Literary theme analysis, by a book like {foo}
Books about Excess
The Great Gatsby
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
A wealthy man's journey to reclaim an old flame, discovering the superficiality of the upper class.
In Spring 1922, Nick Carraway—a Yale alumnus from the Midwest and a veteran of the Great War —journeys east to New York City to obtain employment as a bond salesman . He rents a bungalow in the Long ... (Wikipedia)
Hollywood
by Charles Bukowski
A gritty and wild novel of the film industry and its desperate players.
Adopting the stylized alter-ego, Henry 'Hank' Chinaski , a character used in previous novels, this book relates his experiences of working with a director, finding financial backing, losing financial ... (Wikipedia)
Palace Walk
by Naguib Mahfouz
An exploration of family life in Cairo during the 1920s, uncovering secrets and tensions in the everyday.
al-Sayyid Ahmad Abd al-Jawad is the tyrannical head of his household, demanding total, unquestioning obedience from his wife, Amina, his sons, Yasin, Fahmy and Kamal, and his daughters, Khadija and ... (Wikipedia)
Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly
by Anthony Bourdain
A humorous and unflinching account of life in restaurant kitchens, exploring the culture and camaraderie of the culinary world.
A deliciously funny, delectably shocking banquet of wild-but-true tales of life in the culinary trade from Chef Anthony Bourdain, laying out his more than a quarter-century of drugs, sex, and haute ... (Goodreads)
The Beautiful and Damned
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
A young couple's struggle to maintain their marriage while searching for financial stability.
The Beautiful and Damned tells the story of Anthony Patch in 1910s New York, a socialite and presumptive heir to a tycoon's fortune; his complicated marriage to Gloria Gilbert; the couple's troubling ... (Wikipedia)
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
by Hunter S. Thompson
A wild and hallucinatory journey through the seedy underbelly of Las Vegas.
The basic synopsis revolves around journalist Raoul Duke ( Hunter S. Thompson ) and his attorney, Dr. Gonzo ( Oscar Zeta Acosta ), as they arrive in Las Vegas in 1971 to report on the Mint 400 ... (Wikipedia)
The Renegades of Pern
by Anne McCaffrey
A group of rebels must protect their planet from a deadly plague and a powerful enemy.
As long as the people of Pern could remember, the Holds had protected them from Thread, the deadly silver strands that fell from the sky and ravaged the land. In exchange for sanctuary in the huge ... (Goodreads)
Tropic of Cancer
by Henry Miller
A young writer's journey of self-exploration in Paris, confronting life, love and lust.
Now hailed as an American classic Tropic of Cancer , Henry Miller’s masterpiece, was banned as obscene in this country for twenty-seven years after its first publication in Paris in 1934. Only a ... (Goodreads)
The Great Shark Hunt: Strange Tales from a Strange Time
by Hunter S. Thompson
A collection of stories from the life of a gonzo journalist, exploring the seedy underbelly of American culture.
The first volume in Hunter S. Thompson’s bestselling Gonzo Papers offers brilliant commentary and outrageous humor, in his signature style. Originally published in 1979, the first volume of the ... (Goodreads)
Hell's Angels
by Hunter S. Thompson
A journalist's daring exploration of the wild and dangerous world of the Hell's Angels motorcycle gang.
Au début des années soixante, Thompson, alors journaliste à San Francisco, est fasciné par les Hell's Angels. Son article sur ces seigneurs de la route fait sensation, il se lance dans la version ... (Goodreads)
Lord Perfect
by Loretta Chase
A witty and charming historical romance novel about a notorious rake and a headstrong woman who challenge each other's beliefs and fall in love.
IDEAL The heir to the Earl of Hargate, Benedict Carsington, Viscount Rathbourne, is the perfect aristocrat. Tall, dark, and handsome, he is known for his impeccable manners and good breeding. ... (Goodreads)
Rich People Problems
by Kevin Kwan
An exploration of the luxurious and scandalous world of the ultra-wealthy.
