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.

Publication year 1838

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Death, Grief

Tags Gothic Literature, Romance, Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, American Literature, World History, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

Edgar Allan Poe's “Ligeia,” a well-known piece of Gothic and Romantic literature, invites readers to explore the intricacies of reality, death, and the enigmatic power of human will. Published in 1838 during the Romantic era, this tale falls within the sub-genre of Gothic fiction, typified by brooding atmospheres, uncanny occurrences, and a fascination with the supernatural.This guide refers to the Penguin Classic 2019 Kindle edition.Content Warning: This guide and the source text use the term... Read Ligeia Summary

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Hate & Anger, Revenge, Love, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction

Publication year 1989

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Femininity, Sexual Identity, Food, Family, Mothers, Daughters & Sons, Siblings, Marriage, Self Discovery, War

Tags Magical Realism, Latin American Literature, Historical Fiction, Romance, Food, Gender & Feminism, Love & Sexuality, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

Like Water for Chocolate is the debut novel of Laura Esquivel, published in Mexico in 1989 and then translated into English by Carol and Thomas Christensen. Esquivel has sold over four million copies of the novel worldwide. She is a novelist and active politician serving in the Mexican Chamber of Deputies. She collaborated with her husband at the time to adapt the novel into a film in 1992, which was then nominated for a Golden... Read Like Water for Chocolate Summary

Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Love, Memory, Marriage, Literature, Safety & Danger

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Romance, Gothic Literature

Lisey’s Story (2006) is a psychological horror romance novel by Stephen King. It follows Lisey Landon, whose husband, Scott, was a famous author who died two years before. With pressure from the literary world to look through Scott’s writing, Lisey finally decides to go through her husband’s study. As she revisits memories of her past with her husband, she discovers a supernatural world that both haunted and inspired Scott’s creativity. At the same time, a... Read Lisey's Story Summary

Publication year 1857

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Shame & Pride, Social Class, Politics & Government

Tags Classic Fiction, Victorian Period, Satirical Literature, Social Class, British Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Romance, Victorian Era

Charles Dickens’s novel Little Dorrit was originally published in serialized form between 1855 and 1857. In this novel, the author satirizes government and society at large, with a specific focus on debtors’ prisons that incarcerated those in debt. The prison in Little Dorrit is the Marshalsea, where at one time, Charles Dickens’s father was imprisoned for debt. Little Dorrit explores common Dickensian themes such as economic class, duty, and societal issues.Other works by this author... Read Little Dorrit Summary

Publication year 1868

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family

Tags Children`s Literature, Classic Fiction, American Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Romance

Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, originally published in two volumes in 1868, is set in New England and inspired by her own family and life events. It is a coming-of-age domestic novel about four sisters who grow up during the American Civil War. Due to its popularity, Alcott wrote two sequels: Little Men (1871) and Jo’s Boys (1886). The novel has been adapted many times for the screen, including the 1994 film for which Winona Ryder... Read Little Women Summary

Publication year 1955

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Good & Evil, Art

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Dramatic Literature, Satirical Literature, Realism, Russian Literature, World History, Romance

Lolita, a novel by Russian-American author Vladimir Nabokov, was published in 1955 in Paris. American publishing companies refused to publish the novel due to its scandalous plot, but the book was considered a classic almost instantly. In 1967, the novel was finally published in America and, since then, Lolita has appeared on several lists of the greatest English-language and American novels of all time. The novel blends genres, offering readers elements of romance, erotica, and... Read Lolita Summary

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Love, Femininity, Gender Identity, Race, Sexual Identity, Future, Family, Fathers, Marriage, Mothers, Social Class, Community, Beauty, Equality, Literature

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, British Literature, World History, Regency Era

Longbourn (2013) is a work of fiction by British author Jo Baker, who is the author of several other novels of historical fiction and literary suspense. Longbourn depicts what life is like for the servants of the Bennet family of Jane Austen’s classic novel Pride and Prejudice. While events in Austen’s book frame this novel, Longbourn follows the inner lives of housemaid Sarah, housekeeper Mrs. Hill, and James Smith, the mysterious footman who shows up... Read Longbourn Summary

Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Death, Forgiveness, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Realistic Fiction, Depression & Suicide, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Looking for Alaska is narrated by a sixteen-year-old boy, Miles Halter, who leaves behind his mundane life in Florida to attend a boarding school called Culver Creek. He is inspired by biographies detailing the adventures of notable figures during their days at boarding school. Most of all, he is motivated by the notion of a “Great Perhaps”. Miles has a fascination with famous last words, and particularly with the last words of the poet Francois... Read Looking for Alaska Summary

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Memory, Gender Identity, Teamwork

Tags Fantasy, Mythology, Action & Adventure, Trauma & Abuse, Gender & Feminism, Grief & Death, Love & Sexuality, American Literature, Romance

Publication year 1869

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love

Tags Romance, Classic Fiction

Originally published in 1869, R.D. Blackmore’s historical romance, Lorna Doone, remains a critically acclaimed story with several television and movie adaptations. Set in the 17th century during a fraught political climate, the novel centers on the star-crossed lovers, Lorna Doone and John Ridd, as they struggle to be together despite the differences in their social classes and the enmity between their families. The main character, John Ridd, is the narrator, telling his story years later... Read Lorna Doone Summary