The Alchmist novel by Paulo Cohelo about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago. He follows his dreams, literally, a well as “signs” from his environment. He travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids. Characters: Santiago (the shepherd) Melchizedek (the king of Salem) The Englishman […]
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Theme: As You Like It by William Shakespeare, written around 1599, explores the theme of love, disguise, and the harmonizing power of nature. There is love at first sight between Orlando and Rosalind, Phoebe and Ganymede, and Oliver and Celia. It not only insists that people can and do change, but also celebrates their ability to
Theme: Othello by William Shakespeare, explores the theme of racial prejudice, manipulation, and jealousy. Summary: This play Othello is about a man who falsely accuses his wife of cheating on him, and believes this lie so strongly that he eventually takes her life Famous Quotes: “Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul But I do love
Theme: My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult, explores the theme of sister and family bonds; what appears to be true versus the reality; and one is the fine line between right and wrong in medical ethics. Summary: It is the story of Anna, a thirteen year old girl genetically conceived to be a match for
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Theme: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J. K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, John Tiffany, explores the theme of the impact of fame and legacy upon a parent-child relationship. It is about the journey Albus takes while growing up, and the roles he and his best friend, Scorpius (Draco Malfoy’s son), play when dark forces,
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Theme: The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell, explores the theme of war and violence. It is divided into chapters that focus on different characters connected to one central protagonist, Holly Sykes, during successive historical moments. Summary: It follows Holly Sykes, a young woman from Kent, England, who becomes embroiled in a secret war between two
Theme: The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. explores the theme of gender roles, escapism, familial responsibility, and unfulfilled desire. Summary: This play follows the lives of a family of three (mother Amanda and two adult children, Laura and Tom) as they struggle to deal with a changing world in which they do not fit in.
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Theme: Life After Life by Kate Atkinson, explores the themes of physical death and war. Summary: Among Atkinson’s later critically acclaimed works was Life After Life (2013), a novel in which the protagonist, Ursula Todd, repeatedly dies and is reborn in the year 1910. In each new life, Ursula is confronted by different choices and situations
Theme: Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng, explores the theme of Motherhood. Summary: It tells the story of Elena Richardson, a woman who thrives on structure and rules, and her family. When Mia Warren, an artist who has been living a nomadic lifestyle as a single mother with her daughter, Pearl, arrives in town, it
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Theme: The Help by Kathryn Stockett, explores the theme of racial inequality and the power of literature. Summary: It portrays the relationship between black maids and white women to show viewers how influential the civil rights movement was to today’s society. Famous Quotes: “You is kind, you is smart, you is important.” “All I’m saying
Theme: Lord of the Flies by William Golding, explores the theme of civilization, rules, and order; innocence lost; mob mentality; knowledge; and nature. Summary: It tells the story of a group of young boys who find themselves alone on a deserted island. They develop rules and a system of organization, but without any adults to
Theme: The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, explores the theme of marriage, class, social expectations, and the lifestyles of the English upper class. Summary: The play tells the story of two men, Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, who both assume the identity of a fictional man named Ernest, leading them both to fall
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Theme: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, explores the theme of Price of Betrayal. Amir and Hassan’s relationship: their friendship, and eventual betrayal due to Amir’s cowardice, and Amir’s redemption via rediscovering bravery for Hassan’s sake. Famous Quotes: “A boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can’t stand up to anything.” “That
Theme: The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare, explores the theme of: Money – the significance of wealth and how it can affect people and relationships Justice – the idea of what is fair and how this can differ from person to person Love – romantic love, family relationships and the love between friends feature
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Theme: The Tempest by William Shakespeare, explores the theme of freedom, empathy, forgiveness and nature versus nurture. Summary: This story begins with a sorcerer named Prospero who lives on an island with his teenage daughter, Miranda. The two have been stranded there for the past twelve years. Famous Quotes: “How features are abroad I am
Theme: Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, Denial, contradiction, and the quest for order versus disorder comprise the three major themes of Death of a Salesman. Summary: It addresses loss of identity and a man’s inability to accept change within himself and society. The play is a montage of memories, dreams, confrontations, and arguments, all
