Madame Bovary

When Flaubert published his story of a bored bourgeois woman's experiments with adultery he caused a public outcry. Never before had anyone depicted a woman's passions more nakedly. Speculation arose about who this provincial doctor's wife might really be. But Flaubert insisted his model for his great work was himself: "Madame Bovary, c'est moi," he claimed. Find out more about the famous French novel Madam Bovary and delve into an erotic and psychological masterpiece.

Anna Karenina

Anna Karenina has beauty, riches, and a loving family. But until she meets Count Vronsky her life has no value. Anna's wild passion for her young lover results not in freedom, however, but in scandal, despair, and ultimate tragedy. In Tolstoy's sweeping love story, we get to the heart of both one woman's emptiness in the face of good fortune and the state of Russian society in the century before the rise of Communism. Click here for more.

Pride and Prejudice

One of Jane Austen's best-loved novels, Pride and Prejudice draws us into the troubled relationship between Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy — two charming, star-crossed lovers. More than a simple character study, Austen's writing offers insight into the snobberies and conceits of middle-class life in the England of her day. Read more about Austen's comedy of manners here.

Troilus and Cressida

Like Homer and Chaucer before him, Shakespeare was intrigued by the doomed love story of Prince Troilus and Cressida. Set against the backdrop of the Trojan-Greek war and the abduction of Helen, his play about two ill-fated lovers explores themes of betrayal, mutability, and corruption. Called one of the Bard's "problem comedies" this play nonetheless continues to fascinate audiences and readers alike. Click here to find out more.