Madame Bovary
1857, Gustave Flaubert
An unhappily married woman pursues a lifelong quest for the fulfillment of her romantic desires, by any means necessary.
The Mayor of Casterbridge
1886, Thomas Hardy
The fortunes of a strong-willed hay-trusser prove to be as volatile as he is.
My Name Is Aram
1940, William Saroyan
An open and curious boy growing up in an Armenian community in California encounters the rich quirkiness of his family and neighbors.
Njáls Saga
(Njála)
1270-1290, anonymous
A sage in medieval Iceland attempts to restore order in the face of bloody vengeance and warrior’s honor.
“On Fairy-stories”
1938, J. R. R. Tolkien
The realm of Faërie is no frivolity, but a place of profound enchantment, offering glimpses into deep mysteries and addressing fundamental human desires.
“On Taste”
1759, Edmund Burke
What does it really mean for an opinion to be “a matter of taste”?
One of Cleopatra’s Nights
(Une nuit de Cléopâtre)
1838, Théophile Gautier
A young hunter is willing to die to be with queen Cleopatra for just one evening.
The Oregon Trail
1849, Francis Parkman
Horses, rifles, and knives see a party of adventurers through the land of expansive plains, craggy mountains, buffalo, and the Sioux.
Passages from the American Notebooks
1835-1853, Nathaniel Hawthorne
The exercise of a young author’s pen creates images of the New England landscape and its people.
Pearl
14th century, The West Midlands Poet
A father struggles to recover faith and peace after losing his baby daughter.
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