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Theme: A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, explores the theme of desire, death, and gender. Summary: It follows the tale of two sisters, reunited, and the conflicts that follow, created by the introduction of one to the other’s spouse. But it is also about the beauty and the ugliness of mankind in its simultaneous
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Theme: A Raisin in the Sun by Langston Hughes, explores the theme of dreams. Each character has a dream of their own and in some way, each of their dreams conflicts with someone else’s dream. Summary: It depicts a family’s struggle for survival. The Younger family who lives in Southside, Chicago, fights for their civil rights
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Theme: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf by Edward Albee, explores the theme of Reality and illusion. The central message is that human beings must learn to live without illusion. Summary: It depicts the troubled marriage of a middle-aged couple, George and Martha, and the emotional and psychological games they play with each other and with
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Theme: Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs by Jacob Grimm & Wilhelm Grimm, is a short fiction story. It explores the theme of Good versus evil, innocence, beauty, bravery, jealousy, vanity, and friendship. Summary: She is meant to represent good while the queen is meant to represent evil. A main message of this work is
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Theme: A Woman of No Importance by Oscar Wilde, explores themes of gender equality, social hypocrisy and Victorian-era sexual mores. Summary: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II by Sonia Purnell is the true story of an American woman, Virginia Hall, who lived, survived and even excelled in the ‘man’s
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Theme: The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough and A. Ward, the themes mainly attract readers’ attention are the great love story between Meggie Cleary – a beautiful, tough woman and Ralph de Bricassart – an ambitious Catholic priest, and (or) an inevitable tragedy resulted from the conflict between the love for God and that for
Theme: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, explores themes of loyalty, betrayal, loss, sacrifice, and tragedy. Despite what the title may suggest, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo doesn’t actually focus so much on the husbands, but rather Evelyn herself, where we quickly learn that there is much more to her
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Theme: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green explores the theme of love, mortality and life’s meaning. Summary: It narrates the story of a 16-year-old girl who is diagnosed with cancer. She joins a support group where she meets Augustus, and there is a rollercoaster of emotions throughout this novel as the relationship between
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Theme: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, the main themes are family, wealth, reputation, social class, and of course, pride and prejudice. These themes are shown in the novel through the relationships and interactions between various characters. Famous Quotes: “Angry people are not always wise.” “Till this moment I never knew myself.” “The distance is
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Theme: Me Before You by Jojo Moyes, explores themes of love, choice, and the power of human connection. Summary: It tells the story of the quirky Louisa Clark, who unfortunately lost her job and is seeking a new one. This is how she crosses paths with Will Traynor, who devastatingly became paralyzed after a motorcycle accident.
Theme: Antic Hay by Aldous Huxley summarized whole theme of this novel as Contemporary civilization is damnable The dark stream of Time is the only reality Disunity, disorder and disorganization Illustrate a disreputable world disintegrating into fragments Summary: A satire of post-World War I London intellectuals, the work follows Theodore Gumbril, Jr., the protagonist, and
Theme: Man and Superman by George Bernard Shaw explores the theme of love, marriage, creative evolution, life force, sexual attraction, and the pursuit of a spouse. Summary: It is a Victorian-era play in which a young woman, Ann, uses her attractiveness to manipulate John Tanner, a highly intelligent social revolutionary into marrying her. Famous Quotes:
Theme: The Godfather by Mario Puzo, explores the themes of loyalty, betrayal, and power. Summary: The novel is about the Corleone family and the war between the Five Families that run the crime world in New York. Vito Corleone is shot and it leads to an all-out war in which Corleone’s two sons Sonny and
Theme: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, explores the theme of love, the universe conspires, perseverance, gratitude, hope, personal legend, dreams, and life. Summary: An Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids. He is both a simple sheep herder
Theme: The Suicide by Nikolai Erdman, a brilliant and penetrating satire about an unemployed man who contemplates suicide and is besieged by spokespeople of discontented groups, from butchers to intellectuals, who want him to turn his suicide into a gesture on their behalf. The Suicide is a 1928 play by the Russian playwright Nikolai Erdman. Its
