Love in Literature

 A history of love told through the great stories of Western literature.

Love is a force that has transformed civilizations, shaped our languages, and altered the course of our destinies. In every age, it has also been a literary creation. In this insightful essay, distinguished scholar Ana María Maza combines erudition with emotional sensitivity to guide readers through some of Western literature’s most enduring love stories—from the radiance of Helen of Troy to the heartbreak of Anna Karenina, by way of Juliet’s passion, Dido’s tragic dilemma, and the haunting presence of Proust’s Albertine.

Bringing literature into dialogue with philosophy, history, and psychology, Maza offers a compelling exploration of how each era has imagined and redefined love. The result is a rich literary journey through the great romances that have shaped the Western imagination for more than two thousand years.