In 2015, two years after the events that take place in China Rich Girlfriend , Nick and Rachel Young (née Chu), an economics professor at New York University (NYU), are happily married and living ... (Wikipedia)
Crazy Rich Asians
by Kevin Kwan
An entertaining look at the extravagant lifestyles of the ultra-wealthy in Singapore.
The book is told from the perspective of five main characters: Rachel Chu, Nicholas (Nick) Young, Eleanor Young, Astrid Leong, and Edison Cheng. The story revolves around the grand wedding of ... (Wikipedia)
7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess
by Jen Hatmaker
A spiritual and practical journey to live with less, finding freedom and contentment.
Why do we pursue, more, when we'd be happier with, less,? This is the story of how, New York Times, bestselling author Jen Hatmaker and her family tried to combat overindulgence—and what they learned ... (Barnes & Noble)
Millions of Cats
by Wanda Gág
An old man and woman's search for the perfect pet, leading to a chaotic, fantastical world.
The hand-lettered text, done by the author's brother, , tells the story of an elderly couple who realize that they are very lonely. The wife wants a cat to love, so her husband sets off in search of ... (Wikipedia)
Rant
by Chuck Palahniuk
A darkly humorous and surreal look into a world of chaos, taking on societal norms and conventions.
Buster Casey is born in the rural town of Middleton with the senses of smell and taste far more advanced than any other human. He acquires the nickname "Rant" from a childhood prank involving animal ... (Wikipedia)
Fear and Loathing: The Strange and Terrible Saga of Hunter S. Thompson
by Paul Perry
A biography of the infamous journalist Hunter S. Thompson, detailing his wild and drug-fueled adventures in the 60s and 70s.
Fear and Loathing creates a sharp and savvy profile of one of the most provocative voices and distinctive personalities of our time. To Hunter S. Thompson, being a Gonzo journalist means doing ... (Goodreads)
Gonzo: The Life of Hunter S. Thompson
by Jann S. Wenner
A biography of the legendary journalist Hunter S. Thompson, exploring his wild and unconventional life and career.
Few American lives are stranger, more action-packed, or wilder than that of Hunter S. Thompson. Born a rebel in Louisville, Kentucky, Thompson spent a lifetime channeling his energy and insight into ... (Goodreads)
Skipping Christmas
by John Grisham
A family forgoes their traditional holiday celebration, leading to unexpected adventures.
The story focuses on how Luther and Nora Krank try to avoid the frenzy traditionally experienced during the Christmas holiday. On the Sunday after Thanksgiving , the two take their daughter Blair to ... (Wikipedia)
Food: A Love Story
by Jim Gaffigan
A comedic exploration of the author's obsession with food and its effects.
“What are my qualifications to write this book? None really. So why should you read it? Here’s why: I’m a little fat. If a thin guy were to write about a love of food and eating I’d highly recommend ... (Goodreads)
I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell
by Tucker Max
A fratboy's outrageous misadventures through college life and beyond.
The Book That Inspired The Movie, My name is Tucker Max, and I am an asshole. I get excessively drunk at inappropriate times, disregard social norms, indulge every whim, ignore the consequences of my ... (Goodreads)
Assholes Finish First
by Tucker Max
A comedic exploration of modern dating and relationships.
From the Tucker Max website: What do you do when you've become rich and famous for writing a #1 best-selling book about your drunken, sexual misadventures? I'll tell you what I do: I write another ... (Goodreads)
Goodbye, Things: The New Japanese Minimalism
by Fumio Sasaki
A minimalist lifestyle guide, reshaping our relationship with possessions.
The best-selling phenomenon from Japan that shows us a minimalist life is a happy life. Fumio Sasaki is not an enlightened minimalism expert or organizing guru like Marie Kondo—he’s just a regular ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Homemade Pantry: 101 Foods You Can Stop Buying and Start Making
by Alana Chernila
A guide to making pantry staples from scratch, including bread, cheese, and condiments, with recipes and tips for beginners.
