Fate

We can call it destiny; we can call it providence; we can even call it the will of the gods. Whatever words we use, the idea that the events in our lives are beyond our control is powerful — which explains why so many authors, past and present, have used the ever-relevant idea of fate to communicate rich lessons about humanity.

Publication year 2011Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags Historical Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, History: U.S., Cold War

Publication year 2003Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Relationships, Realistic Fiction

Acceleration (2003) is a young adult novel by Graham McNamee. Narrated in the first person, it tells the story of 17-year-old Duncan as he learns of a potential serial killer in his city and his attempt to stop him. It examines themes of guilt, forgiveness, mental health, poverty, and more. Plot SummaryThe story opens with 17-year-old Duncan working a two-month stint at a lost and found, his boss being a quiet man named Jacob. The... Read Acceleration Summary


Publication year 1896Genre Poem, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Natural World: Appearance & RealityTags Lyric Poem

Publication year 1980Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: FateTags Humor, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

John Kennedy Toole’s novel A Confederacy of Dunces was written in the 1960s but only published years after the author’s death. It depicts the adventures of Ignatius J. Reilly, an academic but lazy man who, at age 30, lives with his mother in New Orleans in the early 1960s. Forced to find a job, he encounters a string of colorful characters endemic to the city of the time.The novel begins outside the D. H. Holmes... Read A Confederacy of Dunces Summary


Publication year 1933Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: FateTags Classic Fiction, Health / Medicine

Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Natural World: Appearance & RealityTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Romance, Religion / Spirituality, Fantasy, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Class

Publication year 1947Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Identity: Language, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: FateTags Trauma / Abuse / Violence

“A Distant Episode,” a modernist short story by Paul Bowles, was first published in 1947 in The Partisan Review. It was one of Bowles’s first published works of fiction. The story follows an unnamed professor of linguistics as he undergoes a horrifying experience while travelling in the remote interior of Algeria.Paul Bowles was born in 1910 and grew up in New York City. He had already developed a reputation as an up-and-coming composer and music... Read A Distant Episode Summary


Publication year 2005Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & DoubtTags Animals, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction

Publication year -1Genre Novel/Book in Verse, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Values/Ideas: FateTags Mythology, Narrative / Epic Poem, Ancient Rome, Italian Literature

An epic poem composed by the Roman poet Virgil between the years of 29 and 19 BCE, the Aeneid represents one of the most important and influential works in Western literature. It centers on the story of Aeneas, a refugee from the Trojan War who was fated to found the Roman nation in Italy. This guide refers to the Oxford World Classic’s edition of the Aeneid, translated by Frederick Ahl. All study guide citations refer... Read Aeneid Summary


Publication year 1955Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Fate, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags Allegory / Fable / Parable, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, WWI / World War I, Military / War, American Literature, History: World

Publication year 2024Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Fantasy, Romance, Mythology, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Gender / Feminism

Publication year 458Genre Play, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Classic Fiction, Mythology, Fantasy, Play: Tragedy, Education, Education, Drama / Tragedy, Classical Period

Agamemnon is an Attic tragedy—a work of the fifth century BCE in Athens—composed by Aeschylus (circa 525-circa 456 BCE). The play was first performed at the City Dionysia in 458 BCE. Agamemnon was the first part of the Oresteia, Aeschylus’s trilogy on the murder of Agamemnon and its grisly aftermath. It was followed by the tragedies Libation Bearers and Eumenides, which also survived, and by a satyr play titled Proteus, which was lost. The play... Read Agamemnon Summary


Publication year 1838Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: LonelinessTags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Russian Literature, Education, Education, History: World

A Hero of Our Time is a classic work of Russian literature written by Mikhail Lermontov and published in 1840. It exemplifies the “superfluous man” trope common in later Russian literature, in which a person of great talent and genius is unable to express these talents healthily due to personal and societal circumstances of some kind. The novel, a work of historical fiction, was highly influential for its critique of tsarist Russian society and for... Read A Hero Of Our Time Summary


Publication year 1961Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Birth, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Midlife, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Literature, Society: EconomicsTags Historical Fiction, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Poverty, Finance / Money / Wealth, Depression / Suicide, Class, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Indian Literature, Asian Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

