The Stakes of Literature
The Stakes of Literature
In good writing, instructors seek to impress upon writers the need to take the stakes in the story to the highest point possible. In his great book about writing, Robert McKee also talks about the Negation of the Negation, the end of the line, where the story can’t go beyond a certain point in the human experience.
As I have been going through my journey of reading 101 literary works, I’ve tried to list out what the stakes were in these stories. These are there to help me become a better writer, but they also may help you, too. If you disagree or see something more obvious, please, let me know.
The Awakening, Kate Chopin
The Egypt Game, Zilpha Keatley Snyder
Go Set a Watchman, by Nell Harper Lee
All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr
Wintering, Peter Geye
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare
The Heaven of Mercury, Brad Watson
The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Nell Harper Lee
Twelve Days of Christmas, Debbie Macomber
The Grid, by Harry Hunsicker
A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens
Commonwealth, by Ann Patchett
Twain’s End, by Lynn Cullen
Bel Canto, by Ann Patchett
War and Turpentine, by Stefan Hertmans
Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov
Moonglow, Michael Chabon
The Storied Life of A J Fikry, Gabrielle Zevin
A Gentleman in Moscow, Amor Towles
Rules of Civility, Amor Towles
A Separate Peace, John Knowles
The Travelers, Chris Pavone
History of Wolves, Emily Fridlund
The Human Comedy, William Saroyan
The Bear and the Nightingale, Katherine Arden
Caraval, Stephanie Garber
The Wolf in the Attic, Paul Kearney
The Barrowfields, Phillip Lewis
The Call of the Wild, Jack London
Swallows and Amazons, Arthur Ransome
A Reliable Wife, Robert Goolrick
Elmet, Fiona Mozley
The Hazel Wood, Melissa Albert
Uncommon Type, Tom Hanks
The Lodger, Marie Belloc Lowndes
On Chesil Beach, Ian McEwan
The Paris Wife, Paula McLain
To Have and Have Not, Ernest Hemingway
The Waters and the Wild, DeSales Harrison
Before We Were Yours, Lisa Wingate
A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway
The Torrents of Spring, Ernest Hemingway
The Figure in the Carpet, Henry James
The Last Tycoon, F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway
Eileen, Ottessa Moshfegh
Animal Farm, George Orwell
The Overstory, Richard Powers
The Captives, Debra Jo Immergut
Scoop, Evelyn Waugh
Warlight, Michael Ondaatje–how far do you go in search of secrets about your past?
The Immortalists, Chloe Benjamin–following the advice of a seer or living the life you control on your own.
Your Destination is on the Left, Lauren Spieller–how far can one go before having to stand on his own?
The President is Missing, Bill Clinton and James Patterson–whom to trust, himself or aides to save America.
Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald, Therese Anne Fowler
The Great Alone, Kristin Hannah–living with the secret of Leni’s past with her mother and father and whether to come clean.
Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime, Oscar Wilde–following the seer’s advice or being rationale.
A Long Way From Home, Peter Carey–staying in the camp after learning his true identity or fleeing from himself once again.
My Year of Rest and Relaxation, Ottessa Moshfegh–risking death via overdose to free herself of her past.
The Pearl, John Steinbeck–whether to keep the mighty pearl and the fortune it might bring, or throw it back into the sea and be free of its evil.
The Human Stain, Philip Roth–Coleman’s big secret, whether to keep it hidden or to finally share it with his children.
