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700 BCE
The Odyssey
Greek
Written by Homer
First literary epic
Meant to be performed -
429 BCE
Oedipus Rex
Greek
Written by Sophocles
Tragic hero was invented
Led to the development of the “Oedipus complex” literary device - a strange and somewhat wrong infatuation a son may have for his mother -
1000
Beowulf
Anglo-Saxon
Contains a tragic hero, Beowulf
May have been passed down by word of mouth before it was written, survived by a single manuscript -
1400
The Canterbury Tales
Written by Geoffrey Chaucer
British work
Incomplete; left unfinished when Chaucer died
Collection of various tales told by religious pilgrims -
1516
Utopia
Thomas More
British work
Portrayal of the perfect society, hence the use of the term “Utopia” for a flawless society that could never exist -
Romeo and Juliet
British
Shakespearean work
Details the love between two teenagers of warring houses, Romeo and Juliet, which lends in the deaths of multiple people, and the suicides of both Romeo and Juliet -
Julius Caesar
British
Shakespearean work
Describes the final days of Julius Caesar, the man who should’ve been the first Roman Emperor but never was, the betrayal of his closest friends, and the consequences that followed their actions -
Othello
British
Shakespearean work
Othello is a black general who becomes successful in the army of Venice, and one of his colleagues, Iago, becomes jealous of him, starting a love affair between Casio and Desdémona
Main themes of racial prejudice, manipulation, and jealousy -
Macbeth
British
Shakespearean work
Macbeth becomes a power-hungry villain obsessed with succeeding, so his wife tricks him into killing his king, leading to a spiral of events that result in Macbeth’s eventual downfall, the death of some of his friends at his hands, and his wife was driven to insanity -
Paradise Lost
British
Written by John Milton
Describes the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, story is described from Satan’s perspective, showing what his true intentions were and portraying him as a tragic hero -
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
Puritan
Written by Jonathon Edwards
Describes the issues with people not following the exact doctrine in the Puritan faith, details why God will destroy certain Puritans and other unfaithful people who ignore their teachings -
Sense and Sensibility
British
Jane Austen
Details the relationship of two sisters and their respective love lives, lots of drama involved between the two, extremely emotional story -
Frankenstein
British
Mary Shelley
Details a tragic hero, Dr. Victor Frankenstein, who creates a monster that wreaks havoc on his life and those close to him, as he challenged the natural laws of God -
Poe Short Stories
British
Written by Edgar Allen Poe
Collection of some of Edgar Allen Poe’s literary works, including “Black Cat” “The Tell-Tale Heart”, “The Fall of the House of Usher”, and “The Raven” -
Wuthering Heights
British
Emily Brontë
Heathcliff and Catherine love each other, but Catherine betrays Heathcliff and marries Edgar, leading to a series of events where Heathcliff grows more twisted and exacts his revenge across multiple generations -
Jane Eyre
British
Charlotte Brontë
Jane Eyre is a woman who grows up from a fairly bad situation at home, to meeting Mr. Rochester after leaving the school she taught at, to being heartbroken by him, to marrying him at last Nefele the book ends
Mr. Rochester is an example of a Byronic hero, someone who tends to have dark hair and be a somewhat controversial male character -
Great Expectations
British
Written by Charles Dickens
This tale details the life of Pip, a kid who grows up with his older sister after his parents die. He eventually falls into a lump some of wealth after he helped a convict as a child, and he also learns the pain and sorrow of having a failed love -
Flatland
British
Written by Edwin Abbott Abbott
Details the journey of A Square, as he is enlightened on the existence of the third and first dimensions, as well as a single point, outside of his home in the second dimensions; it is a metaphor for people who are willing to accept and understand the good news -
Heart of Darkness
Polish/British
Written by Joseph Conrad
Details the adventures of Marlow into the depths of the Congo, where he meets the evil man Kurtz, who is driven only by money, embodying the nature of pure evil -
My Antonia
American
Written by Willa Cather
Details the story of Antonia, an immigrant from Europe, and the story of her love with one of her neighbors and the tragedies that befall her family in the new world -
Siddharta
German-Swiss book
Written by Herman Hesse
The book details with the spiritual journey of self-discovery of a man named Siddharta during the time of the Gautam Buddha in ancient India. The book is also written in German, in a simple style -
The Great Gatsby
American work
