Truth & Lies

Whether exploring the consequences of concealing the truth or excavating the mysterious nature of truth itself, the titles in this collection discuss the intersections among honesty, factualness, legitimacy, deception, falsehood, and lies.

The Fraud

by Zadie Smith

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Truth & Lies, Justice, Femininity, Race, Literature, Trust & Doubt

Tags Historical Fiction, Victorian Period, British Literature, Race & Racism, Mystery & Crime Fiction, World History

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The Frozen River

by Ariel Lawhon

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Gender Identity, Indigenous Identity, Masculinity, Sexual Identity, Birth, Animals, Family, Mothers, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Equality, Justice, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Gender & Feminism

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The Gay Science

by Friedrich Nietzsche

Publication year 1882

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Truth & Lies

Tags Philosophy, Existentialism, Science & Nature, World History, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

The Gay Science is a book of poems and collection of 383 aphorisms in five sections that interrogates the origins of the history of knowledge. It celebrates philosophy as a medicine capable of renewing the intellect, and perceives of philosophy as inspiration for individual freedom, and thereby capable of renewing culture. First published in 1882, Nietzsche added a “Book Fifth” to The Gay Science five years later.In The Gay Science, Nietzsche declares God is dead... Read The Gay Science Summary

The Girl On The Train

by Paula Hawkins

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loneliness, Conflict, Fear, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Love, Memory, Masculinity, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Truth & Lies, Marriage

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Trauma & Abuse, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Modern Classic Fiction

Paula Hawkins wrote The Girl on the Train over the course of six months in 2014. Hawkins, an Oxford-educated journalist and writer, drew on her experience as a reporter in London to structure the novel and describe its locations. Drawing immediate comparisons to Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, The Girl on the Train had similar performance, debuting at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list in 2015, and remaining there for 13 consecutive weeks... Read The Girl On The Train Summary

The Girls in the Garden

by Lisa Jewell

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Forgiveness, Mental Health, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Appearance & Reality, Family, Siblings, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Truth & Lies

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

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The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

by Stieg Larsson

Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Gender Identity, Family, Social Class, Justice, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Psychological Fiction, Scandinavian Literature, Gender & Feminism, Trauma & Abuse, Modern Classic Fiction

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is an international bestseller by writer and journalist Stieg Larsson. The crime thriller was published in Sweden shortly after his death in 2005 with the original Swedish title, Män som hatar kvinnor, or Men Who Hate Women. The book won the 2006 Glass Key Award for best crime novel in its native Sweden, and after the English translation was released it received the 2008 Boeke Prize (South Africa), Crime... Read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Summary

The Glass Bead Game

by Hermann Hesse

Publication year 1943

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Self Discovery, Order & Chaos, Truth & Lies

Tags Science Fiction, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Parody, German Literature

The Glass Bead Game or Magister Ludi (1943), written by Hermann Hesse, is a bildungsroman and fictional biography of Joseph Knecht, the Master of the Glass Bead Game in the utopian society of Castalia. An anonymous narrator traces the life and legend of this man as he rapidly ascends the Order of Castalia and suddenly quits his office, leaving behind a life of ease for the chaos of the outside world. Through Knecht’s inner turmoil... Read The Glass Bead Game Summary

The God Delusion

by Richard Dawkins

Publication year 2006

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Mental Health, Childhood & Youth, Death, Self Discovery, Fate, Religion & Spirituality, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Religion & Spirituality, Science & Nature, Philosophy, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy

The God Delusion, written by Richard Dawkins, was first published in 2006 by Bantam Press. In the book, Dawkins, a British evolutionary biologist and ethologist, uses his background in science and rational thought to explore and critique the concepts of God and religion. This non-fiction work falls under the subgenre of atheist literature and tackles concepts such as the question of the existence of God, the psychological and social reasons for religious belief, the impact... Read The God Delusion Summary

The God of Small Things

by Arundhati Roy

Publication year 1997

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Loyalty & Betrayal, Truth & Lies

Tags Asian Literature, Historical Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Indian Literature, Classic Fiction

The God of Small Things, the debut novel of Indian architect (Suzanna) Arundhati Roy, was published in 1997. A family tragedy centered on the emotional and psychological evolution of fraternal twins Rahel and Estha Ipe, the novel, set in Ayemenem, a remote coastal town in the state of Kerala in southwestern India, shuttles between events in 1969—when the twins, age seven, are involved in the accidental drowning of their British cousin—and more than 25 years... Read The God of Small Things Summary

The Golden Bowl

by Henry James

Publication year 1904

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Marriage, Loyalty & Betrayal, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Loneliness, Love, Shame & Pride, Midlife, Future, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Fathers, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Power & Greed, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

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

The Golden Bowl is a 1904 novel by Henry James. The novel explores the intricacies of marriage and affairs in the early 19th century through the affair of Amerigo and Charlotte, who were once in love but too poor to marry. Amerigo instead marries Maggie, and Charlotte marries Maggie’s father, a wealthy American museum curator. While Amerigo is at first happy with his new wife, the time she spends with her father creates an opportunity... Read The Golden Bowl Summary

The Golden Gate

by Amy Chua

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Power & Greed, Justice, Immigration, Equality, Femininity, Mental Health, Truth & Lies, Social Class

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Race & Racism, Love & Sexuality, Social Class

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The Good Nurse

by Charles Graeber

Publication year 2013

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Science & Technology, Politics & Government, Safety & Danger, Good & Evil, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies, Hate & Anger

Tags Crime & Law, Mystery & Crime Fiction, World History, Biography, Health, US History, Depression & Suicide, Mental Illness, Trauma & Abuse

The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder by Charles Graeber is a true crime biography of the life of Charles Cullen, one of the most prolific serial killers in US history. Graeber is an American journalist who spent time as a medical student before moving on to journalism, writing for many prolific news outlets. His joint history in medicine and writing provides him with the necessary expertise to explain the intimacies... Read The Good Nurse Summary

The Good Sister

by Sally Hepworth

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Siblings, Truth & Lies, Mental Health, Femininity, Childhood & Youth, Family, Mothers, Self Discovery, Beauty, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Psychological Fiction, Diversity, Grief & Death, Mental Illness, Parenting, Relationships, Trauma & Abuse, Modern Classic Fiction

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The Government Inspector

by Nikolai Gogol

Publication year 1836

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Power & Greed, Guilt, Community, Politics & Government, Truth & Lies

Tags Comedy & Satire, Classic Fiction, Russian Literature

The Government Inspector is a satirical stage play by Russian-Ukrainian author Nikolai Gogol, originally published in 1836 and later revised in 1842. Also known as The Inspector General, the play is a comedy of errors based on a supposed anecdote relayed to Gogol by the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. In a small unnamed Russian town, a young dissolute government clerk, Khlestakov, is mistaken for an awaited government inspector. Khlestakov uses the situation to his advantage... Read The Government Inspector Summary