From Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita to Raven Leilani's Luster, the texts in this collection investigate themes related to the power and promise of many types of art — from the written word to visual arts such as painting and cinema.
Publication year 1984
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Art, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Philosophy, Existentialism
The Unbearable Lightness of Being is a novel by Czech author Milan Kundera. Written in 1982, it first appeared in print in its French translation in 1984. It was published in Czechoslovakia in 1986. The novel describes Czechoslovakia’s Prague Spring, the 1968 Russian invasion, and its resulting “Normalizace” (Normalization) Period, a time of increased repression and persecution of Czech and Slovak intellectuals. At once a philosophical meditation on duality, an inquiry into the nature of... Read The Unbearable Lightness of Being Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1996
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Art
Tags Play: Drama, Gender / Feminism, Love / Sexuality, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Drama / Tragedy, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1985
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Gothic Literature, Historical Fiction, Fantasy
The Vampire Lestat (1985) is a novel by Anne Rice, which was published as a sequel to her 1976 novel Interview with the Vampire. The novel follows the experiences of Lestat de Lioncourt, an 18th-century French nobleman who becomes a vampire. Throughout the work, Rice explores such themes as The Performance of Vampirism and Humanity, The Tensions Between Good and Evil, and The Importance of the Arts. After The Vampire Lestat was published, Rice’s titular... Read The Vampire Lestat Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Community, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Place
Tags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Urban Development, Holidays & Occasions, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Action / Adventure, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Arts / Culture
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Mystery / Crime Fiction, WWII / World War II, Military / War, Italian Literature, History: World, Arts / Culture
Publication year 2002
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Fame, Identity: Language
Tags Business / Economics, Self Help, Arts / Culture, Psychology, Philosophy, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Philosophy
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 1917
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Art
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Art
Tags Romance, Holidays & Occasions
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Magical Realism, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 1935
Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Beauty
Tags Philosophy, Arts / Culture, Sociology, German Literature
Publication year 1952
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Art
Tags Modernism
Publication year 1989
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Art, Identity: Language
Tags Arts / Culture, Biography
The Writing Life by Annie Dillard is a work of creative nonfiction and memoir originally published in 1989 by Harper & Row. As a Pulitzer Prize winning author, Dillard explores the triumphs and struggles of her early writing years while also offering advice and guidance to aspiring writers through imaginative anecdotes. Dillard has called the work “an embarrassing nonfiction narrative,” and she distances herself from all but the final chapter about the pilot, Dave Rahm... Read The Writing Life Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Courage
Tags Biography, Arts / Culture
Publication year 2006
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Language, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Science, Psychology, Music, Science / Nature
Publication year 1831
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Mythology, Lyric Poem, Love / Sexuality, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, American Literature, History: World, Fantasy, Romance, Classic Fiction
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Identity: Disability, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Art
Tags Romance, Historical Fiction, Relationships, Gender / Feminism, Disability, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1773
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Lyric Poem, Arts / Culture, Grief / Death, Religion / Spirituality, Neoclassical, African American Literature, Colonial America