"The course of true love never did run smooth," wrote William Shakespeare in A Midsummer Night's Dream—and he knew what he was talking about. A text from this study guide collection might be just the thing to remind you of the bliss and pain of love.
Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags Auto/Biographical Fiction, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction
Diary of an Oxygen Thief was published anonymously in 2006. This novel is a work of fiction, although the author does try to confuse the audience in this respect, as both the author and the narrator are unnamed. Nonetheless, the novel is indeed fiction, as the author and the narrator are not the same individuals. The narrator is an Irish advertising executive living in London. The book chronicles his relationships with women, many of whom... Read Diary of an Oxygen Thief Summary
Publication year 2002
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Identity: Language, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Lyric Poem, Humor, Romance, Arts / Culture, Class, American Literature, African American Literature
Harryette Mullen’s “Dim Lady” may remind some readers of 17th century English playwright and poet William Shakespeare’s well-known “Sonnet 130,” in which the speaker of the poem makes a mockery of his beloved’s physical appearance. During Shakespeare’s time, fashion encouraged poets to write flowery poetry that extolled the virtues and the beauty of their beloved. However, the speaker of this sonnet toys with poetic conventions of the time, describing the physical attributes of the speaker’s... Read Dim Lady Summary
Publication year 2001
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Family, Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Midlife, Values/Ideas: Music
Tags Romance, Drama / Tragedy, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Family
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure
Divergent is the first installment in a science-fiction trilogy, and is narrated by a 16 year old girl called Beatrice Prior. The setting is a futuristic city which, though not specified in the novel, closely resembles Chicago. The city has been split into five factions: Abnegation, Dauntless, Erudite, Amity, and Candor. The idea behind this split is that human conflict has not been caused by political ideology, race, religion, or nationalism but by differences between personality... Read Divergent Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Military / War, History: World, Historical Fiction
Publication year 1957
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Society: Class, Society: War
Tags Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Romance, Russian Literature, Military / War, History: World
Introduction Doctor Zhivago is a 1957 novel by Russian author Boris Pasternak. Set during the early 20th century, the story follows the titular Yuri Zhivago as he deals with revolution and social upheaval in his native country. As well as being widely praised following its publication, the novel has been adapted numerous times for the screen, most famously in a 1965 film—for which Pasternak cowrote the screenplay—directed by David Lean and starring Omar Sharif and Julie... Read Doctor Zhivago Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Society: Community
Tags Romance, Sports, New Adult, Western
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery
Tags History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance, Humor, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Gender / Feminism, Relationships
Publication year 1999
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure
Publication year 1992
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure, History: European, Health / Medicine, History: World
Publication year 2012
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Tags Humor, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Romance, LGBTQ
Drama is a young adult graphic novel by Raina Telgemeier published in 2012. It is Telgemeier’s third book and her first fiction graphic novel—her first two were autobiographical. Drama is critically acclaimed and spent 240 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list. This guide refers to the 2012 edition by Scholastic/Graphix.Plot SummaryCallie Marin is a seventh-grader at Eucalyptus Middle School. She has long, purple-dyed hair and likes to wear the color green. She also... Read Drama Summary
Publication year 2000
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Fathers, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Realistic Fiction, Romance, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction
In Dreamland, a young adult novel by Sarah Dessen, a teenage girl named Caitlin O’Koren reacts to the disappearance of her sister by breaking away from the path that was set out for her. The novel is broken into three parts that focus on the core of the conflicts in each section. Part I, “Cass,” traces the O’Koren family after Cass, the eldest of two daughters, runs away instead of attending Yale. Part II, entitled... Read Dreamland Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Music, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings
Tags Romance, Realistic Fiction, Mental Illness, Modern Classic Fiction, Music
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Daughters & Sons
Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance
Dumplin’, a YA novel by author Julie Murphy, is about a small-town Texas teen named Willowdean “Will” Dixon. Will is the book’s main character and first-person narrator. Through Will’s narration, the book tells the story of Will’s weight and how it affects her relationships with her former beauty pageant winning mother, Rosie Dixon; with her pretty best friend, Ellen Dryver; and with her romantic interest and coworker, the heartthrob Bo Larson. However, Will thinks that... Read Dumplin Summary
Publication year 2006
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Natural World: Food
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Biography, Travel Literature, Romance, Religion / Spirituality
Eat Pray Love is a 2006 memoir by writer Elizabeth Gilbert whose previous works include the novels Stern Men and The Last American Man. The book’s subtitle is One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia, and it chronicles Gilbert’s quest for mental and spiritual healing following a divorce, difficult legal settlement, unhealthy love affair, and period of depression. This guide references the 2016 Penguin Random House edition.SummaryThe author searches for “I” in... Read Eat Pray Love Summary
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction, Relationships
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Place, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags Fantasy, Leadership/Organization/Management, Politics / Government, Religion / Spirituality, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Romance
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags Realistic Fiction, Bullying, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance
In Eleanor and Park, we introduced to the young teenager, Park, who is half-Korean and somewhat of an outcast at school. He would prefer to read comics or listen to music than make new friends, and he is bullied from time to time by his peers. One day, Park sees Eleanor Douglas get on his bus, and from that point forward, his life is changed forever.In many ways, Eleanor is a target for bullies. She... Read Eleanor and Park Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Mental Illness
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine is a 2017 comic novel about human connection. The title character, Eleanor Oliphant, narrates the story, introducing herself as an office worker with a solitary life in present-day Glasgow, Scotland. Eleanor spends her free time doing crosswords, listening to the radio, drinking vodka, and reading classic literature. She does not socialize with anyone, and her only family is a spiteful mother who calls from prison once a week. One night... Read Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine Summary