Literature
One book, one question a day
The Death of Ivan Ilyich
Has my life truly been for myself, or merely a show for others?
EUROPEJehol Diary
Do I possess the unfamiliar gaze needed to discover new things within my familiar daily life?
KOREAThe Metamorphosis
When my usefulness vanishes, am I still a being worthy of love and belonging?
EUROPEFrankenstein
Are the achievements or relationships I have created out of desire slowly ending up destroying my life instead?
EUROPEFrankenstein
To what extent are we truly responsible for the things we create and achieve?
EUROPEFrankenstein
When we unleash creations we cannot take responsibility for, who is truly to blame for the resulting tragedy?
EUROPEMoby-Dick
What is the 'white whale' in your life that you are chasing to the point of being consumed by it?
USThe Sorrows of Young Werther
Have you ever let your boiling emotions burn entirely without suppressing them with reason?
EUROPEThe Cloud Dream of the Nine
Could the success and desires I am desperately chasing right now just be a fleeting dream?
KOREAMoby-Dick
What is the inner white whale that drives me blindly?
USCrime and Punishment
Is your shallow conviction arbitrarily judging and destroying someone else's life?
EUROPEThe Metamorphosis
Do I still have value to exist even when my usefulness to others has disappeared?
EUROPEThe Brothers Karamazov
Can we still love one another even in the deepest suffering of human existence?
EUROPELes Misérables
How can a single act of mercy redeem a human soul?
EUROPEThe Story of Hong Gildong
Will you conform to the limits set by the world, or build your own ideal kingdom?
KOREAThe Cloud Dream of the Nine
If the worldly achievements I dedicated my life to are but a fleeting dream, what should I truly pursue?
KOREAJane Eyre
Can I respect myself even in the moments when no one else protects me?
EUROPEThe Cloud Dream of the Nine
If all these worldly achievements are but a fleeting dream, what will you leave behind today?
KOREAPride and Prejudice
Are my hasty judgments and pride obscuring the true nature of someone in my life?
EUROPECrime and Punishment
When arrogant beliefs crumble, how can a human being find true redemption and rebuild their soul from the ruins?
EUROPEJane Eyre
How can I maintain my independent will and self-worth in the face of love and social expectations?
EUROPEThe Tale of Sim Chong
What is the true meaning of salvation and love hidden behind the act of ultimate sacrifice?
KOREAThe Scarlet Letter
Do you have the courage to face your deepest shame and wounds, revealing them proudly to sublimate them into your own dignity?
USPoetics
How do tragic stories dealing with sorrow and suffering ultimately purify our hearts?
EUROPEMadame Bovary
Are the dreams I chase truly my own desires, or merely borrowed illusions?
EUROPEThe Call of the Wild
When stepping out of comfortable boundaries, what rawest instinct awakens within me?
USThe Cloud Dream of the Nine
Are the wealth and glory I strive for ultimately just a mirage that will fade like a fleeting dream?
KOREAThe Brothers Karamazov
If everything is permitted, can we truly be free in our lives?
EUROPEGreat Expectations
What remains when our greatest expectations crumble and fall away?
EUROPEMiddlemarch
How narrow and prejudiced is my perspective when I observe the lives and struggles of others?
EUROPEThe Cherry Orchard
Are we turning a blind eye to the approaching changes in life by clinging to a beautiful past?
EUROPEIn Search of Lost Time
What memories are hidden in the seemingly trivial sensations of everyday life?
EUROPEFathers and Sons
Once we have destroyed all that is old, what shall we use to sustain our new lives?
EUROPEThe Story of Master Heo
Will the real world finally open up when we cast off empty justifications and unsubstantial pretenses?
KOREAThe Awakening
Are you trapped in roles defined by others, ignoring the true voice of your own soul?
USThe Cloud Dream of the Nine
Are the wealth and glory I chase so desperately merely a fleeting spring dream?
KOREAThe Tale of Genji
In the fleeting nature of relationships, what am I trying to hold on to?
EAST-ASIALittle Women
Am I living in harmony with others without losing my unique nature?
USThe True Story of Ah Q
Am I intoxicated by mental victories, turning a blind eye to the bitter defeats of reality?
