Valentine's Day Reads: The Theme of Love

A fortuneteller tells 10-year-old Peter that an elephant will lead him to his lost sister, which starts Peter on a journey of self-discovery and wonder in Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo’s The Magician’s Elephant (2009). When a magician miraculously conjures an elephant, its appearance affects everyone in town. In his efforts to find his sister Adele and rescue the homesick elephant, Peter must overcome obstacles and unite a diverse group of characters that includes a policeman... Read The Magician's Elephant Summary

The Maids

by Jean Genet

Publication year 1947

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Love, Siblings, Social Class

Tags Drama, Absurdism, French Literature, Dramatic Literature, LGBTQ+, Classic Fiction

Jean Genet’s play The Maids (or Les Bonnes) premiered in Paris at the Théâtre de l’Athénée in 1947. By this time, Genet was already an established novelist and playwright, but this one-act play was his first foray into the conventions and aesthetics of the movement now known as the Theatre of the Absurd. The Maids is based on the true story of the Papin sisters, two maids who shocked France in 1933 by murdering their... Read The Maids Summary

The Maid's Secret

by Nita Prose

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Family, Social Class, Power & Greed

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The Maltese Falcon

by Dashiell Hammett

Publication year 1930

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Apathy, Perseverance, Fear, Hate & Anger, Love, Memory, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Death, The Past, Beauty, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Order & Chaos, Art, Good & Evil, Femininity, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Appearance & Reality, Politics & Government, Social Class, Community, Immigration

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Classic Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Roaring Twenties, Great Depression

Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon (1930) is a detective novel that was first serialized in the magazine Black Mask. As Hammett’s third novel, The Maltese Falcon includes the introduction of Sam Spade as the protagonist, a departure from the nameless Continental Op who narrated his previous stories. Spade’s hard exterior, cool detachment, and reliance on his own moral code would become staples of the hardboiled genre, and The Maltese Falcon has since been named one... Read The Maltese Falcon Summary

The Man of Mode

by George Etherege

Publication year 1676

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Love, Femininity, Masculinity, Marriage

Tags Classic Fiction, Comedy & Satire, Restoration

The Man of Mode (1676) is a Restoration comedy of manners set in fashionable 1670s London. In the play, the libertine rake Dorimant juggles a series of romantic intrigues while trying to maintain his reputation as the city’s premier wit and seducer. He toys with the devotion of Mrs. Loveit and secretly keeps the young Belinda as a secondary conquest, but his appetite for novelty is disrupted when he meets Harriet, an heiress whose sharp... Read The Man of Mode Summary

The Man Who Loved Flowers

by Stephen King

Publication year 1977

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Love, Appearance & Reality, Grief, Nostalgia

Tags Horror & Suspense, Education, Education, Mystery & Crime Fiction, American Literature

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The Marriage Plot

by Jeffrey Eugenides

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Coming of Age, Marriage, Self Discovery, Social Class, Literature

Tags Romance, American Literature, Relationships

Jeffrey Eugenides’s The Marriage Plot (2011), set in the early 1980s, follows a love triangle among a group of recent Brown University graduates. As the 20-somethings forge a path into adulthood, they explore the dynamics of love and commitment while wrestling with ways to imbue their lives with meaning and make a purposeful mark on the world. The title references a plot trope common to 19th-century British novels, such as those by Jane Austen, in... Read The Marriage Plot Summary

The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club

by Martha Hall Kelly

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Love, Gender Identity, Coming of Age, The Past, Friendship, Siblings, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, War

Tags Historical Fiction

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The Marvelous Land of Oz

by L. Frank Baum

Publication year 1904

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Hope, Love, Femininity, Gender Identity, Language, Masculinity, Mental Health, Childhood & Youth, Death, Future, The Past, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Plants, Nature Versus Nurture, Objects & Materials, Place, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Beauty, Equality, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Action & Adventure

... Read The Marvelous Land of Oz Summary