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 1909
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Society: Education, Self Discovery, Society: Community
Tags Historical Fiction, Auto/Biographical Fiction, American Literature, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Arts / Culture, Class, Depression / Suicide, Education, Finance / Money / Wealth, Philosophy, Politics / Government, Poverty, Relationships, History: U.S., History: World, Classical Period, Action / Adventure, Classic Fiction
Martin Eden is a 1909 novel by American author Jack London. Known for his stories of adventure and use of naturalism and realism, London authored more than 50 books, including Call of the Wild and White Fang, before his untimely death at age 40. London wrote Martin Eden at the height of his literary career, inspired by his own disillusionment with fame and literary critics. Although the protagonist’s individualist principles are at odds with London’s... Read Martin Eden Summary
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Literature, Life/Time: The Future, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Self Discovery
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Romance, Arts / Culture, Futurism, Fantasy
Matched is a science fiction novel for young adults by best-selling author Ally Condie. Published in 2010, it is the first novel in the Matched trilogy. It was followed by Crossed in 2011 and Reached in 2012. Matched was a critical and commercial success—as were the other two books in the trilogy. It was a New York Times bestseller and named one of the best children’s books of the year by Publisher’s Weekly. The Young... Read Matched Summary
Publication year 1986
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags History: World, WWII / World War II, Holocaust, History: European, Post Modernism, Military / War, Biography
Maus by Art Spiegelman was the first graphic novel to win the Pulitzer Prize. It originally ran in Spiegelman’s Raw magazine between 1980 and 1991 before receiving mainstream attention as two collected volumes, Maus I in 1986 and Maus II in 1991. This guide is based on the 1996 complete edition. This historic memoir interlaces two narratives, one of Spiegelman’s Jewish father as he survives World War II Poland and the Auschwitz concentration camp, and... Read Maus Summary
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags Romance, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 180
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Philosophy, Ancient Rome, Philosophy, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Biography, Self Help, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Meditations is a collection of prose philosophical reflections and exercises composed in Koine Greek by Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, who lived from 121-180 and ruled from 161-180. Though the precise dating of his compositions is unknown and they are not believed to be presented in chronological order, at least some of the books were written while he was on military campaign in the north of Europe during his reign. Scholars are generally in consensus that... Read Meditations Summary
Publication year 1641
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Philosophy, Age of Enlightenment, Religion / Spirituality, Education, Education, French Literature, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction
Meditations on First Philosophy is a philosophical treatise by René Descartes. Originally published in Latin in 1641, the text would go on to influence European and global philosophical traditions. In this work, Descartes argues for the existence of God and the immortality of the soul. Two of its major contributions to philosophy are mind/body dualism and the famous phrase “I think, therefore, I am.” The book comprises six meditations wherein Descartes seeks to doubt all... Read Meditations on First Philosophy Summary
Publication year 1998
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Romance, Southern Literature
Message in a Bottle (1998) is the second novel by Nicholas Sparks, the follow-up to his incredibly popular romance, The Notebook. It was inspired by Sparks’s father’s experience after the sudden and unexpected death of Sparks’s mother. They’d been married for 27 years when an accident on a horse led her to develop a cerebral hemorrhage. It was a fluke, a random accident, just like the one that claims Catherine’s life and that of her... Read Message In A Bottle Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Romance, Sports, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Self Discovery
Tags Realistic Fiction, Animals, Children's Literature
... Read Moo Summary
Publication year 2001
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Technology, Class
Publication year 1998
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags Race / Racism, Education, Education, African American Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction
In writing Mother to Mother, Sindiwe Magona drew inspiration from a real event: the murder of a white American named Amy Biehl by young black men in 1990s South Africa. The crime caused shockwaves around the world, not least because Biehl herself had come to South Africa to combat apartheid—the system of segregation and discrimination that relegated black South Africans, as well as other people of color, to second-class citizenship.On the face of it, then... Read Mother to Mother Summary
Publication year 1935
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Play: Drama, Play: Historical, Poetry: Dramatic Poem, Religion / Spirituality, Christian literature, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction
Murder in the Cathedral is a verse drama by T.S. Eliot that portrays the final days of Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who was assassinated and martyred in 1170. Written in 1935 for the Canterbury Festival, the play explores themes of faith, power, martyrdom, and the conflict between church and state. Many stage performances of the play have been produced, and Murder in the Cathedral has also been adapted for television, film, and opera... Read Murder in the Cathedral Summary
Publication year 1816
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Lyric Poem, Science / Nature, Romanticism / Romantic Period
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags British Literature, Japanese Literature, Asian Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Classic Fiction
Book Details & Major ThemesNever Let Me Go is a 2005 novel by Kazuo Ishiguro set in a dystopian version of Great Britain in the 1990s in which cloning technology allows for the mass proliferation of organ donation. Medical problems like cancer are cured because organs are harvested from clones through a state-sanctioned program. The cloned “donors” have their organs taken one at a time until they die. The novel is narrated by Kathy H... Read Never Let Me Go Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Romance, New Adult, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Love / Sexuality
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Publication year 1280
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Mythology, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction
Njal’s Saga is a late medieval Icelandic family saga authored around 1280 but set around the year 1000. It combines legend and history—many of its protagonists were historical figures, and other historical sources corroborate some of the major events the saga mentions. However, the author also embellishes characters and events as he describes them in the saga.The saga recounts intermarriage, friendships, and tragic blood feuds between multiple Icelandic families who trace their ancestry back to... Read Njals Saga Summary
Publication year 1996
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Society: Community
Tags Sociology, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Social Justice, Politics / Government, Biography
No Matter How Loud I Shout is a work of nonfiction written by Pulitzer-Prize-winning journalist Edward Humes and published in 1996. This work comprises the author’s ethnographical observations and participations in the Los Angeles juvenile justice system for the year of 1994. Humes asserts that the names of juveniles have been changed in accordance with state laws regarding confidentiality; however, everything else is true, and reported in the allegedly unbiased style of 1990s investigative journalism... Read No Matter How Loud I Shout Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags Religion / Spirituality, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
Norse Mythology is a 2017 collection of short stories by British author Neil Gaiman. The stories are retellings of tales from ancient Norse mythology, presented mostly in retrospect by an unnamed narrator. Through frequent addresses to the audience, the narration evokes the oral tradition of storytelling.In the beginning, there was nothing but darkness and fire until the creation of the nine worlds. Odin and his brothers create other beings; Odin, the all-father breathes life into... Read Norse Mythology Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Fate, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Objects, Natural World: Place, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Historical Fiction, Science / Nature, History: World, Magical Realism