

Dept. of Speculation

by Jenny Offill

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Art

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Literary Fiction

Dept. of Speculation is a work of literary fiction by American novelist Jenny Offill. The novel was originally published in January 2014 by Alfred A. Knopf and was named one of the year’s 10 best books by the New York Times. Written in Offill’s customary fragmented prose, Dept. of Speculation reinvents the familiar story of marital infidelity into an examination of life’s meaning and purpose. Offill combines elements of philosophy, myth, science, and poetry to... Read Dept. of Speculation Summary

Devolution

by Max Brooks

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Natural World: Objects, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction

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Dial A for Aunties

by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Romance, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Humor, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Asian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

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Disclaimer

by Renée Knight

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction

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Distant Shores

by Kristin Hannah

Publication year 2002

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Gender, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Art

Tags Romance, Drama / Tragedy

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Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep

by Philip K. Dick

Publication year 1968

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Life/Time: The Future

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Science / Nature, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is a 1968 novel by American science fiction author Philip K. Dick. Set in a future version of San Francisco in the aftermath of a destructive world war, the novel tells the story of Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter who makes a living by tracking down and killing human-like androids. Dick was already an established science fiction author by 1968; he won the Hugo Award for The Man in... Read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep Summary

Dolores Claiborne

by Stephen King

Publication year 1992

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Drama / Tragedy

Dolores Claiborne (1992) is a psychological thriller by the American novelist Stephen King. The novel, narrated from Dolores’s first-person point of view, tells the story of her work as a housekeeper for the wealthy Vera Donovan and Dolores’s eventual murder of her abusive husband. Unique among King’s work for its unconventional narrative style, including a lack of chapter designations and section breaks, the novel deals with themes of revenge, family, physical and sexual abuse, and... Read Dolores Claiborne Summary

Dombey and Son

by Charles Dickens

Publication year 1848

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Class

Tags Classic Fiction, Victorian Period, British Literature

British author Charles Dickens, a notable figure in the canon of modern English literature, is a Victorian novelist famous for such stories as Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, and A Christmas Carol. A prolific author who blends sentiment, comedy, and social realism with a satiric edge, Dickens was enormously popular in his lifetime and deeply influential in the development of the English novel. Dombey and Son is considered one of his more mature if less popular... Read Dombey and Son Summary

Dom Casmurro

by Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis

Publication year 1899

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Life/Time: The Past

Tags Latin American Literature, Realism, Psychological Fiction

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Don't Let Him In

by Lisa Jewell

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction

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Do You Remember?

by Freida McFadden

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Psychological Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction

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Dragonfly in Amber

by Diana Gabaldon

Publication year 1992

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure, History: European, Health / Medicine, History: World

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Drive

by Kate Stewart

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Language, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Romance, New Adult, Music

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Dusting

by Rita Dove

Publication year 1986

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Relationships: Marriage, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Love

Tags Free verse, Relationships

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Earthlings

by Sayaka Murata

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Literary Fiction, Japanese Literature

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Eat a Bowl of Tea

by Louis Chu

Publication year 1961

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Community, Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Asian Literature, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

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Eat Pray Love

by Elizabeth Gilbert

Publication year 2006

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Natural World: Food

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Biography, Travel Literature, Romance, Religion / Spirituality

Eat Pray Love is a 2006 memoir by writer Elizabeth Gilbert whose previous works include the novels Stern Men and The Last American Man. The book’s subtitle is One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia, and it chronicles Gilbert’s quest for mental and spiritual healing following a divorce, difficult legal settlement, unhealthy love affair, and period of depression. This guide references the 2016 Penguin Random House edition.SummaryThe author searches for “I” in... Read Eat Pray Love Summary

Edge

by Sylvia Plath

Publication year 1965

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Literature

Tags Depression / Suicide, Confessional, Free verse, Grief / Death

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