Written by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The story tells about a Nick Carraway after he moves into West Egg next to a man named Gatsby. Gatsby, a mysterious man known for throwing extravagant parties, has a past filled with many things get hidden. These hidden secrets finally catch up to Gatsby, after a car accident results in an innocent woman’s death. Gatsby is also responsible for nearly breaking up Daisy, his love from his younger days, and Tom’s marriage. -
Of Mice and Men
American work
Written by John Steinbeck
This novel discusses the journey of George and Lennie out in California as the move from ranch to ranch, looking for work. After Lennie accidentally murders a girl and breaks a rude man’s hand, George is left with no choice but to execute his friend to save him from a more cruel death -
1984
British work
Written by George Orwell
In a dystopian society, Winston is suspicious of Big Brother. After meeting a mysterious woman named Julia, Winston and Julia start causing trouble for Big Brother and the Party. Eventually, they are captured and tortured to an extreme extent, resulting in them betraying each other, their friendship coming to an end, and their entire personalities essentially being wiped so that they would “fit in” -
East of Eden
American book
Written by John Steinbeck
Tells the story of Adam and Charles Trask and their descendants, and other stories from the Salinas Valley in California, after a man named Samuel Hamilton settled in the area -
The Crucible
American work
Written by Arthur Miller
Describes the story of the Salem witch trial in the early 1690s. The story gets wild when two girls accuse someone of witchcraft, and the madness spreads until much of the town is imprisoned and accused, until eventually people wisen up and the killings stop. -
Fahrenheit 451
American work
Written by Ray Bradbury
Set in a futuristic world at war, Guy Montag rebel against the firemen, whom he was a part of. The firemen burn books to keep people from knowing what once was, and Guy has to run away from home before he is captured by the mechanical hound. His friend Faber helps him escape. Shortly after he leaves, Guy watches his city turned to rubble as an atomic bomb was dropped on it and he becomes friends with some hobos, who also read books -
Lord of the Flies
British work
Written by William Golding
The book details the story of a group of British boys who become stranded on an island. Then, chaos ensues as violence breaks out when the boys try to govern each other -
Night
Polish
Written by Elie Wiesel
Biographical account of Elie’s experience in Auschwitz during the Holocaust, where he details his experience with the “death of God” and his eventual loss of faith in humanity -
West Side Story
American
Written by Irving Shulman
Describes the love of Maria with Tony, both of whom were members of opposing social groups. As there love grows, things get extremely complicated between the two arguing groups, leading to gang violence in New York City -
A Separate Peace
American
Written by John Knowles
Details the story of Phineas and Gene’s friendship, which eventually evolves into jealousy; however, when World War II arrives, their friendship reimproves -
A Man for All Seasons
British work
Written by Robert Bolt
The story tells us all about the life of Sir Thomas More, a devout Catholic who refused to give up his faith and support King Henry VIII’s divorce from his wife. After being tried multiple times to abandon his faith, Henry VIII has Thomas executed. For his actions in refusing to deny his faith, as well as various miracles, Sir Thomas More is recognized as a Catholic Saint. -
The House on Mango Street
Hispanic-American
Written by Sandra Cisneros
Esperanza, a young Hispanic girl, describes her family’s situation in Chicago, Illinois, and the struggles they face, as her mother can’t speak English. Esperanza also is an extremely success-driven person -
Beloved
American work
Written by Toni Morrison
Describes the story of a family of former slaves, specifically about a mother who desires to kill her children so that they are not re-imprisoned into slavery. The family is then haunted by the ghosts of these children, some of which end up being killed. The book is inspired by a true story -
Into the Wild
American work
Written by John Krakauer
Details the story of Chris McCandless and his journey across the United States and Canda to find himself after he leaves his family. Guided by freedom, Chris eventually settles in an abandoned bus in Alaska, where he eventually meets his end -
The Book Thief
Australian
Written by Markus Zustak
Discusses the story of a little girl, Liesel, and her lifetime during the Holocaust in Nazi Germany. Interestingly, the story is narrated by Death itself, who shows how he can understand the pain and suffering of those when another dies, but also the sweet relief those who are dying face when they are taken to the afterlife