Valentine's Day Reads: The Theme of Love

Our Valentine's Day Reads: The Theme of Love Collection features titles centered on love and all of its complexities. This Collection represents authors who have grappled with romantic, familial, and other forms of love through writing. With titles ranging from contemporary romance picks to works by Shakespeare, this Collection has something to offer any reader who has ever lost or found love.

The French Lieutenant's Woman

by John Fowles

Publication year 1969

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Self Discovery, Social Class

Tags Historical Fiction, World History, Classic Fiction, Romance, Victorian Period, British Literature, Postmodernism

The French Lieutenant’s Woman is a 1969 historical novel by English author John Fowles. The novel provides a postmodern exploration of Victorian society, telling a story from the era in a manner which also function as a social critique. The French Lieutenant’s Woman was widely praised on release and in the decades after. In 1981, it was adapted into a film of the same name.This guide was written using the 2004 Vintage edition of the... Read The French Lieutenant's Woman Summary

The Furnished Room

by O. Henry

Publication year 1904

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Love, Loneliness

Tags American Literature, Horror & Suspense, Education, Education, World History, Classic Fiction

“The Furnished Room” by American author O. Henry (the pseudonym of William Sydney Porter) is a short story in the realism genre that also incorporates O. Henry’s trademark situational irony and surprise ending. O. Henry, a resident of New York City at the time, often wrote about life in the city and published short fiction in the weekly magazine New York Sunday World. “The Furnished Room” was first published in 1904 in serial form. O... Read The Furnished Room Summary

The Gambler

by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Publication year 1866

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Wins & Losses, Power & Greed

Tags Classic Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Russian Literature, Existentialism, World History, Romance, Philosophy, Philosophy

... Read The Gambler Summary

The Games Gods Play

by Abigail Owen

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Loneliness, Love, Femininity, Sexual Identity, Death, Appearance & Reality, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Good & Evil, Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Romance

... Read The Games Gods Play Summary

The Garden of Evening Mists

by Tan Twan Eng

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Memory, Forgiveness, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Love, Gender Identity, Self Discovery, Colonialism, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Art, Beauty, Justice, Order & Chaos, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Historical Fiction, Asian Literature, Military & War

The Garden of Evening Mists (2012) is a historical novel by Malaysian author Tan Twan Eng. A former intellectual property lawyer, Eng received international acclaim for his first novel, The Gift of Rain (2007), which was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. The Garden of Evening Mists, his second novel, was shortlisted for the same prize. The narrative follows Teoh Yun Ling, a Malaysian woman who, while confronting a degenerative neurological condition that is erasing... Read The Garden of Evening Mists Summary

The Gift of Rain

by Tan Twan Eng

Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Love, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Conflict, Race, The Past, War

Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, Military & War, Asian Literature

The Gift of Rain (2007) is a historical novel by Tan Twan Eng. Set in Penang, Malaysia, during World War II, the novel follows Philip Hutton, a Chinese British young man. As he navigates his dual heritage, Philip forms a complex relationship with a Japanese diplomat who becomes both his mentor and betrayer, forcing him to confront questions of loyalty, identity, and survival during the Japanese occupation. The Gift of Rain was Tan Twan Eng’s debut... Read The Gift of Rain Summary

The Gift of the Magi

by O. Henry

Publication year 1905

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Love

Tags Classic Fiction, Poverty

“The Gift of the Magi” is a classic Christmas story of love and sacrifice. Written by O. Henry (the pen name of prolific short story writer Willian Sydney Porter), the story was first published in the New York Sunday World in December 1905.James (Jim) Dillingham Young and his wife Della live in poverty. Jim’s salary has recently been reduced to $20 a week. O. Henry highlights their financial struggles with descriptions of the apartment: “In... Read The Gift of the Magi Summary

The Gilded Six-Bits

by Zora Neale Hurston

Publication year 1986

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Love, Loyalty & Betrayal, Forgiveness, Appearance & Reality, Marriage

Tags Historical Fiction, African American Literature

“The Gilded Six-Bits” is a short story written by Zora Neale Hurston and originally published in 1933 in Story magazine. The story explores themes of Sex, Physical Desire, and Marriage, The Function and Morality of Money, and Appearance Versus Reality. Hurston, in addition to being a noted African American author, was also an anthropologist and folklorist. She is best known for her 1937 novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God. “The Gilded Six-Bits” is Hurston’s most... Read The Gilded Six-Bits 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 Goal

by Elle Kennedy

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Guilt, Love, Masculinity, Sexual Identity, Birth, Death, Family, Social Class, Community, Education

Tags Romance

... Read The Goal 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