EAST-ASIAThe Sorrows of Young Werther
Is there a blind passion alive within me that makes my heart beat uncontrollably?
EUROPEGeumo Sinhwa
When frustrated by the walls of reality, what new world can I open through my inner imagination?
KOREAThe Tale of Hong Gildong
Do I quietly conform or fiercely resist when faced with unjust discrimination and insurmountable walls?
KOREAThe Story of Shim Cheong
Have we ever willingly sacrificed ourselves to open someone else's eyes to the world?
KOREAEthan Frome
How far can we dream of freedom when trapped within the heavy boundaries of our fate?
USPoetics
How can a tragic story purify our souls and bring about catharsis?
EUROPEWater Margin
Are you willing to step onto the rough path of solidarity to stand against the injustices of the world?
EAST-ASIAThe Death of Ivan Ilyich
When death approaches, can you say that your life was the right answer?
EUROPEThe Story of Hong Gildong
Faced with the world's outdated limits, do I resign myself or cross the boundaries?
KOREAThe Tale of Heo Saeng
Do you have the courage to break outdated conventions and imagine new possibilities?
KOREAThe Tale of Heo Saeng
Is the knowledge I possess being used to change the world, or does it merely remain as vanity in my room?
KOREAThe Picture of Dorian Gray
If I were to trade my soul for eternal youth and beauty, what kind of face would I ultimately wear?
EUROPEThe Yellow Wallpaper
What is the invisible wall that suppresses and confines my true voice under the guise of protecting me?
USCandide
What must I do now to abandon blind optimism and cultivate the true garden of my life?
EUROPEThe Story of Hong Gildong
Do you have the will to break your given old limitations and pioneer a new path?
KOREAThe Story of Hong Gildong
Am I allowing the circumstances of my birth and social constraints to determine my limits?
KOREAWuthering Heights
Does a fierce, primal emotion breathe within me, strong enough to burn everything down?
EUROPEThe Odyssey
After a long and arduous journey, where is the true home you must finally return to in your life?
EUROPEThe Decameron
Where does the vitality come from that makes humans smile even in the face of desperate disaster?
ITALYDon Quixote
Is it not true madness to live sane in a mad world?
SPAINGulliver's Travels
How ridiculous might my absolute common sense and truth seem in another world?
UKAlice's Adventures in Wonderland
Who in the world am I in a world devoid of logic and order?
UKHeart of Darkness
What lurks in the deepest parts of the human soul when the veneer of civilization is stripped away?
UKTess of the d'Urbervilles
How is human 'purity' proven amidst the shackles of blind fate and social prejudice?
UKAnna Karenina
Are we willing to risk social ruin for the sake of true happiness?
RUSSIAA Doll's House
Do we have the courage to break the cage called love to exist entirely as ourselves?
EUROPEFaust
At the end of an endless thirst for knowledge and pleasure, can the human soul be saved?
GERMANYShakuntala
How is true love, engraved deep within the soul, revived even beyond the curse of oblivion?
INDIAThe Tale of the Bamboo Cutter
Why must a radiant being from the celestial world reject earthly desires and return to the heavens?
EAST-ASIAThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Between the false morality instilled by civilized society and the truth of my conscience, do I have the courage to willingly go to hell?
USA Tale of Two Cities
Amidst the bloody revolution and madness of destruction, can a love bloom that is willing to die for someone else?
UKThe Story of Chunhyang
Where does the power of love come from that does not break even in the face of the solid wall of status and the tyranny of unjust power?
KOREAWar and Peace
What is the meaning of an individual's life amidst the massive vortex of history?
RUSSIAThe Time Machine
Where does the progress and prosperity of humanity ultimately lead us?
UKDracula
How do we confront the old, dark terrors that cannot be controlled by the power of reason?
UKThe Count of Monte Cristo
Can a human being take the place of God and become a judge?
FRANCEThe Canterbury Tales
How do the stories of ordinary people with various desires and hypocrisies become a mirror of the times?
UKThe Red Badge of Courage
How is the illusion of heroism shattered in the face of the fear of death?
USRobinson Crusoe
How does a human being rebuild their own world in absolute isolation where everything is disconnected?
