Shakespeare's Hamlet (1601) is one of the most important plays of all time and one of literature's most profound meditations on meaning, existence, and numerous other themes. It tells the story of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, and his struggle to avenge his father's murder.

Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls (1995), by clinical psychologist Mary Pipher, describes the difficult and oppressive world that young girls face in contemporary American society and offers suggestions about how to support them.

Contemporary Yugoslav Poetry (1977), translated by Charles Simic and edited by Vasa D. Mihailovich, is a good source for exploring some of the best post—World War II Yugoslavian poets, such as Matija Beckovic and Milos Crnjanski.

Charles Simic's Pulitzer Prize—winning The World Doesn't End (1989) is an innovative collection of untitled prose poems that refer to numerous historical, religious, and...