Memory

In many ways, who we are is shaped by what we remember, yet our recollections aren't always a reliable account of the past. This collection gathers texts that explore the ideas, theories, and challenges conjured by memory.

Publication year 2024

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Gratitude, Hope, Love, Memory, Revenge, Femininity, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Death, Appearance & Reality, Marriage, Mothers, Immigration, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Love & Sexuality, Romance

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Memory, Trust & Doubt, Mothers

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Trauma & Abuse, Love & Sexuality, Romance

Publication year 1899

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Memory, Shame & Pride, Family, Mental Health, Coming of Age

Tags Psychology, Science & Nature, Philosophy, World History, Psychology, Philosophy, Self-Improvement, Classic Fiction

Sigmund Freud's The Interpretation of Dreams is a landmark work in the field of psychoanalysis. First published in 1899, it is one of Freud's most famous and influential books. At its core, the book explores the significance of dreams in revealing the unconscious desires, fears, and conflicts of the individual. Freud argues that dreams are not just random collections of images and sensations, as was commonly held in his day. Neither are they inspirations from... Read The Interpretation of Dreams Summary

Publication year 1940

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Loneliness, Memory, Death, Science & Technology

Tags Latin American Literature, Science Fiction, Fantasy, World History, Classic Fiction

The Invention of Morel (La invención de Morel) is a 1940 novella by Argentinian writer Adolfo Bioy Casares. A literary thought experiment in the manner of Bioy Casares’s close friend, Jorge Luis Borges, The Invention of Morel imagines an island on which a group of wealthy socialites unknowingly relive a single weeklong holiday over and over again. They are observed by the novella’s narrator, a political criminal who has come to the island to hide from the Venezuelan... Read The Invention of Morel Summary

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Love, Memory, Race, Nation, The Past, Animals, Family, Plants, Safety & Danger

Tags Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy, Romance, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Food, Trauma & Abuse, European History, World History, Immigration & Refugeeism, LGBTQ+, Love & Sexuality, Military & War, Politics & Government, Science & Nature, Race & Racism, Relationships, Religion & Spirituality, Grief & Death, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Memory, Race, Sexual Identity, Aging, Death, Social Class, Immigration, Art

Tags Romance, Historical Fiction, World War II, Modern Classic Fiction, World History

The Japanese Lover is Isabel Allende’s 18th novel. Like most of Allende’s work, it falls under the genres of magical realism and historical fiction. The novel was originally published in 2015, the year after Allende was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In addition to the overarching focus on romance and love, the novel addresses issues relating to World War II (WWII), Japanese American incarceration during the 1940s, racism, homophobia, and the struggles of aging... Read The Japanese Lover Summary

Publication year 1929

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Memory, Death, Grief, Truth & Lies

Tags Education, Education, American Literature, Classic Fiction

“The Jilting of Granny Weatherall” is a short story written by American author Katherine Anne Porter and first published in 1930 as part of Porter’s short story collection Flowering Judas, and Other Stories. Set in the final moments of the title character’s life, the narrative explores her emotions and memories, as well as her struggle to cope with mortality. Written during the Modernist movement, which sought to break away from traditional literary forms and explore... Read The Jilting of Granny Weatherall Summary

Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Memory, Guilt, Loyalty & Betrayal, The Past, Forgiveness, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Politics & Government, Russian Literature, World History, European History

The Kitchen Boy: A Novel of the Last Tsar (2003) is a historical fiction novel detailing the fate of the Romanovs by Robert Alexander (a pen name for Robert Zimmerman). Although Alexander is American, he spent decades in Russia. He attended Leningrad State University and, afterward, ran various businesses in St. Petersburg. As such, he has personal experience with Russian culture. He wrote several historical fiction novels that take place during the Russian Revolution—including Rasputin’s... Read The Kitchen Boy Summary

Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Memory, Sexual Identity, Self Discovery, Nation, Art, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction

The Lacuna (2009) is Barbara Kingsolver’s sixth novel. This work of historical fiction was a New York Times bestseller and winner of the 2010 Women’s Prize for Fiction. The novel traces the life of Mexican American Harrison Shepherd from the 1920s to the 1950s. The son of a dissolute flapper who chases rich men, Shepherd begins to make his way by landing a job working for the famous Mexican visual artists Frida Kahlo and Diego... Read The Lacuna Summary

Publication year 1890

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Childhood & Youth, Nostalgia, Memory, Place

Tags Science & Nature, Irish Literature, Lyric Poem

“The Lake Isle of Innisfree” is a lyric poem written by William Butler Yeats, a prominent Irish poet, essayist, and dramatist, who was known for his promotion of Irish culture and its political autonomy. The poem appeared early in Yeats’s career and demonstrates his concern with incorporating positive Irish images and mythology into his writing as part of the Celtic Revival movement of the late 19th century. In the poem, the speaker expresses their longing... Read The Lake Isle of Innisfree Summary

Publication year 2000

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Memory, Family, Beauty

Tags Science Fiction, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Fantasy, Action & Adventure

Rodman Philbrick’s The Last Book in the Universe, originally published in 2000, is a young adult novel geared toward children ages 8 to 12. It depicts a dystopian future where “normals” (genetically-unaltered humans) live in the Urb, a place of filth and unrest, while “proovs” (genetically improved people) live in Eden, a place of joy and happiness. This has been the status quo ever since the Big Shake, the environmental disaster that marked the region’s... Read The Last Book In The Universe Summary

Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Memory, Aging, Family

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Dramatic Literature, African American Literature, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey (November 2010) is a novel by award-winning author Walter Mosley. Mosley has enjoyed a distinguished literary career, penning over forty books in the genres of mystery, science fiction, and political nonfiction. He is the first Black recipient of a National Book Foundation Medal in the category of Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. Mosley’s father was African American, and his mother was Jewish with Russian ancestry. Mosley identifies strongly with... Read The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey Summary