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 Return of the Native

by Thomas Hardy

Publication year 1878

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Marriage, Love, Fate, Appearance & Reality

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

Thomas Hardy’s novel The Return of the Native was published serially in Belgravia magazine in 1878. Its setting, the formidable and unforgiving Egdon Heath, is based on the Wessex region of England where Hardy was born. Hardy provides a map that gives the locations that his love- and grief-driven characters visit as the story unfolds. The novel explores the themes of class, chance, fate, superstition, and social upheaval. This guide references the 2008 Oxford World’s... Read The Return of the Native Summary

The Romance of the Rose

by Guillaume De Lorris

Publication year 1230

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Love, Femininity, Sexual Identity, Social Class, Beauty

Tags Narrative Poem, Symbolic Narrative, Romance, Medieval, French Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

The Romance of the Rose, or Roman de la Rose in the original French, is an allegorical poem written between the years 1225 and 1278 by two authors, Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun. De Lorris wrote the first three chapters of the work from 1225-1230, and de Meun added nine additional chapters from approximately 1269-1278. Not much is known about either author, but the poem became a foundational piece of medieval literature, particularly... Read The Romance of the Rose Summary

The Room on Rue Amélie

by Kristin Harmel

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Love, Coming of Age, Friendship, Community, War, Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Courage

Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, Military & War, World History, French Literature, Romance

The Room on Rue Amélie (2018) is a historical fiction novel by American author Kristin Harmel. The novel follows the experiences of Ruby Henderson, an American immigrant in Paris, during World War II. Ruby eventually becomes involved in the French Resistance and forms a close friendship with Charlotte, whose Jewish identity leaves her vulnerable to persecution. Both women navigate the risks of resistance and the nature of love in a time of war. The novel... Read The Room on Rue Amélie Summary

The Sandman Omnibus Vol. 1

by Neil Gaiman

Publication year 2015

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Family, Truth & Lies, Apathy, Conflict, Forgiveness, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Love, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Gender Identity, Sexual Identity, Loyalty & Betrayal, Literature, Justice, Fate

Tags Fantasy, Horror & Suspense, Arts & Culture, Love & Sexuality, Grief & Death

... Read The Sandman Omnibus Vol. 1 Summary

The School for Scandal

by Richard Brinsley Sheridan

Publication year 1777

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Love, Loyalty & Betrayal, Truth & Lies

Tags Classic Fiction, Comedy & Satire

The School for Scandal is a comedy of manners written by Richard Sheridan. The play was initially performed at the Drury Lane Theater in 1777. Though the play premiered well into the 18th century, it is often included in collections of Restoration comedies (1660-1710), as it shares many common elements with the comedies of manners from that period and the period immediately following it. Like many comedies of manners, The School for Scandal relies on... Read The School for Scandal Summary

The Seagull

by Anton Chekhov

Publication year 1895

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Regret, Fame, Conflict, Love, Art, Daughters & Sons, Appearance & Reality

Tags Drama, Tragedy, Comedy & Satire, Russian Literature, Education, Education, World History, Classic Fiction

While Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull is now regarded as one of his most famous plays, it was not until the second time it premiered in Russia that it garnered success. Written in 1895 and first produced the following year, The Seagull is set against the backdrop of a summer country home, and tackles The Consequences of Disillusionment, The Purpose of Art, and the price of Living in the Shadow of a Renowned Parent. Chekhov relies... Read The Seagull Summary

The Sea of Monsters

by Rick Riordan

Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Appearance & Reality, Order & Chaos

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mythology, Relationships, Arts & Culture, Parenting, American Literature, Children`s Literature, Action & Adventure

Book DetailThe Sea of Monsters, published by Miramax Books in 2006, is the second installment of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians fantasy adventure series for young readers. The novel begins the summer after the first book in the series, The Lightning Thief, ends and follows returning heroes Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase on a quest to save Camp Half Blood. The Sea of Monsters was a New York Times best seller and Book... Read The Sea of Monsters Summary