The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne Set in Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony during the years 1642 to 1649, the novel tells the story of Hester Prynne, who conceives a daughter through an affair and then struggles to create a new life…
The Art of Racing in the Rain Garth Stein Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), he has educated himself by watching television extensively, and by…
Loop Group Larry McMurtry As Loop Group opens, we meet Maggie, whose three grown-up daughters have arrived at her Hollywood home to try and make her see sense about her busy life, a life that intersects with lots of interesting—all…
Much Ado About Nothing William Shakespeare A favorite on stage and in classrooms, Much Ado About Nothing presents two contrasting love stories: the impulsive romance between Hero and Claudio, threatened by deception from the scheming Don John, and the witty,…
The Merchant of Venice William Shakespeare In The Merchant of Venice, the path to marriage is hazardous. To win Portia, Bassanio must pass a test prescribed by her father’s will, choosing correctly among three caskets or chests. If he fails,…
Henry IV, Part One William Shakespeare Henry IV, Part 1, sometimes titled 1 Henry IV, is a history play by William Shakespeare, chronicling part of the reign of King Henry IV from the battle at Homildon Hill late in 1402…
A Midsummer Night’s Dream William Shakespeare In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare stages the workings of love. Theseus and Hippolyta, about to marry, are figures from mythology. In the woods outside Theseus’s Athens, two young men and two young women…
Hamlet William Shakespeare In this quintessential Shakespeare tragedy, a young prince’s halting pursuit of revenge for the murder of his father unfolds in a series of highly charged confrontations that have held audiences spellbound for nearly four centuries. Those fateful…
King Lear William Shakespeare King Lear tells the tale of a King in pre-Roman Britain. Lear transfers his holdings and power to two of his three daughters after the two profess their affection for him. His third daughter refuses to…
Whistler Ann Patchett When Daphne Fuller and her husband Jonathan visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, they notice an older, white-haired gentleman following them. The man turns out to be Eddie Triplett, her former stepfather, who had been married to…