The novel Holes, written by Louis Sachar, is a great example of an analytical essay. The novel tells the story of Stanley Yelnats, a young man who is unjustly sent to a juvenile detention center for a crime he did not commit. While at the detention center, Stanley discovers that the warden has been using … Read more
The story opens with Duke (Old Noah) reading to Allie in a nursing home. He starts at the beginning, July 1940, at a Carnival in Seabrook, South Carolina. That’s where Noah and Allie meet for the first time…and where Noah falls instantly in love while Allie takes her sweet time warming up to him. Mutual … Read more
Life of Pi is a novel by Yann Martel that tells the story of a young man, Pi, who is stranded on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger. The novel raises questions about religion, faith, and what it means to be human. Martel uses the story of Pi to explore themes of religion and faith. … Read more
The Fault in Our Stars is a novel by John Green. The novel is about two teenage cancer patients who meet and fall in love. The novel has been made into a movie, which was released in 2014. John Green’s The Fault in our Stars is an excellent novel and one of his best. It … Read more
Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go is a novel set in an alternate history in which clones are raised to provide organs for transplantation. The story follows the life of one clone, Kathy, from her childhood at a boarding school for clones, to her adulthood working as a carer for other clones. The novel is … Read more
Fire plays a significant role in Laura Esquivel’s novel Like Water for Chocolate. The story is set in Mexico during the early 20th century, and fire is used both literally and figuratively throughout the novel. On a literal level, fire is used for cooking, and it is also used as a tool for destruction. For … Read more
East of Eden is a novel by John Steinbeck, published in 1952. East of Eden tells the story of two families, the Trasks and the Hamiltons, and their relations. The novel explores themes of good and evil, love and hate, forgiveness and redemption. East of Eden was a bestseller when it was first published, and … Read more
Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak is a novel about high school life that will resonate with many readers. The story follows Melinda, a freshman who is raped at a party and then ostracized by her classmates. She becomes withdrawn and stops speaking. As the novel progresses, we see Melinda slowly start to heal and find her … Read more
Alexander Dumas’ The Three Musketeers is a classic novel that has been adapted for stage and screen many times. The story is set in the 17th century and follows the adventures of d’Artagnan and his friends, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, as they fight to protect the honor of Queen Anne. The novel is rich in … Read more
The Lovely Bones is a novel by Alice Sebold. The story is narrated by Susie Salmon, a 14-year-old girl who was raped and murdered by her neighbor, George Harvey. The novel follows Susie’s family and friends as they cope with her death, and ultimately seek justice for her murder. The novel has been adapted into … Read more
The book “The Minutemen and Their World” by Robert A. Gross is a fascinating look at the lives of the minutemen who fought in the American Revolution. Gross details their daily lives, their families, and their motivations for taking up arms against the British. The book is a must-read for anyone interested in this important … Read more
The settings in Jane Eyre are important in understanding the development of Jane’s character. The different places she lives in represent different stages in her life, and the emotions she feels in each place reflect her growth as a person. Jane begins her life at Gateshead, where she is miserable and oppressed. She is constantly … Read more
Greasy Lake by T.C. Boyle is a novel about a group of teenagers who spend their summer days at a lake that is full of grease and oil. The title of the book is symbolic of the teenage years, when everything seems to be covered in a layer of grease and oil. The book follows … Read more
Jesmyn Ward’s novel “Sing, Unburied, Sing” tells the story of a young black boy named Jojo and his mother, Leonie. The novel explores themes of family, race, and love. Jesmyn Ward is a National Book Award winner and her novel has been praised by critics. The opening sentence of Sing, Unburied, Sing introduces the novel’s … Read more
Rinconete y Cortadillo is a novel written by Miguel de Cervantes. Rinconete y Cortadillo tells the story of two young men who become professional gamblers in Seville. The novel is notable for its realistic portrayal of life in 16th century Spain. Rinconete y Cortadillo is considered one of the greatest works of Spanish literature. Rinconete … Read more
Cormac McCarthy’s The Road is a novel about the journey of a father and his son in a post-apocalyptic world. The novel explores themes of hope, love, and faith in the midst of extreme hardship. The father in The Road is a religious man, and he often speaks to his son about God. The father … Read more
The Scarlet Letter is a novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne that was first published in 1850. The story follows Hester Prynne, a woman who is sentenced to wear a scarlet letter A on her chest after she has an affair. Hester’s husband, Roger Chillingworth, then seeks revenge on the man she had the affair with, Reverend … Read more
