The Past

In George Orwell's 1984 a character says, "Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past." The past may be behind us, but its events—and how we remember them—have a profound effect on the present. In this collection explore texts that examine the complications and complexities of the past.

Steppenwolf

by Hermann Hesse

Publication year 1927

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loneliness, Masculinity, Mental Health, The Past, Self Discovery, War, Art, Beauty, Literature, Music, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Life-Inspired Fiction, Philosophy, Existentialism, German Literature, World History, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Steppenwolf, originally published in German in 1927, then translated into English in 1929, is the eighth novel published by Swiss German novelist Hermann Hesse. The novel was commercially successful upon publication, and it remains a popular novel to the present day. However, Hesse remarked that whereas his intention was to find humor in life and resist despair, Steppenwolf has often been misunderstood as a glorification of suffering. Much of Hesse’s body of work addresses spiritual... Read Steppenwolf Summary

Still Me

by Jojo Moyes

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Aging, Community, The Past, Perseverance, Social Class

Tags Romance, Relationships, Love & Sexuality, Finance, Social Class, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read Still Me Summary

Strange Buildings

by Uketsu, Transl. Jim Rion

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Regret, Shame & Pride, Disability, Death, The Past, Place, Family, Religion & Spirituality, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Horror & Suspense

Published in Japan in 2023, Strange Buildings is a mystery horror novel by the pseudonymous author and YouTuber Uketsu. It’s the sequel to his best-selling novel Strange Houses, which was adapted into a major motion picture in Japan. The story follows a writer who, after the success of his previous book, receives submissions from readers about unsettling buildings with bizarre architectural features. He selects 11 unrelated cases to investigate with his friend Kurihara, an architectural... Read Strange Buildings Summary

Strange Pilgrims

by Gabriel García Márquez

Publication year 1992

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Nostalgia, The Past, Colonialism

Tags Magical Realism, Latin American Literature, Classic Fiction, Spanish Literature

Strange Pilgrims is a collection of 12 short stories written by acclaimed Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez. García Márquez, the winner of the 1972 Neustadt International Prize for Literature and the 1982 Nobel Prize in Literature, is the author of 11 novels and novellas, dozens of short stories, and various works of nonfiction and film. Strange Pilgrims was published in 1992, though most of its stories were initially written in the 1970s and 1980s. The... Read Strange Pilgrims Summary

Swordheart

by T. Kingfisher

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Love, Regret, Femininity, Gender Identity, Midlife, The Past, Family, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Humor, Action & Adventure

... Read Swordheart Summary

The 100

by Kass Morgan

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Space, Coming of Age, Future, The Past, Environment, Family, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Social Class, Justice

Tags Science Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Action & Adventure

... Read The 100 Summary

The Age of Innocence

by Edith Wharton

Publication year 1920

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Community, Family, The Past, Love, Gender Identity, Midlife

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Social Class, Love & Sexuality, Gilded Age, American Literature, Gender & Feminism, World History, Romance

American writer Edith Wharton’s Pulitzer-Prize winning novel The Age Of Innocence (1920) was a post-armistice reflection on the 1870s New York society of her youth. Wharton, an American who lived abroad in Paris, was already the successful author of other novels, including The House of Mirth (1905) and Ethan Frome (1911).In a The New York Times article, Elif Batuman reflects that “eventually, each classic tells two stories: its own, and the story of all the... Read The Age of Innocence Summary

The All of It

by Jeannette Haien

Publication year 1986

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Gratitude, Grief, Guilt, Hope, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Gender Identity, Language, Mental Health, Masculinity, Sexual Identity, Aging, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Death, Future, The Past, Animals, Environment, Plants, Place, Daughters & Sons, Family, Fathers, Friendship, Marriage, Siblings, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Economics, Education, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Irish Literature, Literary Fiction

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The Alloy of Law

by Brandon Sanderson

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Good & Evil, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Gender Identity, The Past, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Politics & Government, Justice, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Science & Technology

Tags Fantasy, Science Fiction, Action & Adventure

... Read The Alloy of Law Summary