"The course of true love never did run smooth," wrote William Shakespeare in A Midsummer Night's Dream—and he knew what he was talking about. A text from this study guide collection might be just the thing to remind you of the bliss and pain of love.
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Romance
Publication year 1996
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Romance, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Classic Fiction
The Notebook is a 1996 novel by Nicholas Sparks. The story centers on the relationship between Noah Calhoun and Allie Nelson. Spanning over five decades, their love endures an uncertain beginning, the onset and conclusion of World War II, the death of one child, and Allie’s eventual diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Sparks is also the New York Times best-selling author of A Walk to Remember (1999), Dear John (2006), The Longest Ride (2012), Safe Haven... Read The Notebook Summary
Publication year 1988
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags Latin American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Classical Period, Romance, Classic Fiction
The Old Man Who Read Love Stories, an ecological novel by Chilean writer Luis Sepúlveda, first published in Spain in 1989. Peter Bush’s English translation published in America in 1993. This story is a parable about the encroachment and ecological consequences of non-native humans, especially hunters, gold prospectors, and politicians, on the Ecuadoran rainforest. The novel won Spain’s Tigre Juan Prize. Sepúlveda has written 16 books and four screenplays, directing two of them for the... Read The Old Man Who Read Love Stories Summary
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Romance, Psychological Fiction, Relationships, Technology, Love / Sexuality, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt
Tags LGBTQ, Romance, Arts / Culture, Grief / Death, Health / Medicine, Love / Sexuality, Mental Illness, Parenting, Relationships, Religion / Spirituality, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2001
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Society: Nation
Tags Historical Fiction, British Literature, Romance, Auto/Biographical Fiction
The Other Boleyn Girl (2001) is a historical women’s fiction novel by British author and journalist Philippa Gregory. Gregory first reached bestseller status with her debut historical novel Wideacre (1987). The Other Boleyn Girl won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award from the Romantic Novelists’ Association and was adapted into a film. The novel is narrated by Mary, the Boleyn daughter whose more famous sister, Anne, has overshadowed her in the historical record. Mary... Read The Other Boleyn Girl Summary
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Self Discovery, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Historical Fiction, Science / Nature, Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), History: World, Romance
Publication year 1994
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Teams
Tags Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Psychology, Romance, Self Help
Publication year 1998
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Romance, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Depression / Suicide, Relationships, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
The Pact: A Love Story (1998) by Jodi Picoult tells the story of teens Emily Gold and Chris Harte who enter into a pact to die by suicide. Emily’s death has taken place by the novel’s opening, but Chris is swiftly charged with her murder. As the novel unfolds, the complicated dynamics of the lives of the teens—lifelong best friends who grew up next door to one another—are presented. The nature of the “pact” that... Read The Pact Summary
Publication year 1925
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Romance, Historical Fiction, British Literature, Classic Fiction, History: World, Chinese Literature
The Painted Veil (1925) is the 11th novel by British novelist and playwright William Somerset Maugham (1874-1965). He obtained the title from the opening lines of an untitled sonnet by British Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, posthumously published in 1824: “Lift not the painted veil which those who live / Call Life” (Shelley, Percy Bysshe. “Lift Not the Painted Veil.” 1824. Reprint. The Reader, 6 Feb. 2017. Accessed 17 Jul. 2022). The novel originally appeared... Read The Painted Veil Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender
Tags Romance, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction, Love / Sexuality, Humor
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Family
Tags Relationships, Romance, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Humor
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Food, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Art
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, French Literature, Historical Fiction, Romance, Travel Literature, Food
Publication year 1987
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Nation
Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, History: World, Magical Realism, Romance, LGBTQ
British author Jeannette Winterson reimagines events from Napoleon Bonaparte’s reign in her 1987 novel The Passion. The novel is a work of historical metafiction that follows Henri, a young French soldier, and Villanelle, a vivacious Venetian, as they navigate war and love in early 19th-century Europe.The Passion begins in Henri’s voice; he’s a young, bright-eyed soldier in Napoleon’s army who dreamed of being a drummer but is assigned to cook instead. After coming to the... Read The Passion Summary
Publication year 1599
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Lyric Poem, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Pastoralism, Renaissance, Education, Education, British Literature, Romance, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags Historical Fiction, British Literature, History: World, Romance, LGBTQ
Welsh historical-novelist Sarah Waters’s sixth novel, The Paying Guests (2014), tells the tale of a mother and daughter in 1920s London who must take on lodgers to afford their house. The result of taking on these paying guests is a devastating love affair and a terrible crime. The novel was nominated for the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction, became a New York Times Best Seller, and was ranked as the best book of 2014 by... Read The Paying Guests Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Teams, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Race
Tags Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1999
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Music, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Depression / Suicide, Mental Illness, LGBTQ, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Classic Fiction
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is Stephen Chbosky’s first novel and was published in 1999. It is young adult fiction and a coming-of-age tale told from the perspective of Charlie, a freshman in high school. The epistolary novel is comprised of a series of letters that Charlie writes to someone he calls “friend,” although he has never met this friend in person. He makes it immediately clear that he wants to remain anonymous with... Read The Perks of Being a Wallflower Summary