Marriage

"It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages," said philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. The texts in this collection depict happy and unhappy marriages—and those that fall somewhere in between.

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Midlife, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

The Silent Wife by A. S. A. Harrison is a psychological thriller about a failing marriage. Published in 2013, the novel is Harrison’s first entry into the genre, though she had previously published an erotic novel and a non-fiction book on the female orgasm in the 1970s. Harrison passed away from cancer weeks before the novel’s publication. The novel has been compared to Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl in terms of both its content—the depiction of... Read The Silent Wife Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Self Discovery

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Marriage

Tags Historical Fiction, Relationships, Poverty, Class, Indian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Arts / Culture


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Romance, Gender / Feminism, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Immigration

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance


Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Fate

Tags Romance, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Jennifer E. Smith’s The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight (2012) is one of nine books that she has written for young adults to date. In an interview with Buzz Magazine, Smith said, “I’m kind of obsessed with moments in time that act as hinges, days where there’s a really clear split between before and after—where yesterday, your life was one way, and tomorrow it will be entirely different” (“Author Interview: Jennifer E. Smith.”... Read The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight Summary


Publication year 1972

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Marriage, Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Classic Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Gender / Feminism


Publication year 1883

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Marriage, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags African American Literature, Gender / Feminism, History: World, Historical Fiction, Victorian Literature / Period, Classic Fiction


Publication year 1894

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Marriage, Identity: Gender

Tags Classic Fiction, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Gender / Feminism, Drama / Tragedy, Education, Education, American Literature, History: World

Vogue magazine first published American author Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” in 1894. It was published under the alternate title “The Dream of an Hour.” Some contemporary readers consider the story an early example of flash fiction, a term used for very short prose narratives. The story exemplifies psychological fiction, in which the action of the plot concerns the emotions and thoughts of the protagonist. One of Chopin’s best-known and most popular works... Read The Story of an Hour Summary


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Colonialism, Society: Class, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Mothers, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage

Tags Realistic Fiction, Indian Literature, History: Asian, Gender / Feminism, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance, Arts / Culture


Publication year 1869

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Relationships: Marriage, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature

Tags Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Philosophy, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

The book-length essay The Subjection of Women was written in 1869 by John Stuart Mill, an English philosopher known for his progressive, utilitarian ideas. The essay includes four chapters and was published in London by Lonmans, Green, Reader, and Dyer publishers. The Subjection of Women is a persuasive argument, laying out the problem of women’s legal, marital, and societal oppression to show that gender equality is necessary to ensure social justice, improve societal progress, and... Read The Subjection of Women Summary


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: Birth, Relationships: Marriage


Publication year 2002

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Historical Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence

The Swallows of Kabul (2002) is the 11th published work by Mohammed Moulessehoul. It is published under the pen name Yasmina Khadra, derived from Moulessehoul’s wife’s first two names, to circumvent military censorship of works published by soldiers. Moulessehoul has written extensively regarding his experiences in the military as an Algerian, exploring themes and events across the Arab and French worlds. The Swallows of Kabul is a work of historical fiction, taking place during the... Read The Swallows of Kabul Summary


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict

Tags Romance, Love / Sexuality


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Society: Community, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Natural World: Flora/plants

Tags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Race / Racism, American Civil War, African American Literature, Grief / Death, History: U.S., Love / Sexuality, Post-War Era, Military / War, History: World


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Asian Literature


Publication year 1593

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Marriage, Identity: Gender, Society: Class

Tags Elizabethan Era, Play: Comedy / Satire, Humor, Education, Education, Drama / Tragedy, Romance, Classic Fiction

The Taming of the Shrew is one of William Shakespeare’s earliest comedies, probably first performed around 1593. While the play’s depiction of women is the subject of much debate among modern readers and scholars, its popularity endures, and the play continues to be reproduced in various mediums. Notable adaptations include the 1967 film starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, and the 1999 romantic comedy 10 Things I Hate About You.This guide refers to the 2014... Read The Taming of the Shrew Summary


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1989

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Colonialism

Tags Race / Racism, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, African American Literature, Gender / Feminism, Classic Fiction

The Temple of My Familiar (1989) is a novel by Alice Walker. It follows the intersecting lives of multiple characters across countries and lifetimes, exploring the themes of The Feminine Experience, The Historical Trauma of Colonization, and Spirituality in the Diaspora.Alice Walker is an internationally acclaimed and celebrated writer, poet, and activist. Her novel The Color Purple won a National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1983. Characters from this classic feature... Read The Temple of My Familiar Summary


Publication year 1848

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Victorian Period, Classic Fiction, Romance, British Literature, Gothic Literature, Gender / Feminism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Addiction / Substance Abuse, History: World, Historical Fiction, Victorian Literature / Period

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is the second and final novel written by Anne Brontë (1820-1849), the youngest of the three celebrated Brontë sisters. The novel was published in 1848 under Anne’s pseudonym, Acton Bell. Unlike Anne’s first novel, Agnes Grey (1847), The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was an immediate sensation and stirred strong reactions to its subject matter, which touched on adultery, marital separation, alcohol use disorder, and domestic abuse. After her death, Anne’s... Read The Tenant of Wildfell Hall Summary