Romance

"The course of true love never did run smooth," wrote William Shakespeare in A Midsummer Night's Dream—and he knew what he was talking about. A text from this study guide collection might be just the thing to remind you of the bliss and pain of love.

Delirium

by Lauren Oliver

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Truth & Lies, Politics & Government, Self Discovery, Coming of Age

Tags Science Fiction, Romance, Love & Sexuality, Fantasy

Written by Lauren Oliver in 2011, Delirium is a young adult, dystopian novel that takes place in a world where love is considered a disease and is thus surgically removed from a person’s brain when they turn 18. The protagonist, Lena Haloway, falls in love with a boy named Alex Warren and must navigate a world in which their love is forbidden. The novel explores the power of love in opposition to an unfair totalitarian... Read Delirium Summary

Den of Vipers

by K.A Knight

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Love, Revenge, Femininity, Masculinity, Sexual Identity, Death, Appearance & Reality, Family, Fathers, Teamwork, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger

Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy

... Read Den of Vipers Summary

Dept. of Speculation

by Jenny Offill

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Marriage, Literature, Mothers, 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

Diary of an Oxygen Thief

by Anonymous

Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Life-Inspired Fiction, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

Diary of an Oxygen Thief was published anonymously in 2006. This novel is a work of fiction, although the author does try to confuse the audience in this respect, as both the author and the narrator are unnamed. Nonetheless, the novel is indeed fiction, as the author and the narrator are not the same individuals. The narrator is an Irish advertising executive living in London. The book chronicles his relationships with women, many of whom... Read Diary of an Oxygen Thief Summary

Dim Lady

by Harryette Mullen

Publication year 2002

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Language, Love, Literature

Tags Lyric Poem, Humor, Romance, Arts & Culture, Social Class, American Literature, African American Literature

Harryette Mullen’s “Dim Lady” may remind some readers of 17th century English playwright and poet William Shakespeare’s well-known “Sonnet 130,” in which the speaker of the poem makes a mockery of his beloved’s physical appearance. During Shakespeare’s time, fashion encouraged poets to write flowery poetry that extolled the virtues and the beauty of their beloved. However, the speaker of this sonnet toys with poetic conventions of the time, describing the physical attributes of the speaker’s... Read Dim Lady Summary

Direbound

by Sable Sorensen

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Hope, Love, Memory, Femininity, Masculinity, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Death, Future, The Past, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Family, Friendship, Mothers, Siblings, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Politics & Government, War, Beauty, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Romance, Love & Sexuality, Fantasy

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Dirt Music

by Tim Winton

Publication year 2001

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Family, Environment, Loneliness, Love, Midlife, Music

Tags Romance, Dramatic Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, World History

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Divergent

by Veronica Roth

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Family

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Action & Adventure

Divergent is the first installment in a science-fiction trilogy, and is narrated by a 16 year old girl called Beatrice Prior. The setting is a futuristic city which, though not specified in the novel, closely resembles Chicago. The city has been split into five factions: Abnegation, Dauntless, Erudite, Amity, and Candor. The idea behind this split is that human conflict has not been caused by political ideology, race, religion, or nationalism but by differences between personality... Read Divergent Summary

Doctor Zhivago

by Boris Pasternak

Publication year 1957

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Love, Nostalgia, Social Class, War

Tags Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Romance, Russian Literature, Military & War, World History

Introduction Doctor Zhivago is a 1957 novel by Russian author Boris Pasternak. Set during the early 20th century, the story follows the titular Yuri Zhivago as he deals with revolution and social upheaval in his native country. As well as being widely praised following its publication, the novel has been adapted numerous times for the screen, most famously in a 1965 film—for which Pasternak cowrote the screenplay—directed by David Lean and starring Omar Sharif and Julie... Read Doctor Zhivago Summary