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SoBrief
Searching...
The Naive and the Sentimental Novelist
by Orhan Pamuk • 2010
Why great novels put you in a trance even as you know every word is invented.
3.95
3k+
The Naive and the Sentimental Novelist Summary
The Naive and the Sentimental Novelist 92%
Why great novels put you in a trance even as you know every word is invented.
by Orhan Pamuk 2010
3.95
3k+ ratings
Aspects of the Novel
by E.M. Forster • 1927
A novelist dismantles fiction into its working parts: story, plot, and the characters who breathe.
3.80
5k+
Aspects of the Novel Summary
Aspects of the Novel 91%
A novelist dismantles fiction into its working parts: story, plot, and the characters who breathe.
by E.M. Forster 1927
3.80
5k+ ratings
If on a Winter's Night a Traveler
by Italo Calvino • 1979
You, Reader, chase the missing pages of a defective novel into a labyrinth of interrupted stories.
4.01
114k+
If on a Winter's Night a Traveler Summary
If on a Winter's Night a Traveler 90%
You, Reader, chase the missing pages of a defective novel into a labyrinth of interrupted stories.
by Italo Calvino 1979
4.01
114k+ ratings
Book Lust
by Nancy Pearl • 2003
What to read next, organized not by genre but by how you feel right now.
3.77
4k+
Book Lust Summary
Book Lust 90%
What to read next, organized not by genre but by how you feel right now.
by Nancy Pearl 2003
3.77
4k+ ratings
Marshlands
by André Gide • 1895
To write about a man at peace with stagnation, a writer must confront his own paralysis.
3.58
1k+
Marshlands Summary
Marshlands 89%
To write about a man at peace with stagnation, a writer must confront his own paralysis.
by André Gide 1895
3.58
1k+ ratings
Life
by Georges Perec • 1978
A Paris building, room by room. A man paints seascapes just to erase them.
4.17
10k+
Life Summary
Life 89%
A Paris building, room by room. A man paints seascapes just to erase them.
by Georges Perec 1978
4.17
10k+ ratings
The Art of Intimacy
by Stacey D'Erasmo • 2013
Fiction's real intimacy lives in the subjunctive, the white space, and the shared glance.
3.93
248
The Art of Intimacy Summary
The Art of Intimacy 89%
Fiction's real intimacy lives in the subjunctive, the white space, and the shared glance.
by Stacey D'Erasmo 2013
3.93
248 ratings
Julio Cortázar
by Robert Brody • 1976
The novel that made the reader an accomplice: its mechanisms and meanings, fully decoded.
4.37
8k+
Julio Cortázar Summary
Julio Cortázar 89%
The novel that made the reader an accomplice: its mechanisms and meanings, fully decoded.
by Robert Brody 1976
4.37
8k+ ratings
How to Read and Why
by Harold Bloom • 2000
Read selfishly, chase pleasure, and recover the irony that academic jargon banished.
3.61
4k+
How to Read and Why Summary
How to Read and Why 89%
Read selfishly, chase pleasure, and recover the irony that academic jargon banished.
by Harold Bloom 2000
3.61
4k+ ratings
Outline
by Rachel Cusk • 2014
In Athens to teach writing, she listens to every story but tells none of her own.
3.67
72k+
Outline Summary
Outline 89%
In Athens to teach writing, she listens to every story but tells none of her own.
by Rachel Cusk 2014
3.67
72k+ ratings
How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read
by Pierre Bayard • 2020
Not reading is a creative strategy, not a failure. A French critic makes the case.
3.44
5k+
How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read Summary
How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read 89%
Not reading is a creative strategy, not a failure. A French critic makes the case.
by Pierre Bayard 2020
3.44
5k+ ratings
Refuse to Be Done
by Matt Bell • 2022
Finish your novel in three drafts: a rough discovery, a full rewrite, and a layered polish.
4.43
2k+
Refuse to Be Done Summary
Refuse to Be Done 89%
Finish your novel in three drafts: a rough discovery, a full rewrite, and a layered polish.
by Matt Bell 2022
4.43
2k+ ratings
Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five
by Curtis Smith • 2016
A writer unpacks the alien logic and buried grief inside Vonnegut's time-jumping anti-war classic.