“This is my kitchen. Come on in, but be prepared—it might not be quite what you expect. There is flour on the counter, oats that overflowed onto the floor, chocolate-encrusted spoons in the sink. ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Short Stories
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
A collection of short stories exploring the highs and lows of life in the Jazz Age.
Today, F. Scott Fitzgerald is known for his novels, but in his lifetime, his fame stemmed from his prolific achievement as one of America's most gifted (and best-paid) writers of stories and ... (Goodreads)
Generation of Swine: Tales of Shame and Degradation in the '80's
by Hunter S. Thompson
A collection of essays and articles that provide a scathing critique of American culture in the 1980s.
From the bestselling author of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas , the legendary Hunter S. Thompson’s second volume of the “Gonzo Papers” is back. G eneration of Swine collects hundreds of columns from ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food
by Stan Berenstain
Mama Bear helps her cubs learn about healthy eating habits and the dangers of too much junk food.
Mama Bear lays down the law when she notices that Papa and the cubs are getting too chubby. With the help of Dr. Grizzly's slide show on how the body works, the Bear family makes a healthful ... (Goodreads)
Against Nature
by Joris-Karl Huysmans
A decadent exploration of art and beauty, challenging the conventions of society.
The epigraph is a quotation from Jan van Ruysbroeck ('Ruysbroeck the Admirable'), the fourteenth-century Flemish mystic: Jean des Esseintes is the last member of a powerful and once proud noble ... (Wikipedia)
Story of the Eye
by Georges Bataille
A surrealist exploration of transgression, sex, and violence.
Story of the Eye consists of several vignettes, centered around the sexual passion existing between the unnamed late adolescent male narrator and Simone, his primary female partner. Within this ... (Wikipedia)
Bright Lights, Big City
by Jay McInerney
A young man's journey of personal growth, navigating the chaos of New York City.
The story's narrator is a 24-year-old writer who works as a fact checker for a highbrow magazine for which he had once hoped to write. By night, he is a cocaine -using party-goer seeking to lose ... (Wikipedia)
Party Monster: A Fabulous But True Tale of Murder in Clubland
by James St. James
A true crime story of Michael Alig, a notorious party promoter in the 90s New York club scene, who murdered his drug dealer.
Murder Was Never So Much Fun! When Disco Bloodbath was first published, it created a storm of controversy for its startlingly vivid, strikingly fresh, and outrageously funny depiction of the ... (Goodreads)
Wabi-Sabi: For Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers
by Leonard Koren
An exploration of the Japanese aesthetic philosophy of Wabi-Sabi, finding beauty in imperfection and simplicity.
Describes the principles of wabi-sabi, a Japanese aesthetic associated with Japanese tea ceremonies and based on the belief that true beauty comes from imperfection and incompletion, through text and ... (Goodreads)
French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure
by Mireille Guiliano
A French woman's guide to enjoying food without gaining weight, emphasizing portion control, quality ingredients, and a balanced lifestyle.
The million copy, ultimate #1 bestseller that is changing the way Americans eat and live Don't Diet Eat Chocolate Drink Wine Take Long Walks Enjoy Life Stay Slim the French way Experience the joie de ... (Goodreads)
The Orchard Keeper
by Cormac McCarthy
Three lives intersect in a small Tennessee town, revealing the dark underbelly of rural life. McCarthy's debut novel.
The Orchard Keeper is set during the inter-war period in the hamlet of Red Branch, a small, isolated community in Tennessee. Its story revolves around three characters: Uncle Arthur Ownby, an ... (Wikipedia)
Glamorama
by Bret Easton Ellis
A man's descent into a world of fame, glamour, and superficiality.
The author of American Psycho and Less Than Zero continues to shock and haunt us with his incisive and brilliant dissection of the modern world.In his most ambitious and gripping book yet, Bret ... (Goodreads)
Everything That Remains: A Memoir by the Minimalists
by Joshua Fields Millburn
A memoir about two friends who left their corporate jobs and embraced minimalism, finding happiness in simplicity and letting go of excess possessions.
