“A man’s life is like a piece of paper on which every passerby leaves a mark.” Chapter 1: The Distinguished Writer Suguro, an aging Catholic novelist in Tokyo, […]
Japanese literature
The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea
“A man’s happiness lies in conformity with the purpose of the universe.” Chapter 1: The Sailor’s Return Noboru, a 13-year-old boy, watches from his bedroom window as his […]
German literature
The Marquise of O
“She was a good woman, and she had a good heart.” Chapter 1 The Marquise of O—, a virtuous widow, finds herself inexplicably pregnant despite having no memory […]
German literature
Cat and Mouse
“And so it began, with the cat and the mouse, and with the boy who couldn’t keep his hands off his Adam’s apple.” Chapter 1: The Incident at […]
French literature
The Counterfeiters
“The true counterfeiters are those who pass off their own lies as truths.” Part One The novel opens with Bernard Profitendieu, a young man who discovers he is […]
French literature
The Immoralist
“I was now seeking in all things the occasion for a self-betrayal.” Chapter 1 Michel, the protagonist, recounts his life story to three friends who have come to […]
American literature
No Country for Old Men
“You can’t stop what’s coming. It ain’t all waiting on you. That’s vanity.” Chapter 1 Llewelyn Moss, a Vietnam veteran, stumbles upon a drug deal gone wrong in […]
English literature
Notes on a Scandal
“Sheba thought she was special. She thought she was different. She thought she could get away with it.” Part One The novel opens with Barbara Covett, a veteran […]
English literature
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
“What do you think spies are: priests, saints, and martyrs? They’re a squalid procession of vain fools, traitors too, yes; pansies, sadists, and drunkards, people who play cowboys […]
English literature
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
“Give me a girl at an impressionable age, and she is mine for life.” Chapter Summaries The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie follows the unconventional teaching methods of […]