Category Archives: Prose

The Summing Up, by William Somerset Maugham

Posted on August 13, 2010 by Thistle

The Summing Up is a combination memoir and writer’s manual, similar to On Writing by Stephen King. Maugham wrote it in his mid-60s, fearing that he might be close to death and thus that he should complete this before he … Continue reading →

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A Farewell to Arms, by Ernest Hemingway

Posted on August 10, 2010 by Thistle

Lieutenant Henry is an American. He’s in the Italian army. The time period is World War I. Henry drives ambulances. He drinks a lot. He eats a lot. He falls in love with a nurse named Catherine Barker. Or at … Continue reading →

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The Patron Saint of Butterflies, by Cecilia Galante

Posted on August 9, 2010 by Thistle

Agnes and Honey live in a religious commune in Connecticut. The two girls grew up together and were always best friends, but the last couple years have driven them apart. Agnes has become obsessed with perfecting herself and living like … Continue reading →

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The Lies We Told, by Diane Chamberlain

Posted on August 6, 2010 by Thistle

I’m honestly not sure how to summarize this book. The back of the book description gives away nearly everything from beginning to end, all but one secret, but I can’t think of any way to describe this other than by … Continue reading →

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Thérèse Raquin, by Émile Zola

Posted on August 3, 2010 by Thistle

Thérèse lives a miserable life in a small shop in Paris. She lives with her aunt and cousin Camille. Camille is a man with poor health and a fantastic amount of pride, and Thérèse is forced to succumb both to … Continue reading →

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Before I Fall, by Lauren Oliver

Posted on July 30, 2010 by Thistle

Sam has it easy in high school. She and her three best friends are part of the most popular circle. They can get away with pretty much anything, and they do. Then one night, on the way home from a … Continue reading →

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Interpreter of Maladies, by Jhumpa Lahiri

Posted on July 28, 2010 by Thistle

I had been told that Lahiri was a master of the short story, but I’d never read any of her work. When I picked up Interpreter after that long string of failed collections, I expected nothing more than to flip … Continue reading →

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Dewey, by Vicki Myron

Posted on July 27, 2010 by Thistle

Many people have heard of Dewey the library cat. If you haven’t, the story goes as follows: on a cold night in a small town in Iowa, someone pushed an 8-week old kitten into the drop box at the library. … Continue reading →

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Plain Kate, by Erin Bow

Posted on July 24, 2010 by Thistle

Kate was born to the local carver of Similae, and is quickly nicknamed Plain Kate by the townspeople. Under her father’s tutelage, she learns to carve like a master. Unfortunately, the townspeople view carving with suspicion, thinking that magic is … Continue reading →

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Where the Truth Lies, by Jessica Warman

Posted on July 23, 2010 by Thistle

Emily has no idea where her nightmares come from. She seems to have the perfect life – loving parents, three good friends, a great prep school that she’s grown up around since her father owns it – but every night … Continue reading →

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