What if everything you ever wanted isn't what you actually want? Twenty-something, suit-clad, and upwardly mobile, Joshua Fields Millburn thought he had everything anyone could ever want. Until he ... (Barnes & Noble)
Vile Bodies
by Evelyn Waugh
A satirical look at the decadence of the Bright Young Things of the 1920s.
Adam Symes has a novel to finish and, with the proceeds, plans to marry Nina Blount. Returning from France, his manuscript is impounded as obscene by customs officers, while in the next room his ... (Wikipedia)
The Guide
by R.K. Narayan
A humorous and satirical novel about a tour guide in India and the eccentric tourists he leads.
Railway Raju (nickname) is a disarmingly corrupt tour guide who is famous among tourists. He falls in love with a beautiful dancer, Rosie, the wife of archaeologist Marco. They have come to Malgudi, ... (Wikipedia)
Ox-Cart Man
by Donald Hall
A man and his family work hard all year to produce goods to sell in town, then start over again. A cycle of life and work.
Winner of the Caldecott Medal Thus begins a lyrical journey through the days and weeks, the months, and the changing seasons in the life of one New Englander and his family. The oxcart man packs his ... (Goodreads)
In Praise of Shadows
by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki
A contemplative essay on the beauty of shadows and the traditional Japanese aesthetic. It contrasts Western and Eastern cultures' approach to light and darkness.
An essay on aesthetics by the Japanese novelist, this book explores architecture, jade, food, and even toilets, combining an acute sense of the use of space in buildings. The book also includes ... (Goodreads)
The Inner Circle
by T. Coraghessan Boyle
John Milk, a young man in the 1940s, joins the team of Dr. Alfred Kinsey, a sex researcher, and becomes involved in his controversial work.
Milk's sexual coming of age starts in 1939 when he is a student at Indiana University in Bloomington and attends Kinsey’s “marriage course”, a lecture in which the renowned zoologist propounds his ... (Wikipedia)
An Object of Beauty
by Steve Martin
A New York art dealer's pursuit of success, power, and money.
Lacey Yeager is young, captivating, and ambitious enough to take the NYC art world by storm. Groomed at Sotheby's and hungry to keep climbing the social and career ladders put before her, Lacey ... (Goodreads)
The Informers
by Bret Easton Ellis
A collection of interrelated stories set in 1980s Los Angeles, exploring the dark and depraved lives of the city's elite.
Set in Los Angeles, in the recent past. The birthplace and graveyard of American myths and dreams, the city harbours a group of people trapped between the beauty of their surroundings and their own ... (Goodreads)
The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide: How to Declutter, Organize, and Simplify Your Life
by Francine Jay
A guide to living a minimalist lifestyle, focusing on decluttering, organizing, and simplifying one's possessions and surroundings.
Having less stuff is the key to happiness. Do you ever feel overwhelmed, instead of overjoyed, by all your possessions? Do you secretly wish a gale force wind would blow the clutter from your home? ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Fast Diet: The Simple Secret of Intermittent Fasting: Lose Weight, Stay Healthy, Live Longer
by Michael Mosley
A guide to intermittent fasting, with scientific evidence supporting its benefits for weight loss, health, and longevity.
The #1 New York Times bestseller! Is it possible to eat normally, five days a week, and become slimmer and healthier as a result? Simple answer: yes. You just limit your calorie intake for two ... (Goodreads)
Hollywood Dirt
by Alessandra Torre
A small-town girl is hired to clean up the image of a Hollywood bad boy, but their fake relationship turns into something real.
Cole Masten. Abandoned by his superstar wife, Hollywood’s Perfect Husband is now Hollywood’s Sexiest Bachelor: partying hard and screwing even harder. Watch out Los Angeles, there's a new bad boy in ... (Goodreads)
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