A House for Mr. Biswas is a 1961 historical fiction novel by V. S. Naipaul. The story takes a postcolonial perspective of the life of a Hindu Indian man in British-owned and occupied Trinidad. Now regarded as one of Naipaul's most significant novels, A House for Mr. Biswas has won numerous awards and has been adapted as a musical, a radio drama, and a television show. This guide is written using an eBook version of... Read A House for Mr. Biswas Summary


Genre Play, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Fate, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags Classic Fiction, Play: Tragedy, Mythology, Ancient Greece, Drama / Tragedy, Classical Period, Fantasy

Ajax is an ancient Athenian tragedy by Sophocles. Its production date, the festival at which it was first presented, and the other tragedies performed alongside it remain unknown, but it is believed to be among Sophocles’s earlier plays, possibly from the 440s BC. The narrative retells a story from Trojan war mythology concerning the suicide of the hero Ajax and its aftermath, exploring the hero’s excesses, reversals of fortune, and social bonds.This study guide refers... Read Ajax Summary


Genre Play, FictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: GriefTags Play: Tragedy, Ancient Greece, Classical Period, Drama / Tragedy, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Fantasy, Romance, New Adult

Publication year 2009Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Military / War, WWII / World War II, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance

Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: FateTags Historical Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Class, Immigration / Refugee, Latin American Literature, Military / War, History: World, Romance

Publication year 2013Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Fate, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: HopeTags Poverty, Parenting, Indian Literature, Biography

A Long Way Home is a 2013 memoir by Saroo Brierley, an Indian-born author who was accidentally separated from his biological family at the age of five and adopted by an Australian couple. The memoir traces Saroo’s remarkable journey from India to Australia and back again 25 years later. The book inspired the 2016 film Lion and became a New York Times Best Seller after the film’s release. This guide refers to the 2015 edition published... Read A Long Way Home Summary


Publication year 2024Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Flora/plants, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: MusicTags Romance, Harlem Renaissance, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy

Publication year 1931Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Fate, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Identity: DisabilityTags Disability

At around 1,000 words, “A Man Who Had No Eyes” by American author MacKinlay Kantor (born Benjamin MacKinlay Kantor) can be considered an example of flash fiction. The short story was first published in The Monitor in 1931. It is one of Kantor’s early works of fiction and is markedly different from his later works of historical fiction, which earned him literary fame. Kantor was best known for his prolific novels, many of which are... Read A Man Who Had No Eyes Summary


Publication year 1997Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: FateTags Historical Fiction, American Literature, Relationships, History: U.S., Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

American Pastoral (1997) by Philip Roth examines in detail one man’s quest for the American dream and the fragility of the entire enterprise. Roth, one of the most critically acclaimed novelists of the 20th century, focuses his narrative microscope through the eyes of Nathan Zuckerman, his literary alter ego from whose perspective he has written 10 other novels, including Zuckerman Unbound (1981), The Anatomy Lesson (1983), The Human Stain (2000), and The Plot Against America... Read American Pastoral Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Poem, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Life/Time: The Future, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: FearTags Lyric Poem, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Black Lives Matter, African American Literature

Publication year 2013Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Fate, Natural World: Space & The UniverseTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy

Ancillary Justice, published in 2013, is author Ann Leckie’s first novel, although she previously published short fiction in various science fiction magazines. Leckie’s first installment of the dystopian Imperial Radch trilogy, followed by Ancillary Sword and Ancillary Mercy, won numerous science fiction awards for best novel of the year and became the first book to win the Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke awards. Ancillary Justice was also nominated for the James Tiptree, Jr. Award... Read Ancillary Justice Summary


Publication year 1939Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Society: ColonialismTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modernism, Classic Fiction

Published in 1939, And Then There Were None is a mystery novel by Agatha Christie, best-selling novelist of all time, outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. With over 100 million copies sold, And Then There Were None is the world’s best-selling crime novel as well as one of the best-selling books of all time. It has had more adaptations than any other work by Agatha Christie, including television programs, films, radio broadcasts, and most... Read And Then There Were None Summary


Publication year 2010Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Fate, Society: CommunityTags Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Poverty, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Children's Literature, Biography

