LITERATURE

Though much of Charlotte Brontë's life was marked by tragedy, she wrote novels and poems that found great success in her lifetime and are still popular nearly 200 years later.

Joan Didion’s books and essays were written on a breakfast of Coca-Cola and owe a lot to Ernest Hemingway.

In 2020, 'Sanditon'—Jane Austen’s final, unfinished novel—was turned into a Masterpiece miniseries. Now it's coming back for a second season.

Thanks to the flu, a mosquito bite, or both, Truman Capote accidentally ticked off Robert Frost—and lost his job for it.

Judy Blume, Louise Erdrich, and many other authors also have ‘independent bookstore owner’ on their résumés.

The Greek youth Antinous drowned in the Nile—but he would go on to have one of the most remarkable afterlives in history.

Audre Lorde’s poems, speeches, and books helped write the future of feminism. Here are some facts about the woman behind the work.

Author Hunter S. Thompson is renowned for popularizing the gonzo journalism movement—but it's not always easy to separate fact from fiction.

Add these essential non-fiction books, novels, essays, and poetry by leading Indigenous authors to your TBR pile.

From Universal Orlando's wild (and usually inoperable) 'Jaws' ride of the '90s to the very real—and very captive—tiger shark that threw up a human arm and sparked a 1935 murder investigation, the Mental Floss team is sharing some of our favorite stories f

When the New York Public Library reopened its branches this year, these were the books people checked out.

If you spend time scrolling TikTok, you've probably come across videos about the 1934 book 'Cain's Jawbone,' literary puzzle so difficult only four people have ever figured it out.