LITERATURE

Heather Chasen poses for a ‘Mousetrap’ publicity still.

Agatha Christie’s ‘The Mousetrap’ Is the World’s Longest-Running Play. Now It’s Set to Make Its Broadway Debut

Christie’s murder mystery has run nearly uninterrupted in London’s West End for the past 70 years.

Sci-fi literature and short stories inspired these bright ideas.

11 Scientific Advancements Inspired by Sci-Fi Stories

These sci-fi tales have gone beyond predicting technological advancements to directly inspiring scientific progress, from robotics to rocketry and everything in between.

The 11th tablet of 'The Epic of Gilgamesh.'

10 of the Oldest Pieces of Literature

These pieces of literature—from 'The Epic of Gilgamesh' to what is widely considered the first novel ever written—are some of the oldest in history.

8 Facts About ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover,’ D.H. Lawrence’s Most Scandalous Novel

The story behind the publication of ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’ is almost as dramatic as the novel itself.

Thomas Hardy and his beloved English countryside.

12 Facts About Author Thomas Hardy

'Tess of the d'Urbervilles' author Thomas Hardy is best known for his novels of rural realism, but he started out as an architect.

Haruki Murakami's love of music is evident throughout his body of work.

7 Haruki Murakami Novels and Short Stories Named for Songs

Music plays a big role in his books, but the references are not always as obvious as they may appear.

Author Jesmyn Ward's 'Sing, Unburied, Sing' won the National Book Award in 2017.

14 National Book Award Winners You Should Read

The National Book Award in Fiction has recognized the best the world of literature has to offer—and we've rounded up some standouts.

11 of Kurt Vonnegut’s Most Memorable Quotes

The words of the free-thinking, veteran skeptic, humanist humorist live on.

Swimming, Scotch, and Jazz: Kurt Vonnegut’s Daily Routine During His Teaching Stint at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop

“I numb my twanging intellect with several belts of Scotch and water.” —Kurt Vonnegut during his Iowa Writers’ Workshop era.

8 Tips For Overcoming ‘Reader‘s Block’

How to ignore the distractions and get your nose back in a book.

Think you know these classic literary monsters? These compelling modern-day retellings will have you doing a double take.

11 Contemporary Updates To Classic Literary Monsters

From Dracula to Beowulf’s Grendel, these classic literary monsters have all been reimagined in these gripping contemporary books.

Stranger Than Fiction: The Paranormal Researcher Who Inspired Shirley Jackson

Paranormal investigator Nandor Fodor angered spiritualists, earned praise from Sigmund Freud, and influenced one of the most famous ghost stories of all time.

Clockwise from left: Kazuo Ishiguro, Toni Morrison, Gabriel García Márquez, and Nadine Gordimer.

14 Nobel Prize-Winning Authors

The Swedish Academy has been awarding Nobel Prizes in Literature since 1901; here are a few laureates whose books you might want to consider picking up.

The Dark and Mysterious Origins of 10 Classic Nursery Rhymes

When it comes to pure terror fuel in prose form, Stephen King has got nothing on Mother Goose. Some have speculated that these nursery rhymes have roots in Viking rampages and plagues.

12 Fantastic Facts About Nathaniel Hawthorne

American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne drew inspiration from his own ancestors for his best-known novel, 'The Scarlet Letter.'

10 Things You May Not Know About 'Wuthering Heights'

Wuthering Heights—Emily Brontë’s only novel—shocked readers when it came out. Today, the story about the lovers on the English moor is so well known, it’s iconic. Here's what you should know.

Stephen King is one of the biggest names in publishing.

75 Facts About Stephen King

Stephen King once opened the doors to his Bangor, Maine, home to Halloween trick-or-treaters in the 1980s. More than 1000 people showed up.

Delve into the rich genre of Afrofuturism with these fascinating reads.

8 Afrofuturism Novels Worth Adding to Your Collection

These fascinating Afrofuturism novels from authors like Octavia Butler and Colson Whitehead are a great way to discover more about this genre.

Cynthia Addai-Robinson (Queen Regent Míriel) and Morfydd Clark (Galadriel) in 'The Rings of Power.'

This Interactive Map of Middle-earth Helps Bridge the Gap Between ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Rings of Power’

A map of Middle-earth is featured in ‘The Rings of Power,’ but it’s tough to get the full picture from a few myopic shots.

Portrait of Frankenstein author Mary Shelley.

10 Facts About Mary Shelley

Between writing 'Frankenstein' and carrying around her dead husband's heart, Mary Shelley earned her title as the original goth girl.

You can consume classic works of literature in 20-minute increments with this app.

Want To Devour Some Classic Literature? The Serial Reader App Breaks Long Novels Up Into Easy-to-Read Chunks

Serial Reader offers more than 800 books in the form of daily "issues" that you can read in just 20 minutes.

One of Shakespeare's First Folios (not this one) was stolen from a cathedral in England in 1998.

7 Times Literary Works Were Stolen

A number of valuable, important, or rare manuscripts have been swiped from authors or the individuals or institutions tasked with taking care of them. Here’s a sampling of them.

Monica Dickens was more prolific than her more famous ancestor—but few know her today.

Let's Talk Strine: How Charles Dickens's Great-Granddaughter (Inadvertently) Named the Australian Accent

Monica “Monty” Dickens was well-known in her lifetime and, like her great-grandfather, had a profound effect on the English language—if not quite in the way she intended.

Romance author Barbara Cartland, circa 1990.

7 of History’s Most Prolific Authors

These authors have published thousands of books between them, from obscure works to best-sellers.

PREV NEXT