Literary Themes

John Milton's Paradise Lost is one of the greatest epic poems in the English language. It tells the story of the Fall of Man, a tale of immense drama and excitement, of rebellion and treachery, of innocence pitted against corruption, in which God and Satan fight a bitter battle for control of mankind's destiny.

You’re Not a Girl in a Movie is a new collection of powerful poems by Hala Alyan, winner of the Arab American Book Award in Poetry and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. In these nine extraordinary poems, Alyan wrestles with the intimate themes that have driven her acclaimed body of work to date: the aching loss of homeland, the image and worth of women, and the violence of love. In Beirut, Brooklyn, and roads in the American West, she unravels the effects of decades of war and displacement on love and human worth and identity.

Rising out of the Nevada canyons, Utopia is a theme park so technologically advanced as to be awe-inspiring. But serious mishaps are starting to cause concern, and things turn from bad to worse when a group of mercenaries infiltrates the park's computerized infrastructure, holding the entire park hostage. The engineer who designed the park now must find a way to save it.

In the tumult of our contemporary moment, poetry has emerged as an inviting, consoling outlet with a unique power to move and connect us, to inspire fury, tears, joy, laughter, and surprise. This generous anthology pairs fifty illuminating poems with poet and podcast host Pádraig Ó Tuama's appealing, unhurried reflections. With keen insight and warm personal anecdotes, Ó Tuama considers each poem's artistry and explores how its meaning can reach into our own lives.

Inspired by a true story, The Bravest Among Us is Hillbilly Elegy meets Casablanca, the story of three unlikely heroes who come together in a tragic love triangle to bring The American Dream to reality for impoverished children. Aria, a grieving widow and once a teen mother, rises from humble beginnings to become a warrior for social justice. But which man will join her daring journey, the ambitious actor bent on capturing her heart or the wrongfully convicted ex-con sworn to protect her? One will risk everything to help her find hope, while the other will forsake his happiness for the ...

Dive into the captivating world of "Poetry Unleashed" and embark on a transformative journey through the mesmerizing power of words. This enchanting anthology invites readers to experience the raw emotions, evocative imagery, and profound insights found within the artistry of poetry. Within the pages of "Poetry Unleashed," you will discover a diverse collection of poems that explore the depth and breadth of the human experience. From the bittersweet melodies of love and heartbreak to the triumphant verses of resilience and self-discovery, each poem unveils a new facet of our shared humanity...

Ware can’t wait to spend summer "off in his own world" dreaming of knights in the Middle Ages and generally being left alone. But then his parents sign him up for dreaded Rec camp, where he must endure Meaningful Social Interaction and whatever activities so-called "normal" kids do. On his first day, Ware meets Jolene, a tough, secretive girl planting a garden in the rubble of an abandoned church next to the camp. Soon, he starts skipping Rec, creating a castle-like space of his own in the church lot.

Paradise Lost is considered to be the best epic poem in the English language, as John Milton seeks to "justify the ways of God to men" through relating the story of Satan's rebellion in Heaven, the deception and fall of Man, and the presaged event of Redemption through Jesus, the Son of God...the "Second Adam."

Most of the great Greek stories and epic tales are initiated over women, which is exactly what happens in the very beginning of The Iliad by Homer. The Trojan War has been waging for nearly a decade, and really erupted when Helen, the wife to Menelaos, was kidnapped and thus launched the "thousand ships" in pursuit of her. This is the reason that the Achaians and the Trojans have been fighting each other for so long. Achilles, who has become hero to the Greeks, is given the present of a slave girl for his excellence in battle.

Born into a pre-war and middle class Irish family, Rita Reilly enjoys a comfortable upbringing. Her family live above their newsagent and grocery store which prospers because of a terrific location and regular traffic. Rita has every reason to expect she'll complete secondary school, gain a university education, and continue on a path of her own choosing. However, when a death in the family occurs, Rita offers to stay behind while her parents and brother travel for the funeral. What happens while they are away will a profound effect on the entire Reilly family. The Reclusive Life of Rita ...

