"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 1859
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Classic Fiction, Gothic Literature, British Literature, History: World, Victorian Literature / Period
The Lifted Veil by George Eliot is a novella that explores themes of clairvoyance, the limits of consciousness, sympathy, and Victorian-era scientific interests. George Eliot, the pen name of Mary Ann Evans, published The Lifted Veil in the English literary magazine Maga in July 1859 after the success of her first novel, Adam Bede. In The Lifted Veil, Eliot writes of the idealistic and egocentric Latimer, who is in love with his brother’s fiancée and... Read The Lifted Veil Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Self Discovery, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude
Tags Politics / Government, Social Justice, Self Help, History: U.S., Race / Racism, Diversity, Parenting, Relationships, Inspirational, Biography
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Romance, History: U.S., Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Internet Culture / Social Media, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1939
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Play: Drama, Classic Fiction, American Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy
Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes (1939) is often considered a classic American 20th-century drama. Set in Alabama in 1900, the play explores themes of greed, passive violence, and female agency in the deep south, not yet 50 years removed from the end of the Civil War. The Little Foxes premiered at The National Theatre on Broadway in New York City in 1939 starring Tallulah Bankhead as Regina, before touring for two seasons across the United... Read The Little Foxes Summary
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Romance, Historical Fiction, Relationships, Grief / Death, Love / Sexuality, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy
In 2013’s The Longest Ride, Nicholas Sparks, one of the most prolific and successful American romance novelists of the millennium, investigates how despite their differences, opposite personalities can find their way to commitment. In juxtaposing two relationships, one ending after more than 50 years and the other just beginning, this #1 New York Times bestselling novel explores how love can flourish, endure, and sustain even through the most difficult times. The novel is part Western... Read The Longest Ride Summary
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 2011
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Christian literature, Self Help, Religion / Spirituality, Relationships
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