American literature

The Goldfinch

“—and I add my own love to the history of people who have loved beautiful things, and the next.” Part 1: The Bombing The novel opens with Theo […]

American literature

The Catcher in the Rye

“I’m quite illiterate, but I read a lot.” — Holden Caulfield Chapters 1–4: Holden’s Expulsion and Departure Holden Caulfield, a disaffected 16-year-old, narrates from a mental facility. He […]

English literature

The Amber Spyglass

“You cannot change what you are, only what you do.” Part One: The Enchanted Sleeper Lyra Silvertongue and Will Parry, now in possession of the subtle knife, travel […]

English literature

The Subtle Knife

“The knife was the subtle one. It could cut through anything, even the fabric of the world itself.” Chapter 1: The story begins with Will Parry, a twelve-year-old […]

English literature

Kidnapped

“There are two things that men should never weary of—goodness and humility.” Chapter 1: I Set Off Upon My Journey to the House of Shaws David Balfour, a […]