Each study guide includes essays, an in-depth chapter-by-chapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quiz. Study guides are available in PDF format.
Published in 2008, The Translator: A Tribesman's Memoir of Darfur is a memoir by Daoud Hari that recounts the author's experiences during the genocide in Darfur by the Sudanese government and affiliated militia groups (specifically made up of...
"Quo vadis" is a historical novel written by Polish writer Henryk Sienkiewicz.
The novel has been written from 1894 to 1896, upon completion of certain parts they were published in the periodical press. In 1896, the novel was released as a...
Nice Work is a novel written by David Lodge in 1988. The story mainly revolves around Robyn Penrose, who is a feminist university lecturer and specializes in women's writing. She meets Vic Wilcox, who is the manager of an engineering firm. The...
“The Letter” is a short story published as part of Somerset Maugham’s 1926 collection, The Casuarina Tree. Like many of Maugham’s tales, this fictional story was inspired by a rea life event. Maugham came to know the details of the murder that...
Of Human Bondage is one of the most famous novels of English writer William Somerset Maugham. The novel was written in 1915. The protagonist – Philip Carey, is an orphan and is born with a lame leg, which makes his life very difficult.
The novel...
The New Organon (often referred to by its Latin title Novum Organum) was published by Francis Bacon in 1620 and if often referred to as his single most influential literary work. In form, it is a philosophical treatise in two parts: the first...
Belinda is a book written by Maria Edgeworth in 1801. The story revolves around a young woman called Belinda, who lives with her aunt, Mrs. Stanhope. Belinda is sent to live with Lady Delacour and Belinda is fascinated by her. The first part of...
Wild Swans : Three Daughters Of China is a family history that spans three generations and more than a century. It tells the story of the lives of three generations of women in China and is written by Chinese author Jung Chang. Wild Swans contains...
In an interesting experiment with perspective, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is narrated by the same voice, the main character Henry Lee, but at different periods during his life. The narration provides a shifting tonal perspective of...
Housekeeping is a novel written by Marilynne Robinson in 1980. The story is told by Ruthie, wo is the narrator and mainly tells the story of how Ruthie and her younger sister Lucille are raised by a succession of relatives in the town of...
Blowback (The Costs and Consequences of American Empire) was written by American author Chalmers Johnson. It was first published during 2000 and was later published during 2004 by Holt Paperbacks. Between 1967 and 1973, Johnson was a consultant...
Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism is a critical nonfiction book by Benedict Anderson. Originally published in 1983, the book has seen multiple revised editions republished in 1991 by Verso and New Left Books...
The School for Good and Evil is the first novel in a series of Young Adult fantasy fiction by Soman Chainani. The series commenced with its publication in 2013 followed by
2014: A World without Princes
2015: The Last Ever After
2017: Quests for...
Ann Radcliffe is an English novelist born on July 9, 1764 in London, England. Little is known of Radcliffe’s early life except for that fact that she was the daughter of a haberdasher and therefore resided in a fairly middle-class household. At...
Duong Thu Huong, the author of Paradise of the Blind and one of Vietnam’s most popular writers, was born in 1947. When she was twenty, she volunteered to lead a Communist Youth Brigade sent to the front during the Vietnam War. When China attacked...
The Adventures of Caleb Williams is a three-part volume of books written by William Godwin on 12 May 1794. The publishing date was specifically chosen by Godwin due to the fact that on the very same day that Prime Minister William Pitt suspended...
Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens is the second literary work that features J.M. Barrie’s iconic character, Peter Pan. Kensington Gardens was published in 1908, though much of the text appeared in chapters 13-18 in Barrie’s earlier novel, The Little...
The Little White Bird is a novel by British author J.M. Barrie which spans fantasy and whimsy to social commentary with dark, aggressive undertones. The book reached prominence and longevity primarily due to the introduction of a character called...
An Australian-born poet who lived much of his life in Great Britain, Peter Porter stands among the greats in the pantheon of 20th and 21st century Australian literature. Enviably intellectual, Porter's interests ranged from history to philosophy...
Murder, My Sweet is a 1944 film noir directed by Edward Dmytryk. It was based on Raymond Chandler's 1949 novel "Farewell My Lovely" and was released in the United Kingdom with this title but although the film was first screened in Minneapolis as...
Pickup on South Street is an unexpectedly dense thriller that commences with a pickpocketing theft and appears as though it will be little more than a standard film noir. By the time it comes to a conclusion, you will realize that you have just...
The Piano is a 1993 drama film written and directed by Jane Campion and starring Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, Sam Neill, and Anna Paquin. The story, which takes place in New Zealand, focuses around a mute piano player and her daughter.
The two...
Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (Angst Essen Seelen Auf) is arguably Fassbinder's best-known film. The 1974 film follows the doomed May-December romance between Emmi, a widowed woman in her sixties, and Ali, a young Moroccan immigrant. As a loose remake...
Head-On is a 2004 film by German filmmakers Fatih Akin, who is of Turkish descent. The film centers on Sibel and Cahit, and Sibel's threatening to take her life in order to get Cahit to marry her so that she can live out her dream life which...
