For over fifty years, The Booker Prize has honored excellence in English literature published in the United Kingdom or Ireland, bringing international acclaim to its winners. Expanding the Booker's scope in 2005, the International Booker Prize has been awarded annually to an outstanding work of UK or Ireland-published translated literature. This collection of study guides highlights fiction titles for adults, both past award winners and finalists.
Publication year 1987
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, British Literature, Military / War, History: World, Classic Fiction
Penelope Lively’s 1987 novel Moon Tiger is a work of historical fiction. Set primarily in England and Egypt during the 20th century, the novel is a frame story that joins protagonist Claudia Hampton on her deathbed as she reflects on the relationships, memories, and historical forces that shaped her life. The author was awarded the 1987 Booker Prize for the novel. Moon Tiger explores the subjective nature of memory, the difference between lived and linear... Read Moon Tiger Summary
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags British Literature, Japanese Literature, Asian Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Classic Fiction
Book Details & Major ThemesNever Let Me Go is a 2005 novel by Kazuo Ishiguro set in a dystopian version of Great Britain in the 1990s in which cloning technology allows for the mass proliferation of organ donation. Medical problems like cancer are cured because organs are harvested from clones through a state-sanctioned program. The cloned “donors” have their organs taken one at a time until they die. The novel is narrated by Kathy H... Read Never Let Me Go Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Family, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Race / Racism, Poverty, LGBTQ, Black Lives Matter, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Humor, Fantasy, Technology, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Irish Literature
Normal People is a novel by Sally Rooney, published by Faber & Faber in 2018. Rooney is also the author of the novel Conversations With Friends, and the winner of the 2017 Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award. Normal People is set in the author’s native Ireland. The two main characters are Connell Waldron, a boy from a lower-middle-class background, and Marianne Sheridan, who comes from a wealthy family. As disparate as their socioeconomic... Read Normal People Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Irish Literature, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Life/Time: Aging, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Class, Society: Community, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Midlife, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Masculinity, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: Education, Identity: Femininity, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags British Literature, Race / Racism, Modern Classic Fiction
On Beauty by the celebrated British author Zadie Smith was published in 2005. On Beauty was shortlisted for the prestigious Man Booker Prize and won the Orange Prize for Fiction. Smith is known for writing novels and essays that analyze the intersections of identity in the contemporary world with nuance, clarity, and empathy. She is also known to be influenced by the classic English author E.M. Forster. On Beauty is loosely based on Forster’s masterpiece... Read On Beauty Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Climate
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Literary Fiction
Publication year 1994
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Self Discovery
Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, African Literature, African American Literature
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Irish Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Military / War, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Realistic Fiction, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Grandparents, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Place
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Crime / Legal, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy
IntroductionEmma Donoghue’s Room is a 2010 novel about a boy named Jack who lives in a single room with his mother, Ma. Room is a crime thriller novel that explores themes of trauma, innocence, and adaptability through the eyes of five-year-old narrator, Jack. Room has received many awards, including the ALA Alex Award, the Indies Choice Book Award for Fiction, and The New York Times Book Review Best Book of the Year award. Room was... Read Room Summary
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: War
Tags Historical Fiction, British Literature, War On Terrorism / Iraq War, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Saturday is a novel by Ian McEwan, first published in 2005 by Jonathan Cape. Ian McEwan is an acclaimed British author who has been shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize numerous times, winning the award for Amsterdam in 1998. In Saturday, McEwan delves into the inner life of a single individual, Henry Perowne, a successful neurosurgeon living in London. The novel takes place over the course of a single day, February 15, 2003, against the... Read Saturday Summary
Publication year 1982
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Identity: Race, Society: War
Tags Historical Fiction, Holocaust, WWII / World War II, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Race / Racism, History: World, Immigration / Refugee, Incarceration, Military / War, Politics / Government, Social Justice, Sociology, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Classic Fiction, Biography
Schindler’s List (originally titled Schindler’s Ark) is a 1982 historical novel by Australian author Thomas Keneally. It tells the story of Oskar Schindler, a member of the Nazi party who used his position as a German industrialist to save more than 1,200 people’s lives during the war. In protecting as many people as he could from the genocidal Nazi regime, Schindler risked being sent to a concentration camp himself. Keneally wrote the novel with the... Read Schindler's List Summary
Publication year 1983
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation
Tags Magical Realism, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Indian Literature, Asian Literature, Historical Fiction
Written by Salman Rushdie in 1983, Shame takes place in a fictionalized version of the city of Quetta in Pakistan. Although several characters are based on historic Pakistani politicians, the novel incorporates elements of magical realism to create a richly nuanced fable whose philosophical message transcends the boundaries of the ordinary. The novel explores themes of Shame Versus Shamelessness, the partition of Pakistan through Partition and Duality, and The Systemic Misogyny of Patriarchal Societies. Shame... Read Shame Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Historical Fiction, Irish Literature, Holidays & Occasions, History: World
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Music, Realistic Fiction, British Literature, Arts / Culture, Class, Finance / Money / Wealth, Gender / Feminism, History: African , History: European, Love / Sexuality, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Modern Classic Fiction
Swing Time (2016) is renowned author Zadie Smith’s fifth novel. Inspired by classic movie musicals and Smith’s childhood passion for musical theater, Swing Time is a story about women, how forms of privilege warp our worldviews, and the ways in which history informs our present. The novel is divided into seven parts, each narrated by the same unnamed protagonist sometimes as a child and sometimes as an adult.One of the most respected literary voices of... Read Swing Time Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Midlife, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Irish Literature, Modern Classic Fiction