Around the World in 80 Days is a novel by Jules Verne that was first published in 1873. The story follows the journey of Phileas Fogg, a British gentleman, who sets out to circumnavigate the globe in 80 days. Along the way, he is accompanied by his valet, Passepartout, and encounters a number of challenges … Read more
Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man is a novel about an African American man living in the United States during the early twentieth century. Though he is Invisible to society, he still tries to make his way in the world and find his place within it. The novel follows his struggles and triumphs as he navigates through … Read more
Alice In Wonderland is a novel by Lewis Carroll. It tells the story of Alice, a young girl who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures. The book has been immensely popular since its publication in 1865, and has been translated into many languages. Alice’s adventures continue to … Read more
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a novel by R. L Stevenson. Dr. Jekyll is a well-respected doctor who seems to have it all together. However, he has a dark side that he keeps hidden from the world. Mr. Hyde is the manifestation of Dr. Jekyll’s dark side. He is evil personified and will do … Read more
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain, is a novel about a young boy’s journey down the Mississippi River. Huck Finn is considered too mature for his age by some readers, due to the themes and language used in the book. However, others believe that the novel is appropriate for all ages, as … Read more
Egalia’s Daughters is a novel by Gerd Brantenberg. It tells the story of a society in which women are the dominant gender and men are the minority. Egalia is a utopia where women are free to live their lives as they please, without being oppressed by men. The novel explores the implications of this reversal … Read more
The Grapes of Wrath is rich in symbolism. The most obvious symbols are the grapes themselves, which represent the fruit of the earth and the hard work of the farmers. The grapevine also symbolizes the interconnectedness of all life, as each grape is connected to the others by the vine. Other symbols in the novel … Read more
Anthem is a novella by Ayn Rand, first published in 1938. The story takes place at an unspecified future date when mankind has entered another Dark Age as a result of the destruction of the industrial civilization. Anthem describes a new society where individuals are not allowed to think or act independently, and where there … Read more
The Picture of Dorian Gray is a novel by Oscar Wilde that tells the story of a young man who becomes corrupted by his own vanity. The novel explores the theme of aestheticism, which is the belief that art should be appreciated for its beauty rather than its moral value. The picture itself represents the … Read more
Jack Kerouac’s On The Road is a novel about two young men, Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty, who travel across America in search of adventure and meaning. Along the way, they encounter a cast of colorful characters, including the Beat poet Neal Cassady. On The Road is considered one of the most important works of … Read more
Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë’s only novel, was published in 1847 under the pseudonym “Ellis Bell”. It was written between October 1845 and June 1846, Wuthering Heights was Brontë’s first and only finished novel. The decision to publish came after the success of her sister Charlotte’s novel, Jane Eyre. Wuthering Heights met with mixed reviews upon … Read more
John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath is a classic American novel. The novel tells the story of the Joad family, who are forced to leave their home in Oklahoma and travel to California during the Great Depression. The Grapes of Wrath is a powerful story about the strength of the human spirit and the … Read more
Alice Walker’s The Color Purple is a novel about an African American woman’s journey to find herself. The novel follows the main character, Celie, as she grows from a young girl into a strong and independent woman. The novel tackles themes of race, sexism, and abuse, and is widely considered to be one of the … Read more
The scaffold in The Scarlet Letter is a key symbol in the novel. It represents both punishment and public humiliation, as well as a place of refuge and hiding. The scaffold also serves as a forum for the characters to confront their pasts and reveal their true feelings. The first time we see the scaffold … Read more
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a novel that deals with the theme of national morality. The book was published in 1850, during a time when the United States was debating the issue of slavery. The novel centers around the character of Hester Prynne, who is accused of adultery and must wear a scarlet … Read more
The Great Gatsby is a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The novel is set in the 1920s and tells the story of Jay Gatsby, a wealthy man who is desperately in love with Daisy Buchanan, a woman who is already married. The novel is structured in such a way that foreshadowing and flashback are … Read more
