German literature

Death in Rome

“Rome is the city of visible history, where the past of a whole hemisphere seems moving in funeral procession with strange ancestral images and trophies gathered from afar.” […]

German literature

Arch of Triumph

“A man can bear almost anything if he has to.” The novel follows Dr. Ravic, a German refugee surgeon living in Paris under a false identity after fleeing […]

Russian literature

Happy Moscow

“Life is not given for happiness, but for the struggle for it.” Chapter 1: Moscow’s Dream The novel opens with Moscow Chestnova, a young orphan raised in Soviet […]

Russian literature

Chevengur

“Man is born for happiness, like a bird for flight.” Part 1: Sasha Dvanov’s Journey The novel begins with Sasha Dvanov, an orphan raised by a fisherman, who […]

Russian literature

The Foundation Pit

“Man is not nourished by bread alone, but by the truth.” Chapter Summaries Chapter 1 The novel opens with Voshchev, a worker dismissed for “thoughtfulness,” wandering the Soviet […]

Russian literature

Uncle Vanya

“We shall find peace. We shall hear angels. We shall see the sky sparkling with diamonds.” Act 1 The play opens at the rural estate of Professor Serebryakov, […]

Russian literature

Three Sisters

“We must work, work! Tomorrow I shall go alone, I shall teach in the school, and give my whole life to those who may need it. It’s autumn […]

French literature

The Possibility of an Island

“The future is already here—it’s just not evenly distributed.” Part One: Daniel’s Story The novel begins with Daniel1, a successful but disillusioned comedian in his forties, living in […]

French literature

Death on Credit

“Life is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” — (Paraphrasing Shakespeare, often echoed in Céline’s tone) Part One: The Doctor’s Descent […]