The House of Bernarda Alba is a three-act play written by Federico García Lorca in 1936. The play is set in a small village in Andalusia, Spain, and follows the story of Bernarda Alba and her five unmarried daughters. The play explores themes of repression, jealousy, and desire, and is considered one of Lorca’s most …
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“The City We Became” by N.K. Jemisin is a novel that has been receiving a lot of attention recently. The book is an allegory for the city of New York, and explores the idea that cities can come alive and select one of their human residents to be their avatar. In the book, New York …
The City of Ember is a science fiction novel written by Jeanne DuPrau. The book is set in a post-apocalyptic world where the city of Ember is the only source of light and life. The story follows two young protagonists, Lina and Doon, as they try to uncover the secrets of Ember and find a …
Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton is a novel that explores the social and political issues of South Africa during the 1940s. The book follows the journey of a Zulu pastor named Stephen Kumalo, who travels to Johannesburg to search for his son. Along the way, he meets a white landowner named James Jarvis, …
Ecotopia by Ernest Callenbach is a novel that explores the concept of an environmentally sustainable and socially progressive society. It was published in 1975 and is presented as a fictional journal written by a journalist named William Weston. The book is set in an alternative historical timeline, one in which Washington, Oregon, and Northern California …
The Conference of the Birds is a timeless allegorical masterpiece of Sufi literature written by the Persian poet Farid ud-Din Attar. The poem’s unique structure, with various birds representing different human qualities and aspirations, allows Attar to explore the complexities of the soul’s journey. The title is taken directly from the Qur’an, 27:16, where Sulayman …
The Star Rover, also known as The Jacket, is a novel by Jack London that was published in 1915. This science fiction novel explores themes of mysticism and reincarnation, and follows the story of a man named Darrell Standing who is serving a life sentence in San Quentin for murder. Throughout the novel, Standing is …
Natalia Ginzburg’s “The Little Virtues” is a collection of essays that explores the complexities of human relationships and the practicalities of everyday life. Through her writing, Ginzburg reflects on big virtues, little virtues, and how we often confuse one for the other when educating our children. She argues that the true education we must strive …
Lord of Light is a science fiction novel written by Roger Zelazny, published in 1967. The novel is set on a distant planet where colonists from Earth have established a society based on Hindu mythology. The story follows the character Sam, who takes on various identities, including that of a god, in his rebellion against …
Rhinoceros by Eugène Ionesco is a play that serves as a powerful political allegory. The play was first performed in 1959 and is considered a hallmark of the Theatre of the Absurd. The genre emphasized the illogical or irrational aspects of life, often through bizarre or fantastical scenarios. Eugène Ionesco emerged as a leading figure …