UKThe Satyricon
What bare face of humanity do we confront at the end of extreme hedonism and vanity?
ROMEThe Record of Lady Sa's Southward Journey
How do truth and goodness prove themselves amidst false accusations stained with power and jealousy?
KOREAThe Story of Janghwa and Hongryeon
How do the unjustly silenced voices of the marginalized burst out into the world?
KOREAOedipus Rex
Are our efforts to escape destiny merely the very process of fulfilling it?
EUROPEStrange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
Can we truly be confident in our ability to control the dark desires hidden within us?
EUROPEEugene Onegin
Why do we turn away when it is within reach, only to long for it after it is lost?
EUROPEDead Souls
Blinded by greed, how do we differ from the dead souls, though we are alive?
EUROPEThe Hunchback of Notre-Dame
Between outward beauty and inner ugliness, what do we believe to be the true reality?
EUROPEThe Jungle Book
How can we learn the law of the pack without losing our own wild nature?
EUROPEPeer Gynt
Under the guise of finding our true selves, are we merely evading our responsibilities?
EUROPEGrimms' Fairy Tales
In a cruel and absurd world, how do the weak survive and ultimately triumph?
EUROPEDream of the Red Chamber
Are all the wealth, glory, and sorrowful loves of life merely a fleeting, empty dream?
EAST-ASIARomance of the Three Kingdoms
In the chaos of turbulent times, what is the true power that unites people and achieves a great cause?
EAST-ASIAThe Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman
Could it be that the chaotic, seemingly meaningless daily life, free from narrative structure, is our true existence?
EUROPEA Journal of the Plague Year
In the face of massive disaster and the fear of death, how are human reason and morality tested?
EUROPEBilly Budd
Why must absolute innocence so often be sacrificed within the laws and order of the secular world?
USThe Prince and the Pauper
Are the privileges and status we enjoy merely the result of the clothes we wear?
USThe Wind in the Willows
How great is a life that escapes breathless ambition to enjoy the changing seasons and bonds of friendship?
EUROPEThe Tempest
What freedom do we gain when we let go of the anger and vengeance that imprison us?
EUROPENotes from Underground
Where does the human contradiction of trying to prove one's freedom even by going against reason come from?
EUROPEThe Turn of the Screw
Is the truth we are so certain of actually reality, or an illusion created by our inner fears?
USThe Tale of the Heike
What lesson does the ephemeral fall of seemingly eternal power leave for our lives?
EAST-ASIAMoll Flanders
When torn between morality and survival on the harsh edge of existence, what choice will we make?
EUROPESilas Marner
Where does the true power of salvation come from that makes a scarred and hardened heart beat again?
EUROPEThe Importance of Being Earnest
In a society full of hypocrisy and face-saving, how ridiculous a play are we performing?
EUROPETom Jones
Which is true goodness: a clumsy but honest heart, or slick superficial hypocrisy?
EUROPEThe Tale of Kieu
What is the value of a noble heart that remains unyielding even in the face of fate's harsh trials?
EAST-ASIAGargantua and Pantagruel
How does a hearty laugh that shatters taboos and oppression become the most powerful philosophy?
EUROPEThe Tale of Peter Rabbit
What growth does the reckless curiosity of childhood that crosses forbidden lines bring us?
EUROPEMetamorphoses
What remains unperished in me amidst endless transformations?
EUROPEHojoki (An Account of My Hut)
What kind of freedom do we attain when we let go of everything we own?
EAST-ASIAHerland
What would the world look like if the social roles we take for granted completely disappeared?
USThe War of the Worlds
What remains when humanity's arrogance as the apex of creation crumbles?
EUROPEThe Prelude
How does the wonder I felt in nature as a child remain within me now?
EUROPEJourney to the West
How can I tame the uncontrollable desires and the monkey-like mind within me?
EAST-ASIAKokoro
How should we live when confronted with the deep-seated selfishness at the core of human nature?
EAST-ASIAA Season in Hell
What will I discover in the solitude reached after destroying all existing orders and morals?
EUROPEThe Captain's Daughter
Can honor and love be preserved to the end even in the maelstrom of chaotic history?
