Classics – Trigger Warning Database

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

One of the most influential literary works of our time, One Hundred Years of Solitude remains a dazzling and original achievement by the masterful Gabriel Garcia Marquez, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature. One Hundred Years of Solitude tells the story of the rise and fall, birth and death of the mythical town of Macondo through the history of the Buendiá family. Inventive, amusing, magnetic, sad and alive with unforgettable men and women—brimming with truth, compassion, and a lyrical magic that strikes the soul—this novel is a masterpiece in the art of fiction.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

Child marriage, paedophilia & incest
War themes

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he’s jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade’s devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world’s digital confines, puzzles that are based on their creator’s obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. When Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade’s going to survive, he’ll have to win—and confront the real world he’s always been so desperate to escape.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

Murder of an aunt in an explosion
Alcohol consumption & smoking mentioned

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

Teenagers in a small Oklahoma town have split into two gangs, divided by money, tastes and attitude. The Socs’ idea of having a good time is beating up Greasers like Ponyboy Curtis. Ponyboy knows what to expect and knows he can count on his brothers and friends – until the night someone takes things too far, and life is changed forever.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

Sibling abuse
Murder
Gang violence (theme)
Fire

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Heart of Darkness is the thrilling tale of Marlow, a seaman and wanderer recounting his physical and psychological journey in search of the infamous ivory trader Kurtz. Traveling upriver into the heart of the African continent, he gradually becomes obsessed by this enigmatic, wraith-like figure. Marlow’s discovery of how Kurtz has gained his position of power over the local people involves him in a radical questioning, not only of his own nature and values, but of those that underpin Western civilization itself.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

Graphic racism & racial slurs
Slavery including death of slaves from exhaustion and malnourishment
Gun, cannon & arrow violence

Obasan by Joy Kogawa

Obasan by Joy Kogawa

Obasan is the moving story of Japanese-Canadians during the Second World War, told through the eyes of a child. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, five-year-old Naomi’s life is changed forever. Separated from her mother, she watches bewildered as she and her family become enemy aliens, persecuted and despised in their own land.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Paedophilia & child sexual abuse

Green-Eyed Monster by Carolyn Keene

Green-Eyed Monster by Carolyn Keene

George, Bess, and I were so excited when we won an amazing vacation at an eco-resort in Costa Rica. Fun, sun, surf — all in the name of ecology and helping to keep our planet clean. But, as always, dirty business seems to follow me wherever I go, and this resort isn’t as spic ‘n’ span as we originally thought. After a string of increasingly dangerous “accidents,” it seems that there is a jealous predator staying at the resort, making trouble for the management and the guests. Against the urging of my friends, I know that I need to take this case and get to the bottom of it before our.. Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Drugging
Animal death

The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene

The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene

Nancy, unaided, seeks to find a missing will. To the surprise of many, the Topham family will inherit wealthy Josiah Crowley’s fortune, instead of deserving relatives and friends who were promised inheritances. Nancy determines that a clue to a second will might be found in an old clock Mr. Crowley had owned and she seeks to find the timepiece. Her search not only tests her keen mind, but also leads her into a thrilling adventure.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Classism
Home invasion
Confinement
Poverty & financial difficulties (theme)

*Context: Nancy walks in a crew burglarising an unvacated holiday house and they lock her in a wardrobe. Secondary characters struggle with financial concerns, including an elderly lady who cannot afford food or medical treatment.

The Bungalow Mystery by Carolyn Keene

The Bungalow Mystery by Carolyn Keene

While trying to help a friend out of a difficulty, teenage detective Nancy Drew has a perilous experience in and around a deserted bungalow.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Death of a mother mentioned
Kidnapping & captivity
Boating accident, on-page

Thirteens by Kate Alice Marshall

Thirteens by Kate Alice Marshall

Twelve-year-old Eleanor has just moved to Eden Eld to live with her aunt and uncle after her mother was killed in a fire. Her birthday, which falls on Halloween, is just around the corner, and she hopes that this year will be a fresh start at a new life. But then one morning, an ancient grandfather clock counting down thirteen hours appears outside of her bedroom. And then she spots a large black dog with glowing red eyes prowling the grounds of her school. A book of fairytales she’s never heard of almost willingly drops in front of her, as if asking to be read. Something is wrong in… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Parental abandonment & neglect
Pregnancy & childbirth, off-page
Death of a mother, implied
Attempted murder
Kidnapping
House fire recounted

My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier

My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier

Orphaned at an early age, Philip Ashley is raised by his benevolent older cousin, Ambrose. Resolutely single, Ambrose delights in Philip as his heir, a man who will love his grand home as much as he does himself. But the cosy world the two construct is shattered when Ambrose sets off on a trip to Florence. There he falls in love and marries – and there he dies suddenly. In almost no time at all, the new widow – Philip’s cousin Rachel – turns up in England. Despite himself, Philip is drawn to this beautiful, sophisticated, mysterious woman like a moth to the flame. And yet …might she have had a hand in… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Sexism
Domestic violence
Death of a parent