"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 1992
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Past, Identity: Race, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Historical Fiction, Military / War, History: World, Classic Fiction, Romance, WWII / World War II
The English Patient (1992) is a historical romance novel by Canadian writer Michael Ondaatje. The novel explores the relationships between four dissimilar people living in an abandoned Italian monastery at the end of World War II. The eponymous English patient—actually a Hungarian count burned beyond recognition—tells Canadian nurse Hana the story of his forbidden romance with British amateur cartographer Katharine Clifton as their small team attempted, several years earlier, to map North African deserts. Using... Read The English Patient Summary
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags Historical Fiction, British Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Gothic Literature, History: World, Romance
The Essex Serpent is a novel by Sarah Perry, released in 2016. Set in 1893, it tells the story of Cora Seaborne, a recently widowed woman with a burning interest in the natural sciences. Escaping London, she visits a small village in the Essex countryside. There, she finds a population in thrall to the local legend of a sea monster lurking in the nearby estuary and a village priest who is desperately trying to dissuade... Read The Essex Serpent Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, History: European, British Literature, History: World
Publication year 1820
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Gothic Literature, History: World, Fantasy, Romance, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Romance, Fantasy, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Holidays & Occasions, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Romance, Fantasy
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Fantasy, Historical Fiction, History: World, Magical Realism, Romance
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Romance
Publication year 1752
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Language, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Education, Education, British Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance, Humor, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Family
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Modern Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Disability, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance
Publication year 2003
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Grandparents
Tags Romance, Realistic Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Romance, Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Self Discovery
Tags Romance, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Natural World: Objects, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Romance
Publication year 1633
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Lyric Poem, Metaphysical, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Education, Education, History: World, Romance, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags Historical Fiction, Survival Fiction, WWII / World War II, Holocaust, Military / War, History: World, Romance
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family
Tags British Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance
The Forgotten Garden is the second novel by Australian author Kate Morton. First published in 2008, the book is classified as a historical mystery and won the Australian Book Industry Award for General Fiction in 2009. It later became a New York Times Best Seller. The Forgotten Garden is heavily influenced by the Gothic novel genre and pays homage to The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Events in the story were inspired by the... Read The Forgotten Garden Summary
Publication year 2009
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags Middle Eastern Literature, Asian Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance, Philosophy, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality
The Forty Rules of Love is a 2009 novel by Elif Shafak. The book tells the story of Ella Rubinstein, a woman in her late thirties who has settled into the complacency of her life. She exists without drive or passion. The narrative follows her unlikely escape from what at first appears to be inevitable unhappiness. The novel also concerns itself with the deep, fraternal love between Sufi dervish Shams of Tabriz and the mystical... Read The Forty Rules of Love Summary