EUROPEAnne of Green Gables
What new hope awaits me around the bend in the winding road of my life?
USParadise Lost
Between submitting in Heaven and ruling in Hell, where does my free will lead?
EUROPEShahnameh
What can I sacrifice to protect my fading roots and culture?
MIDDLE-EASTRamayana
What is the duty (dharma) I must uphold to the end, even in the face of extreme trials and temptations?
INDIAChu Ci (Songs of Chu)
When the whole world is tainted, is it foolish to remain pure alone?
EAST-ASIAThe Age of Innocence
How do invisible social conventions elegantly suffocate individual desires?
USThe Great Gatsby
Is the human desire to reach for an unattainable illusion foolish or great?
USThe Trial
When crushed by the cogs of a vast system without knowing why, how do we protect our dignity?
EUROPETo the Lighthouse
In the flow of passing time, can we fully understand the true mind of another?
EUROPEThe Red and the Black
Is the ambition of a young man dreaming of social climbing in a hypocritical world guilty or innocent?
EUROPEPanchatantra
Where is the wisdom of living hidden?
INDIAOblomov
How does lethargy consume the soul?
EUROPEThe Scholars
What is the true face of intellectuals blinded by success and honor?
EAST-ASIAA Christmas Carol
What is the true value that thaws a frozen heart?
EUROPEWilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship
How does a wandering youth find their own path?
EUROPEThe Murders in the Rue Morgue
How does perfect logic solve a labyrinth?
USA Woman's Life
How are romantic illusions shattered before the tragedy of reality?
EUROPEThe Idiot
Can a purely good and innocent person survive in a corrupted world?
RUSSIASister Carrie
Can material success and the glamorous city lights truly satisfy our inner thirst?
USMy Ántonia
Where does the resilient vitality to take root and cultivate life in barren land come from?
USDiary of a Madman
How should the only sane person survive in a world where everyone has gone mad?
EAST-ASIADubliners
Is our life stuck in an invisible swamp of paralysis and lethargy?
EUROPESentimental Education
Do the grand ideals and passions of youth eventually erode with the passage of time?
EUROPEThe Charterhouse of Parma
Can individual freedom and burning passion fully blossom even within an oppressive system?
EUROPEResurrection
How can a soul stained with sin and deceit be reborn through true atonement?
RUSSIANorth and South
How do people with different backgrounds and beliefs reach true understanding beyond prejudice?
EUROPEBotchan
Is it reckless to maintain a straightforward character in an adult world full of pretense and hypocrisy?
EAST-ASIAMedea
To what destructive lengths can betrayed love drive a person seeking revenge?
EUROPERashomon
How easily does human morality collapse when faced with the crossroads of survival?
EAST-ASIAThe Wild Duck
Is it a form of violence to force truth upon a life sustained by false illusions?
EUROPEThe Three Musketeers
How do loyalty and friendship birth heroes in a world dominated by self-interest?
EUROPEThe Robbers
Can becoming a villain oneself to fight against an unjust world ever be justified?
EUROPEInhyeon Wanghu Jeon
How do human dignity and goodwill shine even in the face of unjust trials?
KOREAStrange Tales from a Chinese Studio
What critique does the author deliver against a corrupt human world through the voices of ghosts and foxes?
EAST-ASIAOne Thousand and One Nights
How does the magic of storytelling reform a bloodthirsty tyrant and delay death itself?
MIDDLE-EASTThe Adventures of Tom Sawyer
What truth does the innocence of children playing outside the rules made by adults reflect?
USThe House of the Seven Gables
Does the guilt of the past forever imprison us in the present, or is it a shackle we can break?
USThe Tale of a Yangban
Does true authority and status come from outward appearances, or from inner competence?
KOREAEmma
How does the arrogance of believing our judgments are always right blind our vision?
EUROPEThe Gambler
Why do humans throw their lives onto the roulette of uncontrollable desires, knowing it leads to ruin?
EUROPEI Am a Cat
How absurd and contradictory do human beings appear in the eyes of a mere cat?
EAST-ASIAWhite Fang
In a harsh and violent world, what is the true power that tames the heart of a beast?
US