Pervin Mann, age 67, is a retired lawyer who lives in a luxury waterfront condominium with his twin brother, Mervin who is a retired school principal. Both men are divorced and fanatically frugal. They compete over everything but especially about which one can spend less money in any given year. The prospect of romance unexpectedly enters each of their lives and provides them with one last chance at love. Will the thrifty old gentlemen finally learn that women abhor cheapskates? Or is it simply too late for them to change? Donald W. Desaulniers is a Canadian lawyer who retired in 2009. He ...

Robert Louis Stevenson, Scottish essayist, poet, and author of fiction and travel books, was born in 1850 in Edinburgh, Scotland, as an only son of a prosperous civil engineer. He entered the University of Edinburgh at the age of 17 and studied to be an engineer to follow his father in the family business; however, he soon realized that he was not cut out for that profession. His father agreed to let him study law instead and although Stevenson graduated from the law school, he never practiced law because, by then, he knew he wanted to be a writer.

What if you could share a pot of tea—and a conversation about truth, reason, and the soul—with a long-departed literary mind? Ecstasy is a genre-bending tale of imagination, philosophy, and the extraordinary collision between past and present. One foggy afternoon in London, Dr. Harold Laski—a physician, writer, and seeker of truth—and his wife Carmen, an EMT, radiologic technologist, and humanitarian, step through an ordinary door into an impossibly extraordinary moment. The year? 1960. The place? Hampstead, a quiet intellectual haven north of the city. And waiting in the drawing ...

Step into a world where each note is a heartfelt expression, and every melody weaves a tale of love and longing. "Soulful Rhapsody" is not just a collection of poems; it's a symphony of emotions, an ode to the enduring power of love. With each turn of the page, you'll be transported to a realm where passion and music entwine, creating an experience that resonates deep within the soul. These soul-stirring verses are more than words – they are a gateway to the most profound and timeless sentiments. Whether you seek to kindle the flames of romance or simply immerse yourself in the beauty of ...

This remarkable poem, dedicated to Queen Elizabeth I, was Spenser's finest achievement: the first epic poem in modern English. The Faerie Queene combines dramatic narratives of chivalrous adventure with exquisite and picturesque episodes of pageantry. At the same time, Spenser is expounding a deeply-felt allegory of the eternal struggle between Truth and Error.

This annotated edition of the classic Gothic novel, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelly includes an historical introduction, an overview, study of the themes present in the book, and a list of famous quotes.

Paradise Lost is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton. Originally published in 1667 in ten books and later revised to twelve, here Anthony Quayle reads book 1 and book 4.

Words of a Feather is a stunning collection of Short Stories, Poems and Sketches from author, Robert E. Kearns. There's something inside for every taste, and Words of a Feather comes packed with hours of reading pleasure. Replete with entertainment, there is sure to be laughs, tears, spills and thrills. Satisfying pleasures of the mind, Words of a Feather is a book you'll want to read again and again.

A literary fiction book set in the rugged town of Soren Junction during the early 20th century. In the sweeping landscape of Soren Junction, silence meets chaos as Max Declan, a weary man from New York City, searches for solace and a new beginning. This frontier town, with its vibrant culture and complex characters, draws Max into a web of connections that challenge his resolve and tug at his heart, revealing the depths of a man haunted by his past. As Max navigates the intricacies of small-town life, he encounters the charismatic hotel owner Jack Grayson and the spirited telegraph operator...

At secondary school in 1980s Dublin, a narrator recounts the story of his friend, Benny Breen who is terrorized by the vice principal known as Spitz. Over five years, about the halls and classrooms, Benny is made to trail the tyrant with unfettered power. He's subjected to humiliation and put-downs. When at last Benny reveals the true extent of the happenings, his confidante is so disturbed, he concludes there remains available but one option to end it. The pals hatch an astonishing plan so that Benny can live again, free from the torment he's suffered. A sensational, disturbing, yet ...