"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 1899
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt
Tags Classic Fiction, Russian Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Romance
First published in 1899, “The Lady with the Dog” is one of Anton Chekhov’s most well-known stories. The short story examines the conflict between conformity to marital and gender conventions and faithfulness to one’s inner principles. Focusing on an adulterous relationship, the story challenges the patriarchal mindset, criticizes the arbitrariness of prescribed gender roles and marriage conventions, and explores the meaning of genuine relationships. Chekhov’s protagonists expose the crippling effect of societal gender roles on... Read The Lady With The Dog Summary
Publication year 1100
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Siblings
Tags Classic Fiction, Romance, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Religion / Spirituality, History: European, French Literature, Education, Education, Mythology, Fantasy
The Lais of Marie de France is a collection of 12 romantic narratives—known as Breton Lais—composed in the late 12th century and credited to the French-English poet Marie de France. The lay or lai is a short tale of octosyllabic rhyming couplets which is generally 600–1000 lines long. It can be accompanied by music and is typical of Brittany, a Northern French region with strong Celtic influences. Themes of love, chivalry and the supernatural are... Read The Lais of Marie de France Summary
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Daughters & Sons
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, British Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance
The Lake House, a 2015 mystery novel by Australian author Kate Morton, centers on the mysterious disappearance of Theo Edevane, an 11-month-old baby who goes missing from his crib during a party in 1933. The devastated family members each have their own theories about who is responsible, but no one is more affected than his teenage sister, Alice. Seventy years later, Sadie Sparrow, an ambitious young detective, discovers the cold case while visiting her grandfather... Read The Lake House Summary
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Society: Community, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt
Tags Parenting, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance
The Language of Flowers (2011) is the debut novel of Vanessa Diffenbaugh. This fictional story follows Victoria Jones, a foster care child who is legally emancipated at the age of 18 and communicates primarily through the language of flowers. Diffenbaugh was inspired by the informational text Language of Flowers by Kate Greenaway, which outlined the use of secret messages delivered via bouquet during the Victorian Era. Diffenbaugh studied creative writing and education at Stanford University... Read The Language of Flowers Summary
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Femininity, Self Discovery
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Romance, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Society: War, Society: Community
Tags Historical Fiction, Military / War, WWII / World War II, British Literature, History: World, Romance
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Gender, Society: War
Tags Military / War, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance, WWII / World War II, British Literature
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Romance, Military / War, New Adult, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Romance, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Grief / Death, British Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction
The Last Letter from Your Lover is a 2010 romance novel by British journalist and writer Jojo Moyes. It centers on the interconnected lives and romances of two women living in London at different times. The first, Ellie Haworth, is a journalist in 2003 who comes across a set of love letters while researching the 1960s. The letters tell the story of Jennifer Stirling, the wife of a wealthy industrialist, and her intense affair with... Read The Last Letter From Your Lover Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, WWII / World War II, Asian Literature, Military / War, Asian Literature, History: World, Chinese Literature
Publication year 1941
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, American Literature, History: World
The Last Tycoon is an unfinished novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald that charts the rise of Monroe Stahr, a film producer in 1930s Hollywood. Its fragments were collected and edited by Fitzgerald’s friend Edmund Wilson and published posthumously in 1941, the year after Fitzgerald’s death. The book’s protagonist is widely considered to be modelled after the real-life film producer Irving Thalberg, whom Fitzgerald greatly admired. The story focuses on the inner workings of the film... Read The Last Tycoon Summary
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Romance, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Realistic Fiction, Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Humor
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags Historical Fiction, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Romance
The Light Between Oceans is Australian writer M.L. Stedman’s debut novel, published in 2012 by Random House Australia. Categorized as historical fiction, the novel won various accolades, such as the Indie Book Awards Book of the Year in 2013. A film adaptation of The Light Between Oceans was released four years after the novel’s publication in 2016. All citations in this guide are based on the 2012 Scribner edition, accessed via Scribd.com.Plot SummaryIn 1918, after... Read The Light Between Oceans Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Romance, History: U.S., Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Society: Politics & Government, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Romance
Publication year 1697
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Identity: Femininity
Tags Fantasy, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Romance, Classic Fiction, Magical Realism
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Romance, Psychological Fiction, German Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, French Literature, Travel Literature
Nina George’s romance novel The Little Paris Bookshop was originally published in German in 2013 and was translated to English by Simon Pare in 2015. The story follows Jean Perdu, a bookseller, as he travels from Paris to Avignon on his floating bookstore, the Literary Apothecary. Perdu leaves Paris on a whim after receiving heartbreaking news about the death of his former lover. Perdu is joined in his travels by Max Jordan, a bestselling author... Read The Little Paris Bookshop Summary