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Unlock the more straightforward side of The Ambassadors with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!
This engaging summary presents an analysis of The Ambassadors by Henry James, which follows Lambert Strether as he is sent by his employer and potential love interest to Paris in order to bring back her wayward son Chad. In spite of his initial disdain for European culture, Strether soon begins to see the continent's charm and understand...
22) Eugénie Grandet by Honoré de Balzac (Book Analysis): Detailed Summary, Analysis and Reading Guide
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Unlock the more straightforward side of Eugénie Grandet with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!
This engaging summary presents an analysis of Eugénie Grandet by Honoré de Balzac, a novel about a young woman's life in the provinces. Eugénie lives as a virtual prisoner in the house of her father, a wealthy man and noted miser, and is thoughtlessly betrayed by her first love Charles before finally finding independence and peace as...
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Unlock the more straightforward side of The Nun's Priest's Tale with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!
This engaging summary presents an analysis of The Nun's Priest's Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer, a beast fable centred around the rooster Chauntecleer, who is known far and wide for his beautiful singing voice. He has a vivid dream about being attacked by a fox, but puts aside his misgivings when the crafty fox Russell praises his singing...
24) Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes (Book Analysis): Detailed Summary, Analysis and Reading Guide
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Unlock the more straightforward side of Don Quixote with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!
This engaging summary presents an analysis of Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantès, a novel in which an old hidalgo loses his mind from reading too many chivalric romances. Believing himself to be a knight of old, and transforming everything he sees according to his fancy, he embarks on hilarious adventures with a simple-minded peasant called...
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Unlock the more straightforward side of Tartuffe with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!
This engaging summary presents an analysis of Tartuffe by Molière, which is the most performed classical play of all time. This work humorously tells the story of a religious hypocrite who worms his way into a naïve man's good graces and ends up becoming a threat towards him. Upon its release, it caused great controversy with the many groups...
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Unlock the more straightforward side of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!
This engaging summary presents an analysis of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, which tells the story of young Huck Finn as he escapes "civilisation" by fleeing down the Mississippi River on a raft. On his way, he meets Jim, a young escaped slave, and the two boys become firm friends. Even though he knows...
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Unlock the more straightforward side of Othello with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!
This engaging summary presents an analysis of Othello by William Shakespeare, which recounts the tragic downfall of the Venetian general Othello, who is notable for being one of the few black protagonists in early English-language fiction. Having married the beautiful young Desdemona just before the start of the play, Othello's marital bliss is...
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Unlock the more straightforward side of the Essays with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!
This engaging summary presents an analysis of the Essays of Michel de Montaigne, a detailed and wide-ranging work of self-examination which documents the author's thought processes as he searches for truth and wisdom about himself and the human condition as a whole. This landmark work, which brings together reflections on topics including the...
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Unlock the more straightforward side of What the Day Owes the Night with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!
This engaging summary presents an analysis of What the Day Owes the Night by Yasmina Khadra, which chronicles the life of an Algerian boy torn between two worlds: his roots as an Arab, and the pied-noir community he has been adopted into. His quest to discover his own identity and a place where he truly belongs spans decades,...
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In this clear and detailed reading guide, we've done all the hard work for you!
The Elegance of the Hedgehog is a witty and satirical reflection on culture and appearances. Throughout the friendship between a gifted 12-year old and a concierge who is more than what she lets on, Muriel Barbery denounces the pretentions of the French bourgeoisie and their tendency to rely only on appearances.
Find out all you need to know about The Elegance of the...
31) The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins (Book Analysis): Detailed Summary, Analysis and Reading Guide
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Unlock the more straightforward side of The Woman in White with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!
This engaging summary presents an analysis of The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins, a mystery novel which is considered one of the forerunners of the genre of detective fiction. It tells the story of Laura Fairlie and Anne Catherick, two women with an extraordinary resemblance. However, when Laura's duplicitous husband becomes aware of...
32) Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs (Book Analysis): Detailed Summary, Analysis and Reading Guide
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Unlock the more straightforward side of Naked Lunch with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!
This engaging summary presents an analysis of Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs, a seminal work of literature associated with the Beat Generation. It tells the story of a drug addict's bizarre experiences in a dreamlike landscape, which is populated by grotesque creatures known as Mugwumps, and where taboo acts such as rape and murder are...
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Unlock the more straightforward side of Silk with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!
This engaging summary presents an analysis of Silk by Alessandro Baricco, which tells the story of Hervé Joncour, a French silkworm merchant during the 19th century. Following an epidemic which infects silkworm eggs across the world, he is forced to travel to Japan to continue his trade. He meets a woman there that fascinates him, and he returns numerous...
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This engaging summary presents the story of Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, which revolves around Rodion Raskolnikov, an impoverished ex-student in St. Petersburg who formulates and executes a plan to kill an unscrupulous pawnbroker for her cash, and then follows his mental anguish as he is beset with deep psychological suffering that leads to paranoia and madness. A literary sensation upon its publication and still widely read today,...
35) Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler (Book Analysis): Detailed Summary, Analysis and Reading Guide
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Unlock the more straightforward side of Darkness at Noon with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!
This engaging summary presents an analysis of Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler, which tells the story of Nicholas Rubashov, a high-ranking political player in an unnamed totalitarian state. When the Party he has devoted itself to takes a new direction and falls under the sway of a new, younger cadre of leaders, he finds himself accused...
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Unlock the more straightforward side of The Evolution Man, Or, How I Ate My Father with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!
This engaging summary presents an analysis of The Evolution Man, Or, How I Ate My Father by Roy Lewis, a vividly imagined retelling of the lives of the family of the first man to discover fire. Edward, the leader of his horde, recognizes that his species is standing on the threshold of a major phase in their evolution,...
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Unlock the more straightforward side of If Only It Were True with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!
This engaging summary presents an analysis of If Only It Were True by Marc Levy, which tells the story of Arthur, an isolated and unhappy architect, and Lauren, a vivacious young doctor who has been left brain-dead after a car crash. While Lauren lies in a coma, her soul can roam freely, invisible to everyone except Arthur. Before long,...
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Unlock the more straightforward side of The Alchemist with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!
This engaging summary presents an analysis of The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, a charming philosophical novel which tells the story of Santiago, a young shepherd who decides to leave his native Andalusia after he has a dream about treasure that lies buried at the foot of the Pyramids. His journey through the desert leads to encounters with...
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Unlock the more straightforward side of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!
This engaging summary presents an analysis of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, a classic tale of magic, greed and cunning set in Persia. Ali Baba is a poor but kindly woodcutter who stumbles across a band of thieves and overhears them opening a mysterious cave with the magic words "Open Sesame!". When he repeats the words,...
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Unlock the more straightforward side of The Attack with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!
This engaging summary presents an analysis of The Attack by Yasmina Khadra, which tells the story of Amin Jaafari, a Palestinian surgeon whose life falls apart in the wake of a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv as he comes to realise that the terrorist was none other than his beloved wife. His resulting quest to uncover the truth raises thought-provoking...
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