Hypertext Library Helps Readers Trace Themes

By Dianna Dilworth 

When a word runs throughout a book, an author is often trying to tell you something.

Literature students Noah Eisen and Robert Rose wanted to make it easier for readers to trace themes throughout classic texts, so they built The Hypertext Library. This tool allows users to search for a word or phrase within a classic text to make thematic connections throughout a book. “This site allows you to treat a book like a brain, with synaptic connections from word to word, strengthening the meaning behind the text,” explains the site. “As you explore the books, remember, every word is a link, click it to see where it leads.”

The two got started on the project while reading Ulysses, but the library now contains 18 classics including: The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde; The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain and Frankenstein by Mary Shelly.