Author Laura Schroff’s 2012 New York Times bestseller An Invisible Thread: The True Story of an 11-Year-Old Panhandler, a Busy Sales Executive, and an Unlikely Meeting with Destiny recounts a fateful meeting between two vastly different individuals: Maurice, a young boy living in poverty and a broken home, and Schroff, a successful ad executive enjoying a fast-paced career. In the memoir, the author posits that an invisible thread joins their lives. It is beyond her... Read An Invisible Thread Summary


Genre Play, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: FateTags Classic Fiction, Ancient Greece, Mythology, Play: Drama, Play: Tragedy, Education, Education, Drama / Tragedy, Fantasy

Sophocles, one of the three great ancient Greek tragedians, premiered Antigone in Athens circa 441 BCE. The Classical Greek theater tradition to which this play belongs began in Athens in the sixth century B.C.E. with the performance of plays in dramatic competitions at yearly religious festivals. The forms of comedy and tragedy, first developed in plays such as Antigone, have lasting influence on theater today. This study guide uses the 2003 Oxford University Press edition... Read Antigone Summary


Publication year 1607Genre Play, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Classic Fiction, Play: Tragedy, Play: Historical, Romance, Education, Education, Drama / Tragedy, Historical Fiction

Antony and Cleopatra is a play by William Shakespeare that was first performed in 1607. The plot, which contains elements of the romance genre, centers around the romantic affair between a Roman general, Mark Antony, and the Queen of Egypt, Cleopatra. Shakespeare had previously written the tragedy Julius Caesar in 1599 and this play continues to follow the history of Rome’s transformation from a republic into an empire. Antony and Cleopatra is one of Shakespeare’s... Read Antony and Cleopatra Summary


Publication year 1989Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: FateTags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Historical Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

John Irving’s A Prayer for Owen Meany (1989) is the novelist’s seventh and best-selling novel to date. Through a series of flashbacks, it tells the story of an unusually small boy with a strange voice named Owen Meany who believes himself to be specially chosen by God. Narrated by John Wheelwright, Owen’s best friend, the narrative alternates between the past—which begins in 1950s New Hampshire and extends to the late 1960s—and the present, Toronto in... Read A Prayer for Owen Meany Summary


Publication year 1644Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Philosophy, British Literature, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

As an epigram, Milton quotes Euripides, who wrote: “This is true liberty, when free-born men, having the advise the public, may speak free, which he who can, and will, deserves high praise; who neither can, nor will, may hold his peace; what can be juster in a state than this?” (337). Milton explains that addressing Parliament in the name of the “public good” (337) is no small feat and that any person in this position... Read Areopagitica Summary


Publication year 1903Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: FateTags Education, Education, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Classic Fiction, American Literature

“A Retrieved Reformation,” by prolific American short story writer O. Henry, was first published as “A Retrieved Reform” in The Cosmopolitan in 1903. The story is an example of Realism, a literary movement popular in the US and Europe in the years between the end of the American Civil War and the early 20th century. Realism explores the everyday lives of ordinary people, using detailed descriptions and colloquial dialogue. Events in “A Retrieved Reformation” are... Read A Retrieved Reformation Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Self DiscoveryTags Fantasy, Romance, New Adult, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

Publication year 1997Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Education, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Humor, Philosophy, Post Modernism, American Literature

A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again is a 1997 essay collection by David Foster Wallace. The seven essays explore 1990s US social issues through subjects such as television, tennis, and (in the most famous essay) a Caribbean cruise. The essays have been referenced many times in popular culture, particularly the title essay, which recounts Wallace’s experiences on a cruise.This guide references the 1998 Abacus edition of the collection.SummaryIn the first essay, “Derivative Sport... Read A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again Summary


Publication year 1859Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: FateTags British Literature, Historical Fiction, Victorian Period, Classic Fiction, Education, Education, History: World

A Tale of Two Cities, published in 1859, is a historical drama written by Charles Dickens. The backdrop of the novel takes place in London and Paris prior to the French Revolution. The novel, told in three parts, is a literary classic and has been adapted into numerous productions for film, theater, radio, and television.In 1775, a banker named Jarvis Lorry travels to Dover, where he meets a young, half-French woman named Lucie Manette. Together... Read A Tale of Two Cities Summary


