Popular Study Guides

The Popular Study Guides Collection brings together a selection of our most-visited Guides in one convenient place. Featuring titles ranging from classic literature with enduring appeal to popular book club picks, this Collection represents a diverse array of literature readers can't get enough of.

The Bet

by Anton Chekhov

Publication year 1889

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Justice, Death

Tags Classic Fiction, Russian Literature, Philosophy

“The Bet” is one of over 500 short stories by Russian literary giant Anton Chekov. Published in 1889, the story addresses related and intertwined themes of life and death, theoretical versus empirical knowledge, and confinement versus freedom.Considered a master of short fiction and, along with Henrik Ibsen and August Strindberg, a founder of Modernist theater, Chekov is one of the late-19th-century writers who have reached 21st-century readers and audiences most powerfully and widely. “The Bet”... Read The Bet Summary

The Big Sleep

by Raymond Chandler

Publication year 1939

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Truth & Lies, Safety & Danger, Power & Greed, Loyalty & Betrayal, Siblings, Place, Revenge, Perseverance

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Classic Fiction, American Literature, Trauma & Abuse, Finance, Grief & Death, Love & Sexuality

Published in 1939, The Big Sleep by novelist and screenwriter Raymond Chandler is a murder mystery widely regarded as one of the greatest hard-boiled detective stories of the 20th century. The work introduces Philip Marlowe, a fictional private eye with a jaundiced view of humanity but a strong sense of fairness, who appears in seven other novels by Chandler. Hired by a super-rich family to negotiate with a blackmailer, Marlowe encounters murder, mayhem, and a... Read The Big Sleep Summary

The Body in the Woods

by April Henry

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Death, Friendship, Place, Safety & Danger, Teamwork, Mental Health, Fear, Trust & Doubt

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Poverty, Mental Illness, Trauma & Abuse, Social Class, Psychology, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read The Body in the Woods Summary

The Book of Lost Names

by Kristin Harmel

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes War, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Justice, Truth & Lies, Guilt, Perseverance, Conflict

Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, Love & Sexuality, European History, Holocaust, Military & War, World History, Romance

... Read The Book of Lost Names Summary

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek

by Kim Michele Richardson

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Equality, Community, Trust & Doubt

Tags Historical Fiction, Gender & Feminism, Southern Literature, World History, Romance

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is a historical novel by American author Kim Michele Richardson. Published in 2019, the book takes place in the Kentucky hills during the Great Depression in 1936. In its depiction of prejudice and community in 1930s Kentucky, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek touches upon themes including the distrust of authority, the random and dangerous nature of prejudice, the power of community, and the importance of caring. Other work... Read The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek Summary

The Chrysalids

by John Wyndham

Publication year 1955

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Community, War, Fear

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy, Symbolic Narrative, Cold War, Post-War Era, Education, Education, Classic Fiction

The Chrysalids is a young-adult science fiction novel, written by John Wyndham and first published in 1955. Wyndham was a renowned science fiction author of the post-World War II era, and many of his works are thus inspired by a potential nuclear apocalypse. The Chrysalids was well-received by critics and is considered one of Wyndham’s best novels. It was adapted into a BBC radio play in 1982 and a play in 1999.This guide utilizes the... Read The Chrysalids Summary

The Corrections

by Jonathan Franzen

Publication year 2001

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family

Tags American Literature, Dramatic Literature, US History, Modern Classic Fiction

The Corrections is a 2001 novel by Jonathan Franzen that won the National Book Award. Franzen is the author of several essay collections and novels, including the novels Freedom, Purity, and Crossroads. He has received many awards for his work, including the Whiting Award in 1988 and a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1996.The main action of the novel takes place during the turn of the 21st century, a time of great financial prosperity in the United... Read The Corrections Summary

The Cruelest Month

by Louise Penny

Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Community, Friendship

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense

The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny is the third book in her Chief Inspector Gamache series. Published by St. Martin’s Press, the novel earned the Agatha Award for Best Novel of 2008. Formerly a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) journalist and radio host, Penny published her debut novel, Still Life, in 2005. The first book in the Gamache series, Still Life received numerous awards and propelled Penny into the top echelon of modern mystery writers. The... Read The Cruelest Month Summary