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.

The Sweetness of Water

by Nathan Harris

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Memory, Masculinity, Race, Sexual Identity, The Past, Marriage, Daughters & Sons, Community, War, Safety & Danger, Plants

Tags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ+, Race & Racism, American Civil War, African American Literature, Grief & Death, US History, Love & Sexuality, Post-War Era, Military & War, World History

... Read The Sweetness of Water Summary

The Talisman

by Stephen King, Peter Straub

Publication year 1984

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Hate & Anger, Hope, Love, Memory, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Safety & Danger, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Fate, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Friendship, Mothers, Death, The Past, Future, Appearance & Reality, Animals, Space, War, Family

Tags Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, Coming of Age, Action & Adventure

The Talisman is a 1984 novel co-written by Stephen King and Peter Straub. It is a fantasy novel with horror elements and has connections to the works in King’s Dark Tower series. The Talisman is a road trip book that tells the story of Jack Sawyer and his quest to save his mother. The Talisman examines themes of lost innocence, coming of age, friendship, the corrupting nature of power, and more.The Talisman has a sequel... Read The Talisman Summary

The Tell

by Amy Griffin

Publication year 2025

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Memory, Mental Health, The Past, Self Discovery, Justice

Tags Memoir & Autobiography, Trauma & Abuse

... Read The Tell Summary

The Terror

by Dan Simmons

Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Loneliness, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Environment, Place, Colonialism, Order & Chaos

Tags Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, World History, Action & Adventure, Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Survival Fiction

... Read The Terror Summary

The Three Musketeers

by Alexandre Dumas

Publication year 1844

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Wins & Losses, Power & Greed, Loyalty & Betrayal, Teamwork, The Past, Masculinity, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Revenge

Tags Action & Adventure, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, French Literature, European History, Military & War, Love & Sexuality, World History

The Three Musketeers (1844), by French novelist and playwright Alexandre Dumas, is a novel that borrows tropes from the swashbuckling genre, historical fiction, and romance to recount the adventures of a group of king’s guard who face off against the machinations of nefarious political factions set on destabilizing the monarchy. It was first published through serialization in 1844 to great popularity. Though set in the mid-1600s, the novel connected with the philosophical underpinnings of the... Read The Three Musketeers Summary

The Time Keeper

by Mitch Albom

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Aging, Death, Future, The Past

Tags Fantasy, Science Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Symbolic Narrative, Inspirational

The Time Keeper (2012) by American author Mitch Albom is a fable that explores the themes of Humans’ Relationship with Time, The Need to Live in the Present, and the Acceptance of One’s Mortality. The inventor of the world’s first clock, Dor, is punished for measuring time and banished to a cave for thousands of years where he becomes an ageless Father Time. Eventually, he is granted his freedom with the condition that he must... Read The Time Keeper Summary

The Villa

by Rachel Hawkins

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Femininity, Friendship, The Past

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Historical Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Gothic Literature

... Read The Villa Summary

The Virgin Suicides

by Jeffrey Eugenides

Publication year 1993

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mental Health, Memory, Beauty, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Death, Grief, The Past, Future, Environment, Appearance & Reality

Tags Coming of Age, Depression & Suicide, Climate Change, Grief & Death, Love & Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness, Classic Fiction

The Virgin Suicides is a realistic fiction novel written by Jeffrey Eugenides and originally published in 1993. Using death by suicide as its central motif, the novel examines the themes of The Objectification of Women, Romanticizing the Past, and The Effects of Loss. A statement of youth disillusionment, death by suicide becomes The Death of the Future, another of the novel’s themes. The novel was adapted into a critically acclaimed film directed by Sofia Coppola... Read The Virgin Suicides Summary