Safety & Danger

This collection, spanning books like Nadine Gordimer's Jump and Other Stories and Lois Lowry's Number the Stars, gathers fiction and nonfiction examining how our human craving for safety is compromised, questioned, and challenged by an unpredictable and sometimes dangerous world.

The Pelican Brief

by John Grisham

Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Politics & Government, Safety & Danger, Justice

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Action & Adventure, Business & Economics, Journalism, Politics & Government, Crime & Law, American Literature

The Pelican Brief is a 1992 novel by the American writer John Grisham. The legal thriller tells the story of Darby Shaw, a young law student who uncovers a vast conspiracy. The book was adapted into a film in 1993 starring Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington.Other works by this author include The Client, Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer, Skipping Christmas, and Playing For Pizza.Plot SummaryAn assassin named Khamel kills two Supreme Court Justices. Though the Justices... Read The Pelican Brief Summary

The People Could Fly

by Virginia Hamilton

Publication year 1985

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Equality, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Perseverance, Grief, Hate & Anger, Hope, Joy, Guilt, Revenge, Memory, Death, Animals, Environment, Appearance & Reality, Food, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Fate, Race, Language, Regret, Shame & Pride, Daughters & Sons, Mothers, Teamwork

Tags Fairy Tale & Folklore, Symbolic Narrative, US History, African American Literature, Race & Racism

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The Phantom of the Opera

by Gaston Leroux

Publication year 1910

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Death, Loyalty & Betrayal, Art, Safety & Danger, Hate & Anger, Music, Love, Fear, Beauty, Nature Versus Nurture, Justice, Perseverance, Conflict, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Marriage, Good & Evil, Appearance & Reality, Fathers, Gratitude

Tags Classic Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Romance, Gothic Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, French Literature, Historical Fiction, Fantasy

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux is a Gothic mystery novel first published serially in 1910. The novel follows a “ghost” who haunts the Paris Opera and the mysterious incidents attributed to this figure. The characters and the narrator himself try to uncover the secret of this ghost, who is really a masked man infatuated opera singer, Christine Daaé. The novel has been adapted into several formats, most notably a 1925 silent film... Read The Phantom of the Opera Summary

The Pit and the Pendulum

by Edgar Allan Poe

Publication year 1842

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Fear, Death, Safety & Danger

Tags Classic Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Symbolic Narrative, Fantasy, Incarceration, Grief & Death, Psychology, Gothic Literature, Romanticism, Education, Education, Mystery & Crime Fiction, World History

“The Pit and the Pendulum,” Edgar Allan Poe’s agonizing tale of terror and suspense, was first published in 1842. One of Poe’s many horror stories, “The Pit and the Pendulum” became famous for its depiction of pure dread. This guide refers to the 1992 Modern Library edition of Poe’s Collected Tales and Poems.The story begins with shocking suddenness: “I was sick—sick unto death with that long agony” (246). The narrator, we soon discover, is a... Read The Pit and the Pendulum Summary

The Reckoning

by John Grisham

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Guilt, Grief, Hate & Anger, Revenge, Shame & Pride, War, Social Class, Colonialism, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Race, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Femininity, Masculinity, Daughters & Sons, Family, Fathers, Marriage, Mothers, Siblings, Death, Coming of Age, The Past, Nation

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Crime & Law, Race & Racism, Military & War, World History

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The Red Shoes

by Sheila Black

Publication year 2014

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Grief, Love, Community, Conflict, Safety & Danger

Tags Narrative Poem, Confessional, Grief & Death, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Relationships, Mental Illness, Disability

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There Is No Antimemetics Division

by qntm

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Hope, Loneliness, Memory, Language, Mental Health, Death, Future, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Marriage, Teamwork, Politics & Government, War, Equality, Justice, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses

Tags Science Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Fantasy

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There Is No Place for Us

by Brian Goldstone

Publication year 2025

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Hate & Anger, Shame & Pride, Mental Health, Race, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Economics, Globalization, Nation, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Sociology, Politics & Government, Political Science, Journalism, Poverty, Urban Studies

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The Reptile Room

by Lemony Snicket

Publication year 1999

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Truth & Lies, Power & Greed, Appearance & Reality, Good & Evil, Safety & Danger

Tags Fantasy, Children`s Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Action & Adventure, Humor

The Reptile Room is a middle-grade novel published by Daniel Handler under the pen name of Lemony Snicket in 1999. It is the second in the 13-book series A Series of Unfortunate Events, which chronicles the lives of the Baudelaire children (Violet, Klaus, and baby Sunny) after the untimely death of their parents. In the first book, a well-intentioned but oblivious man named Mr. Poe places the children under the care of their distant relative... Read The Reptile Room Summary