Marriage

"It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages," said philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. The texts in this collection depict happy and unhappy marriages—and those that fall somewhere in between.

Publication year 1953

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Self Discovery, Identity: Gender, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Magical Realism, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Latin American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

The Lost Steps, first published in 1953 by Cuban novelist Alejo Carpentier, is a parody of the lost world novels that were popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries, including Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864) and Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World (1912). The novel follows an unnamed New York City composer on a quest for Indigenous musical instruments in South America. Carpentier, known for his roles as a... Read The Lost Steps Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Marriage

Tags Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2022

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Marriage

Tags Relationships, Self Help, Psychology, Love / Sexuality, Parenting, Religion / Spirituality, Psychology


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Relationships: Fathers, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Fame, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride

Tags Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Class, Finance / Money / Wealth, Gender / Feminism, History: U.S., Leadership/Organization/Management, Relationships, History: World, Romance


Publication year 1955

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Midlife, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Community

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


Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: 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


Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Class, Society: Community

Tags Allegory / Fable / Parable, African American Literature, Race / Racism, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

Published in 1998, The Men of Brewster Place is a companion to Gloria Naylor’s acclaimed 1982 novel, The Women of Brewster Place. Written as a series of vignettes, the novel tells the intertwining stories of seven Black men living in Brewster Place, a degrading apartment block in an unnamed American city. Each must fight to define his identity as a man while existing within the confines of a racist, sexist society. With themes of pain... Read The Men of Brewster Place Summary


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Marriage

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, History: World, Magical Realism, Fantasy

The Miniaturist (2014) is the debut novel of English author and actress Jessie Burton. The novel became an international bestseller following a bidding war in 2013 and won the 2014 Waterstones Book of the Year award. In 2017, a television adaptation aired on BBC One, starring Anya Taylor-Joy.A work of historical fiction, The Miniaturist is set in 17th-century Amsterdam. Narrated in the third person, the story follows the coming-of-age of protagonist Nella Oortman within a... Read The Miniaturist Summary


Publication year 1668

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Class

Tags Play: Comedy / Satire, Classic Fiction, French Literature

The Miser, by Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (better known by his stage name, Molière) was written in 1668 and was first performed at the theatre of the Palais-Royal in Paris on September 9th, 1668. The five-act play, which takes much of its inspiration from Plautus’ Latin comedy Aulularia (or The Pot of Gold), is a comedy centered on a penny-pinching old miser, Harpagon, who schemes to make more money by arranging marriages for himself and his two... Read The Miser Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers

Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Romance


Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Christian literature, Romance, Action / Adventure, Survival Fiction

The Mountain Between Us (2010) is a survival romance novel by Charles Martin. It tells the story of Ben Payne, a surgeon who becomes trapped in the remote Utah wilderness with writer Ashley Knox. The novel interweaves Ben’s personal history with his growing feelings for Ashley as they rely on each other for survival, and their love begins to pose a potential complication in the lives to which they hope to return. Through their journey... Read The Mountain Between Us Summary


Publication year 1794

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Natural World: Appearance & Reality

Tags Classic Fiction, Gothic Literature, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Romance, Historical Fiction, History: World


Publication year 1920

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Society: Class, Relationships: Marriage

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Class, Grief / Death, Immigration / Refugee, Psychology, WWI / World War I, British Literature, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Classic Fiction

The Mysterious Affair at Styles, written by Agatha Christie in 1920, is the first of her novels to feature Hercule Poirot. The small, fastidious Belgian is one of her most iconic characters and among the most famous fictional detectives in the world. The novel is exemplary of the “cozy mystery,” in which well-heeled figures work out the solutions to complex, puzzle-like murders within comfortable settings. This one takes place during the years of the Great... Read The Mysterious Affair at Styles Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Literature, Society: War, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Marriage

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, British Literature, History: World


Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Race, Society: Immigration, Relationships: Marriage

Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Immigration / Refugee, Diversity, Race / Racism, Relationships, Indian Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature

The Namesake is a novel by the distinguished American writer Jhumpa Lahiri, who is known for her traditional narrative style often dealing with sensitive issues of immigrant life and culture clash. First published in 2003, this is her first novel, originally published in The New Yorker in shorter form, and it follows an immigrant Bengali family in America and the way its members adapt to a culture and society very different to their own. The... Read The Namesake Summary


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, Psychological Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1965

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: The Past

Tags Play: Drama, Play: Comedy / Satire, Relationships, Depression / Suicide, Education, Education, American Literature, Drama / Tragedy, Humor, Classic Fiction

The Odd Couple is a satirical play by American playwright Neil Simon. It opened on Broadway in 1965 and chronicles the unconventional relationship between friends turned roommates, Oscar Madison and Felix Ungar. The play found enduring success and inspired subsequent film and television adaptations. It was nominated for a New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award in 1965.Many of Simon’s plays are influenced by his own upbringing. Simon was born in the Bronx and grew up... Read The Odd Couple Summary


Publication year 1908

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Siblings, Society: Community, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Marriage, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Memory

Tags Historical Fiction, British Literature