“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 …
Types of Allegories
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, …
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 …
The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers is a collection of ten short stories that was first published in 1895. The stories are set in both America and France, and they showcase the decadence and degeneracy of society during the fin de siècle period. The first four stories in the collection are linked by …
Stephen King’s “The Dark Tower” is a series of eight books, a comic book series, and a feature film adaptation. The story follows Roland Deschain, the last Gunslinger, on his quest to reach the Dark Tower, a mythical structure that serves as the center of all universes. The series is a blend of genres, including …
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Diamond as Big as the Ritz” is a classic allegorical short story that has been widely studied and celebrated. The story revolves around John T. Unger, a student at an exclusive Massachusetts prep school, who befriends Percy Washington, a new classmate who boasts that his father is “the richest man in …
The Epic of Gilgamesh is an ancient Mesopotamian epic poem that tells the story of Gilgamesh, the king of Uruk, and his adventures with his friend Enkidu. The epic is considered one of the earliest works of literature and has been studied by scholars for centuries. One of the most intriguing aspects of the epic …