Literary Date Night

So you don’t have someone to take you out for a free dinner this February 14? That’s ok. Just take a note from me and replace people with books! They can’t turn you down. Here are four novels about the toils of love that are not only well–written, but feature such flawed characters that it will make you feel better about yourself. So stay in your room, make a cup of tea, and swipe right on all these books.

Taming of the Shrew by Shakespeare
Why read Romeo and Juliet when you can fill your lonely Friday nights with laughter instead of sobs? Perhaps not one of Shakespeare’s most profound works, but it is one of the funniest. Bianca can only get married once her oldest sister gets engaged, but her sister, Katherine, is a real shrew. Watch as the powerful Katherine finds *love* and a story unfolds around personalities unseen.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Nick Carraway is a young man just out of (an ivy league) college, and he has grown increasingly disillusioned with the high society of the East coast. At its core, this beautiful novel is about dreams and the vitality of hope—the true key to the American dream. But this is all shown through one man’s unwavering love for a shallow girl named Daisy. The complexity of the theme is somehow intensified through this simple (and unjustified) romance. Also, there is absolutely no way your love life is worse than Gatsby’s, so this novel is sure to cheer you up.

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Ok, so I know you’re going to say that this book is “racist,” but the book shows classism and how it transcends race more than anything. It takes place in the Civil War era and to not show any sort of tension is as bad as saying it never happened...Anyways, your skills of catching a beaux are probably superior to that of Scarlett’s. Pro tip: don’t marry his cousin in an attempt to make him jealous and decide to marry you. You can’t feel sad for yourself when you’re watching someone else ruin their own life. And Rhett is perfect. Seriously, can you date a fictional character?

Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote
Audrey Hepburn’s Holly Golightly is nothing like the Holly of this book! Holly is näive and ambitious and a lil' bit racey. Holly lives in the apartment above Frank, a writer that is just along for the ride as he hears every detail of Holly’s untraditional life. This is not a typical romance, and the novella does not turn out quite as perfectly as the movie...Capote wasn’t exactly one for a Hollywood ending. This book will not leave you with a case of the "mean reds."

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