My Antonia, by Willa Cather, is a novel about a young girl’s experience growing up in the American West. My Antonia tells the story of Antonia Shimerda, a young girl who immigrates to America from Bohemia with her family. The novel chronicles Antonia’s struggles and triumphs as she adapts to her new life in America. … Read more
The Joy Luck Club is a novel by Amy Tan that tells the story of four Chinese-American women who have immigrated to the United States and their daughters. The mothers and daughters share their stories and struggles with each other, and ultimately come to understand and appreciate each other more. The novel explores themes of … Read more
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, by James Joyce, is a novel that follows the life of Stephen Dedalus, a young man growing up in Dublin, Ireland. A major theme in the novel is religion, and how it can be used to repress people. Although Joyce was raised Catholic, he became an … Read more
The Tommyknockers is a novel by Stephen King about a small town in Maine that is overrun by aliens who have come to extract nuclear energy from the earth. The townspeople are turned into zombies who only want to work on building a giant machine that will destroy the world. The only people who are … Read more
Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome is a novel about a man who is married to a woman who is not his true love. The novel follows Ethan as he tries to find happiness in his life, despite the circumstances. Edith Wharton was an American author who wrote many novels, including The House of Mirth and The … Read more
Toni Morisson’s The Bluest Eye is a novel about an African American girl living in the north during the Great Depression. The novel follows her life as she tries to come to terms with her own sense of self-worth in a society that values white beauty above all else. The Bluest Eye is a powerful … Read more
Brave New World is a novel by Aldous Huxley. The novel Brave New World is set in a dystopian future where the population is controlled by the government and people are divided into castes. The novel Brave New World explores the themes of control, freedom, and happiness. For as long as man has walked the … Read more
Graham Greene’s The Power and the Glory is a novel about a Catholic priest in Mexico during the 1920s. The novel explores themes of faith, guilt, and redemption. The Power and the Glory was published in 1940 and is widely considered to be one of Greene’s best novels. In Graham Greene’s The Power and the … Read more
Frankenstein is a novel by Mary Shelley that was first published in 1818. Frankenstein tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a monstrous creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment. Frankenstein has been hailed as one of the most influential horror stories of all time, and has inspired numerous adaptations and imitations. … Read more
In The Grapes of Wrath, Rose of Sharon goes through a radical transformation. When we first meet her, she is a spoiled and selfish teenager who is more interested in boys and clothes than anything else. However, by the end of the novel, she has transformed into a selfless and compassionate woman who is willing … Read more
The Red Badge of Courage is the tale of Henry Fleming, a young man who faces many challenges in his life. The book focuses on two days in his life and he is a boy when it begins, but he matures into a man by the conclusion. He enlists in the New York Volounteers against … Read more
Brave New World is a novel by Aldous Huxley. The book Brave New World is set in a future society where religion is outlawed and people are kept in a state of happiness through the use of drugs and brainwashing. The book Brave New World has been banned in several countries due to its controversial … Read more
The Red Badge of Courage is a novel by Stephen Crane that tells the story of a young man named Henry Fleming who goes to war. The novel is set during the American Civil War and follows Henry as he tries to find his place in the world. The novel was published in 1895 and … Read more
John Knowles book A Separate Peace is a classic novel about the struggles of adolescence. The story follows two friends, Gene and Phineas, as they navigate their way through the challenges of growing up. While the book is set in the fictional town of Devon, it accurately captures the experience of many young people during … Read more
Mordecai Richler was a Canadian author and screenwriter. He is best known for his novels, The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz and Barney’s Version. Richler was born in Montreal, Quebec, to Jewish parents who had immigrated from Poland. He began writing at an early age, and by the time he graduated from high school, he had … Read more
The Natural is a novel by Bernard Malamud. The novel tells the story of Roy Hobbs, a baseball player who struggles to find success in the major leagues. The novel was adapted into a 1984 film starring Robert Redford. The Natural is considered one of the great baseball novels of all time. The Natural was … Read more
The Fires of Heaven is a novel by Robert Jordan. The book was published in 1993 and is the fifth installment of The Wheel of Time series. The novel centers around the characters Rand al’Thor, Nynaeve al’Meara, and Egwene al’Vere as they continue their fight against the Dark One and his forces. The novel was … Read more