Can we ever fully trust our senses, or are they too unreliable to perceive the world as it is? In this collection, we gather texts that explore the idea of appearance versus reality, from classics such as Aristotle's On the Soul to contemporary bestsellers like Jia Tolentino's Trick Mirror.
Publication year 1975
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Colonialism
Tags Fantasy, Magical Realism, Latin American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
“The Book of Sand” by Jorge Luis Borges is a short story dealing with humankind’s inability to grasp the infinite, whether in spirituality or in physical reality. Borges is one of the most well-known Latin American authors, as well as one of the most notable postmodernists of the 20th century. Like much of Borges’s work, “The Book of Sand” contains themes and motifs of the infinite, the nature of literature, spirituality, and postcolonial thought. “The... Read The Book of Sand Summary
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: War, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Holocaust, Children's Literature, Military / War, History: World
The Boy Who Dared is a young adult novel, written by award-winning children’s author Susan Campbell Bartoletti and published in 2008. The Boy Who Dared is a historical fiction novel based on the real life of Helmuth Hübener, a German boy who defied the Nazis during WWII. Alternating between his last day on death row and his memories, Helmuth’s story depicts the danger of silence, the value of the individual, and the power of the... Read The Boy Who Dared Summary
Publication year 1996
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Fathers, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags History: European, Gender / Feminism
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2007
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Disability, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride
Tags Psychology, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine, Psychology, Biography
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Family, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Disability, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Romance, Humor, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness
Publication year 1980
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Religion / Spirituality, Education, Education, Anthropology, Anthropology, Italian Literature, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, History: World, History: European
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Food, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2009
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Nation, Emotions/Behavior: Fear
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Politics / Government, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
China Miéville’s The City and the City, originally published in 2009, is a hybrid of two distinct genres—speculative fiction and detective fiction—that explores the human susceptibility to fear and the erection of borders as a response to that fear. Other themes examined in the novel are political corruption, violence inspired by far-right politics, and the allure of myths. The City and the City is the winner of the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the World Fantasy... Read The City and the City Summary
Publication year 1722
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Classic Fiction, Play: Comedy / Satire, Restoration
The Conscious Lovers is a sentimental comedy play by 18th-century playwright Richard Steele. The play was first performed at Drury Lane in 1722, and it was published the same year with a different Epilogue. The Conscious Lovers, which is based loosely on Andria, or The Woman of Andros, a comedy by ancient Roman playwright Terence, is an explicitly moral comedy, following characters that are rewarded for their uprightness: Bevil Jr. wants to marry Indiana, a woman... Read The Conscious Lovers Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Music, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Magical Realism, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Race / Racism, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness, Fantasy
Publication year 1962
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Community
Tags American Literature, Classic Fiction
“The Country Husband,” one of John Cheever’s most anthologized short stories, is an exploration of suburban life and the struggles of its inhabitants. It won an O’Henry award in 1956 and was included in the anthology The Stories of John Cheever, which won the 1978 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Using a third-person narrator, it focuses on protagonist Francis Weed’s disillusionment with his life after a near-death experience, which manifests primarily as a romantic obsession with... Read The Country Husband Summary
Publication year 2013
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Self Help, Business / Economics, Psychology, Philosophy
The Courage to Be Disliked is a 2013 nonfiction self-help and psychology book written by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga. Structured as a Socratic dialogue between a youth and a philosopher, the book introduces Alfred Adler’s psychological theories, addressing common challenges and points of confusion in the context of real-world application.Kishimi is a Japanese philosopher, psychologist, teacher, and translator who has studied Adlerian psychology and Greek philosophy for decades. Koga, a Japanese writer, encountered Adlerian... Read The Courage to Be Disliked Summary
Publication year 1994
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Globalization, Society: Community, Relationships: Family, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Western, Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1996
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Education, Society: Nation, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Science / Nature, Education, Religion / Spirituality, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy
Publication year 2003
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Humor, Satire, American Literature, Arts / Culture, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance
The Devil Wears Prada, published in 2004, is the debut novel of author Lauren Weisberger. It tells the tale of a hapless assistant working for a tyrannical boss in the fashion industry.The story takes place largely in present-day New York City, mostly in the offices of a high-fashion magazine called Runway. The central character, Andrea Sachs (who uses the nickname Andy), narrates the story from the first-person perspective, and the events she describes transpire over... Read The Devil Wears Prada Summary
Publication year 1964
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Objects, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags History: World, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, Philosophy, Arts / Culture, Literary Criticism, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Written by C. S. Lewis (1898-1963), The Discarded Image is a 1964 nonfiction book that explores the literary landscape of Europe during the Medieval Era. Lewis, who is best known for his children’s book series The Chronicles of Narnia, was also a literature professor at Oxford and Cambridge, as well as one of the most widely celebrated Christian apologists of his time. Published shortly after his death, The Discarded Image explores how medieval writers and... Read The Discarded Image Summary
Publication year 1929
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Classic Fiction, Fantasy
Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Literature, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Midlife, Society: Education, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Identity: Language, Society: Community, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Philosophy, Philosophy, Class, Arts / Culture, Depression / Suicide, Relationships, French Literature
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery was published in 2006 and translated by Alison Anderson into English for publication in 2008. The novel has been translated into more than 40 languages and was a major bestseller in France. The novel was adapted into a film called The Hedgehog (Le Hérisson) in 2009 to critical acclaim. The Elegance of the Hedgehog follows the narrative point of view of two erudite narrators: Renée, a concierge... Read The Elegance of the Hedgehog Summary