“A River Runs Through It” is a semi-autobiographical novella written by Norman Maclean. The story is set in early 20th century Montana and follows the lives of two brothers, Norman and Paul, as they grow up in a family that values fly-fishing and Presbyterianism. The novella explores themes of family, nature, and spirituality through the …
Examples of Allegories
The Book of Disquiet by Fernando Pessoa is a literary work that has fascinated readers for decades. This book is a journal that contains the reflections of the author, beginning in 1912 at the age of twenty-four, as he anticipated World War I. Pessoa wrote the book mainly for himself under the pseudonym Bernardo Soares, …
George Orwell’s 1984 is a dystopian novel that has become a classic in literature. The novel is set in a totalitarian society where the government has complete control over every aspect of people’s lives. The story follows the main character, Winston Smith, who rebels against the government’s control and tries to find a way to …
The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff is a book that explains the Eastern philosophy of Taoism through the adventures of Winnie the Pooh and his friends. The book uses the characters and stories from A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh stories to explain the basic principles of Taoism in an easy-to-understand way for Westerners. The book was …
“The Virgin Suicides” by Jeffrey Eugenides is a novel that has captivated readers since its publication in 1993. The story is set in Grosse Pointe, Michigan during the 1970s and follows the lives of the five Lisbon sisters. The novel is written from the perspective of an anonymous group of teenage boys who struggle to …
The Scapegoat by Daphne du Maurier is a suspenseful novel that tells the story of an English academic who meets his double, a French aristocrat, in a bar in France. The Frenchman gets the Englishman drunk, swaps identities, and disappears, leaving the Englishman to sort out the Frenchman’s extensive financial and family problems. The novel …
Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises is a classic novel that has captivated readers for generations. Set in post-World War I Europe, the novel follows a group of disillusioned expatriates as they search for meaning and purpose in their lives. While the novel is often read as a straightforward story of love and loss, it …
Niccolò Machiavelli’s The Prince is a political treatise that has been the subject of much debate and interpretation since its publication in 1532. The book is known for its controversial advice on how to acquire and maintain political power, which has led some to label Machiavelli as a ruthless and amoral thinker. However, others argue …
The Outsiders is a coming-of-age novel by S.E. Hinton, published in 1967. It tells the story of Ponyboy Curtis, a teenager from the wrong side of the tracks, who is caught up in a bitter rivalry between two groups of teenagers in 1960s Oklahoma. The novel has become a classic of young adult literature and …
Thomas Merton’s “The Other Side of the Mountain” is a collection of journals that document the final 14 months of his life. Merton was a Trappist monk and Catholic author who is widely regarded as one of the most influential American Catholic writers of the 20th century. The journals offer a glimpse into Merton’s thoughts …