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 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Coming of Age, Science & Technology

Tags Science Fiction, Politics & Government, Psychology, Technology, Religion & Spirituality, American Literature, Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, Romance

UnWholly (2012) by Neal Shusterman is Book 2 in the Unwind Dystology. Shusterman originally planned the series to be a dystopia trilogy, but the third book, UnSouled, was split into two for publication due to length. While it was nominated for several awards in Young Adult literature, it did not win any, in contrast to the first book of the series, Unwind, which won nearly a dozen awards and prizes.UnWholly is science fiction, specifically YA... Read UnWholly Summary

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Hate & Anger, Love, Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Fairy Tale & Folklore, Relationships, Medieval

Uprooted (2016) is a fantasy novel inspired by Polish folktales and written by New York Times bestselling American fantasy author Naomi Novik, best known for her Temeraire series. In Uprooted, a young woman named Agnieszka lives in a small village in a valley on the edge of the deadly Wood. It is the task of the Dragon, a powerful wizard in a nearby tower, to keep the Wood at bay. As payment, the Dragon chooses... Read Uprooted Summary

Publication year 1966

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fame, Loyalty & Betrayal, Equality, Femininity

Tags Addiction & Substance Abuse, Dramatic Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Classic Fiction

The novel Valley of the Dolls, originally published in 1966, is a fictional exposé of the lives of three young career women who meet in New York City in 1945, just after the end of World War II. Anne, a recent Radcliffe College graduate, works for a law firm that represents well-known entertainers. Jennifer is an astonishingly beautiful showgirl who marries a famous singer. Neely, only 17, is a budding singer and dancer who eventually... Read Valley of the Dolls Summary

Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Gender Identity, Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Social Class, Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Horror & Suspense, Science Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

Written in 2007 by Richelle Mead, Vampire Academy is the first of six novels in the Vampire Academy series, which follows the coming-of-age journey of Rosemarie “Rose” Hathaway, a dhampir (half vampire) who is training to become a guardian for her best friend, Vasilisa “Lissa” Dragomir. Lissa is a royal Moroi (or full vampire) with mysterious powers. The novel addresses themes of friendship, forbidden romance, and personal responsibility within a school setting. In 2014, Vampire... Read Vampire Academy Summary

Publication year 1847

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Mothers, Power & Greed, Conflict, Forgiveness

Tags Satirical Literature, Victorian Period, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, British Literature, Comedy & Satire, World History, Romance, Victorian Era

Vanity Fair is a serialized novel by William Makepeace Thackeray, published from 1847-1848. The novel was subtitled Pen and Pencil Sketches of English Society, then changed to A Novel without a Hero in 1848. The novel’s characters generally lack positive qualities and are obsessed with social climbing and the acquisition of wealth. Vanity Fair has been adapted for film, television, and theatre. This guide uses the 2001 Penguin Classics edition. Content Warning: The source material... Read Vanity Fair Summary

Publication year 1870

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Femininity, Masculinity, Sexual Identity, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed

Tags Love & Sexuality, Psychology, Psychology, Romance, Classic Fiction

Venus in Furs (1870) is a novella by Austrian writer Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, first published as part of his proposed collection of short stories, The Legacy of Cain. Sacher-Masoch planned for the collection to detail his worldview, but he only completed the first two sections. The novella follows Severin von Kusiemski’s time with Wanda von Dunajew, a widow he meets at a health resort, and explores The Exploration of Sexual Power Dynamics, The Psychological Negotiation... Read Venus in Furs Summary

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Guilt, Mothers

Tags Romance, Horror & Suspense, Psychological Fiction, Grief & Death, Love & Sexuality, Relationships, Trauma & Abuse, American Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mental Health

Tags Philosophy, Psychological Fiction, Romance, Symbolic Narrative, Life-Inspired Fiction, Mental Illness, Modern Classic Fiction, Dramatic Literature, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Veronika Decides to Die (1998) is a novel of ideas by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho. The novel follows Veronika, a 24-year-old Slovenian woman who decides to die in 1997 because her perfectly normal world has left her apathetic toward life. After Veronika attempts suicide, she finds herself in a psychiatric hospital called Villete. Villete was established in the rift opened by the civil war in Yugoslavia to generate a profit from the issues of the upper... Read Veronika Decides To Die Summary

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Forgiveness, Love, Revenge, Coming of Age, Family, Self Discovery, Social Class, Truth & Lies

Tags Romance, New Adult

Publication year 2015

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Love, Memory, Regret, Language, Race, Future, The Past, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Community, Education, Immigration, Nation, War, Fate, Justice, Music, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Drama, Comedy & Satire, Education, Education, World History, Dramatic Literature, Humor

Publication year 1853

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loneliness, Religion & Spirituality, Gender Identity, Mental Health

Tags Romance, Victorian Period, Classic Fiction, British Literature, Gothic Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Victorian Era

Villette, published in 1853, is the last novel by Charlotte Brontë and the first published under her real name, her previous novels having been published under the name Currer Bell to conceal her identity as a female. Tracking one woman’s journey towards self-discovery against the burden of Victorian ideals, Brontë presents her most progressive and biographical work in the story of Lucy Snowe. Like Lucy, Brontë endured intense personal tragedy, having lost all her adored... Read Villette Summary

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Love, Politics & Government

Tags Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Latin American Literature, Gender & Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Romance

Publication year 1993

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hope, Love, Memory, Regret, Shame & Pride, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Race, Sexual Identity, Midlife, Death, Future, The Past, Environment, Family, Marriage, War, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Science Fiction

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Safety & Danger, Grief

Tags Chinese Literature, Asian Literature, Technology, Science Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Action & Adventure

Marie Lu’s young adult science fiction Warcross (2017) is the first book in the Warcross series. Set in the future, bounty hunter Emika Chen takes part in an international online game to track down her mark. Lu writes primarily dystopian and science fiction for young adults and is well known for her bestselling trilogy, Legend. Kirkus Reviews included Warcross on its Best Teen Science Fiction books of 2017. This guide references the 2017 Random House... Read Warcross Summary

Publication year 1880

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Loyalty & Betrayal, Love, Gender Identity, Coming of Age, Trust & Doubt

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, American Literature, World History, Romance

Washington Square is a novel by American author Henry James published in 1880. It is a novel of manners, which turns on individual choices amidst social constraints and expectations, a style typical of James. The novel focuses on the romance between Catherine Sloper, a wealthy young woman in line to inherit even more from her father, and Morris Townsend, a handsome, charming suitor who lacks money and a profession. Catherine’s relationship with her father, Dr... Read Washington Square Summary