21st

• Helen Keller


  • From Alabama, USA
  • Lost her sight and hearing at 19 months due to illness
  • Communicated with Anne Sullivan
• "The Story of My Life"

  1903 autobiography about her education and life with Anne Sullivan
• Edgar Allan Poe


  • Master of mystery and macabre (disturbing & horrifying) tales
  • Struggled financially but left his mark on literature
• Edgar Allan Poe's works


  • "The Raven"
  • "The Tell-Tale Heart"
  • "The Fall of the House of Usher"
• "The Raven"


  Haunting poem about a narrator mourning the loss of his beloved (Leonor). One December evening, a knock came and a mysterious raven greeted him. The bird responds to the word "nevermore" having the narrator in despair and obsession. The poem explores themes of grief, loss, and the relentless passage of time
• "The Tell-Tale Heart"


  Chilling short story about a narrator insisting they're sane while recounting their gruesome murder. They're obsessed with the pale blue eyes of an old man, secretly observing him every night. On the 8th night, the old man woke up to see the narrator who is driven by fear hence doing the crime. The story delves into paranoia, guilt, and the unraveling of the human mind
• "The Fall of the House of Usher"

  Gothic masterpiece about the narrator who visits the decaying mansion of his childhood friend (Roderick Usher). His friend's twin (Madeline) fell ill leading to premature burial. As the story unfolds, eerie events and madness envelop the house, culminating in a haunting climax. Themes of decay, isolation, and the supernatural pervade this atmospheric narrative
• Victor Hugo


  1802, French romantic writer and politician who worked in various genres and forms
• "Les Misérables"


  A historical novel about social injustice. It revolves around an ex-convict (Jean Valjean) in 19th century France who got imprisoned for 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread. He sought redemption while being relentlessly pursued by an inspector (Javert). The ex-convict transformed into an industrialist, and the impact of his decisions on other characters
• "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame"


  A Gothic tale set in medieval Paris, that revolves around the deformed bell-ringer of Notre-Dame Cathedral (Quasimodo) who has unrequited love for the beautiful gypsy dancer (La Esmeralda). The novel condemns a society that heaps misery on both Quasimodo and La Esmeralda through characters like Archdeacon Claude Frollo and Phoebus de Chateaupers
• Geoffrey Chaucer


  1340, father of English literature
• "The Canterbury Tales"


  A collection of 24 stories told by pilgrims on their way to Canterbury
• John Milton


  1608, English poet, polemicist, and civil servant
• "Paradise Lost"


  Epic poem about the fall of man and Satan's rebellion
• "Areopagitica"


  Prose polemic about a powerful defense of freedom of speech and the press
• Dante Alighieri


  1265, Italian poet, writer, and philosopher
• "The Divine Comedy"


  Epic poem about a journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise
• Chinua Achebe


  Nigerian novelist
• "Things Fall Apart"


  Explores African culture and colonialism. It's about how Okonkwo's status and self-worth depend on traditional Igbo ideas of masculinity. As the story unfolds, Okonkwo's zealous pursuit of fame and recognition leads to conflicts with others. The arrival of Christian missionaries and British colonial forces marks the end of Igbo autonomy, leaving Okonkwo with no way out, ultimately leading to his tragic demise. The title itself, borrowed from W. B. Yeats's poem "The Second Coming," adds a sense of inevitable tragedy to the narrative
• Wole Soyinka


  A Nigerian playwright and poet, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature
• "Death and the King's Horseman"


  Drama about a king's horseman (Elesin Oba) who is bound by duty to commit a ritual suicide due to accompany his dead king to the afterlife. But the colonial authorities stopped him in fear that the horsemen's death would disrupt their control
• N.V.M. Gonzales


  A Filipino writer known for his short stories
• "Children of the Ash-Covered Loam"

  Collection of short stories about the lives of marginalized folks in Philippines. It hints the struggles of children as they tirelessly work the soil to survive
• Bob Ong


  Pseudonymous Filipino author known for a blend of humor and social commentary
• "ABNKKBSNPLAko?!"


  An autobiography that humorously critiques the Philippines' education system
• William Faulkner


  1897, American writer known for his complex narratives set in the American South
• "The Sound and the Fury"


  A novel exploring the decline of the Compson family in the American South. Narrated by four Compson children, it delves into their struggles, memories, and the deterioration of Southern aristocracy
• "As I Lay Dying"

  A darkly humorous tale of a family's journey to bury their matriarch in her hometown. Amid floods and personal challenges, the novel captures their chaotic emotions and complex family dynamics
• William Faulkner's works


  • Southern Gothic, modernist fiction
• Lualhati Bautista


  Filipino novelist who focuses on social issues and women's experiences
• "Dekada '70"


  Novel about the Martial Law era in the Philippines
• Nick Joaquin


  Filipino writer who was a prolific essayist, journalist, and novelist
• "The Woman Who Had Two Navels"


  Novel blending history, psychology, and mysticism. Revolving around Connie Escobar who believes she has 2 navels and is obsessed with its uniqueness
• Elizabeth Barrett Browning


  1806, English romantic poet who often explored themes of love and social justice
• "Sonnets from the Portuguese"


  A collection of love sonnets
• Charles Dickens


  1812, English literary giant known for vivid characters and social commentary
• "Great Expectations"


  A coming-of-age novel. The story follows Pip, an orphan living with his sister and her husband in the marshes of Kent. One evening, Pip encounters an escaped convict who demands food and a file for his leg irons. Later, Pip visits the eccentric Miss Havisham's house, where he falls in love with the cold and contemptuous Estella. Pip dreams of becoming a wealthy gentleman to win Estella's heart. Unexpectedly, he inherits a fortune, but his hopes take unexpected turns as he navigates social class, love, and identity
• "A Tale of Two Cities"


  Novel set in 1775, where Jarvis Lorry receives a cryptic message—"Recalled to Life." He meets Lucie Manette, whose father, Dr. Manette, was once imprisoned in the Bastille. Driven mad by his captivity, Dr. Manette spends his time making shoes. The story shifts to 1780, where Charles Darnay faces treason charges in England. Sydney Carton, who resembles Darnay, assists in his acquittal. Meanwhile, in France, the cruel Marquis Evrémonde's actions lead to tragedy. The novel explores themes of duality, revolution, and resurrection
• Rudyard Kipling


  1865, English writer whose works often celebrate British imperialism
• "The Jungle Book"


  Collection of stories about Mowgli and animal characters