Publication year 2013Genre Novel, FictionThemes Self Discovery, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Magical Realism, Children's Literature

Publication year 1897Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Society: Class

Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Sexuality, Society: ClassTags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Mythology, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Historical Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Asian Literature, Japanese Literature

Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: FateTags Fantasy, Romance, Mythology, Religion / Spirituality

Publication year 1939Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Fate, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags Irish Literature, Humor, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Satire, Arts / Culture, Class, British Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1968Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Fate, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Fantasy, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure, Classic Fiction

First published in 1968, Ursula K. Le Guin’s A Wizard of Earthsea follows Ged, a young man in training to be a wizard, as he embarks on a necessary journey of self-discovery and self-mastery. It is the first in a series of six novels aimed at young-adult readers. The novel has won numerous awards and is regarded as a classic of young adult fantasy literature. Set over the course of several years, the novel follows... Read A Wizard of Earthsea Summary


Publication year 2002Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Animals, Romance, Canadian Literature, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2010Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: FateTags Bullying, Grief / Death, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Religion / Spirituality

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver is a young adult novel about redemption, written in 2010. Following her death in a car accident, high school senior Sam Kingston wakes the next morning to find that she’s reliving the same day—February 12, or Cupid Day. She juggles the complexities of bullying, blossoming sexuality, self-confidence, and self-sacrifice after reliving the same day seven times. Through this experience, she reconnects with her family and friends, but mostly with... Read Before I Fall Summary


Publication year 1943Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Fate, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Good & EvilTags Philosophy, Existentialism, French Literature, Absurdism, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Being and Nothingness: An Essay in Phenomenological Ontology (1943) by Jean-Paul Sartre is a foundational text for the philosophical movement of existentialism. Sartre, a 20th-century writer and philosopher, wrote Being and Nothingness while in a prisoner of war camp during World War II. Being and Nothingness addresses theories of consciousness, nothingness, self-identity, essences, and freedom. Sartre’s work builds upon a legacy of existentialist theories while defining and shaping them into a comprehensive ideology. He challenges... Read Being and Nothingness Summary


Publication year 2004Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: Mortality & DeathTags Inspirational, Action / Adventure, Travel Literature, Animals, Arts / Culture, Philosophy, Relationships, Religion / Spirituality, Science / Nature, Music, Sports, Biography

Between a Rock and a Hard Place is a 2004 adventure and survival memoir by American mountain climber Aron Ralston. The narrative focuses on Ralston’s near-death experience when his arm became stuck under a boulder in a canyon in Utah, where he remained trapped for five days until he amputated his arm. Dealing with profound existential themes, the book garnered critical acclaim and became a New York Times bestseller. A 2010 film adaptation titled 127... Read Between a Rock and a Hard Place Summary


Publication year 2012Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Values/Ideas: FateTags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, History: World, Religion / Spirituality

Publication year 1920Genre Play, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: FateTags American Literature, Play: Tragedy, Education, Education, Drama / Tragedy, Classic Fiction

Eugene O’Neill’s Beyond the Horizon is a play that centers on the disaster that befalls two brothers when they choose to fight against their own natures. Realizing that they both love the same woman, each brother ends up pursuing the dream of the other with dire consequences.Written in 1918, Beyond the Horizon was O’Neill’s first full-length work to be produced, although it wasn’t published and first performed until 1920, the same year that it won... Read Beyond the Horizon Summary


Publication year 2010Genre Graphic Novel/Book, FictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: FameTags Humor, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education

Publication year 2004Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & EvilTags Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, History: World, Romance, Fantasy

Published in 2004, Alice Hoffman’s novel Blackbird House chronicles a house on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and its inhabitants over a 200-year span. The story, which invokes elements of magical realism, begins during the War of 1812 and ends in the present day. Shifting between first-person and third-person point-of-view, the novel delves into the themes of Love as Motivation, Resilience Resulting from Adversity, and The Power of Place in Shaping Lives.This guide refers to the 2005... Read Blackbird House Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Values/Ideas: Fate, Society: ClassTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Southern Literature, Race / Racism, Poverty, Modern Classic Fiction