4.27
41
Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five Summary
Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five 89%
A writer unpacks the alien logic and buried grief inside Vonnegut's time-jumping anti-war classic.
by Curtis Smith 2016
4.27
41 ratings
Q's Legacy
by Helene Hanff • 1985
A professor's lectures led to a London bookshop, twenty years of letters, and accidental fame.
4.05
2k+
Q's Legacy Summary
Q's Legacy 89%
A professor's lectures led to a London bookshop, twenty years of letters, and accidental fame.
by Helene Hanff 1985
4.05
2k+ ratings
Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter
by Mario Vargas Llosa • 1977
An aspiring writer falls for his divorcée aunt as a radio scriptwriter's genius turns to chaos.
3.96
24k+
Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter Summary
Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter 89%
An aspiring writer falls for his divorcée aunt as a radio scriptwriter's genius turns to chaos.
by Mario Vargas Llosa 1977
3.96
24k+ ratings
How Fiction Works
by James Wood • 2008
How do novels create the illusion of a thinking mind? A master critic explains the techniques.
3.99
8k+
How Fiction Works Summary
How Fiction Works 89%
How do novels create the illusion of a thinking mind? A master critic explains the techniques.
by James Wood 2008
3.99
8k+ ratings
This Year You Write Your Novel
by Walter Mosley • 2007
Your unconscious writes the story. Give it ninety minutes a day and stop censoring.
3.81
2k+
This Year You Write Your Novel Summary
This Year You Write Your Novel 89%
Your unconscious writes the story. Give it ninety minutes a day and stop censoring.
by Walter Mosley 2007
3.81
2k+ ratings
Lezioni di letteratura russa. Gogol', Turgenev, Dostoevskij, Tolstoj, Čechov e Gor'kij nelle lezioni di un grande maestro
by Vladimir Nabokov • 1981
Nabokov on Russian masters: art alone matters, not message. Dostoevsky fails, Gogol soars.
4.26
2k+
Lezioni di letteratura russa. Gogol', Turgenev, Dostoevskij, Tolstoj, Čechov e Gor'kij nelle lezioni di un grande maestro Summary
Lezioni di letteratura russa. Gogol', Turgenev, Dostoevskij, Tolstoj, Čechov e Gor'kij nelle lezioni di un grande maestro 89%
Nabokov on Russian masters: art alone matters, not message. Dostoevsky fails, Gogol soars.
by Vladimir Nabokov 1981
4.26
2k+ ratings
The Art of Fiction
by John Gardner • 1984
Master the craft that makes readers forget the page and live inside your story.
3.99
6k+
The Art of Fiction Summary
The Art of Fiction 89%
Master the craft that makes readers forget the page and live inside your story.
by John Gardner 1984
3.99
6k+ ratings
On Writing
by Ernest Hemingway • 1984
Write true, cut hard, and the reader will feel what you never said.
4.02
5k+
On Writing Summary
On Writing 89%
Write true, cut hard, and the reader will feel what you never said.
by Ernest Hemingway 1984
4.02
5k+ ratings
The Facts
by Philip Roth • 1988
A master of fiction tries to write the straight truth about his life, and discovers why he cannot.
3.70
1k+
The Facts Summary
The Facts 89%
A master of fiction tries to write the straight truth about his life, and discovers why he cannot.
by Philip Roth 1988
3.70
1k+ ratings
A Swim in a Pond in the Rain
by George Saunders • 2021
Seven Russian classics, read one line at a time, reveal the hidden machinery of great fiction.
4.53
26k+
A Swim in a Pond in the Rain Summary
A Swim in a Pond in the Rain 88%
Seven Russian classics, read one line at a time, reveal the hidden machinery of great fiction.
by George Saunders 2021
4.53
26k+ ratings
Crafting Novels & Short Stories
by The Writer's Digest • 2011
Character, plot, prose, and revision: the craft kit every fiction writer returns to.
3.89
373
Crafting Novels & Short Stories Summary
Crafting Novels & Short Stories 88%
Character, plot, prose, and revision: the craft kit every fiction writer returns to.
by The Writer's Digest 2011
3.89
373 ratings
City of Glass
by Paul Auster • 1985
A mystery writer borrows a detective's name and shadows a mad linguist through New York.
3.75
24k+
City of Glass Summary
City of Glass 88%
A mystery writer borrows a detective's name and shadows a mad linguist through New York.
by Paul Auster 1985
3.75
24k+ ratings
The Marshall Plan For Novel Writing
by Evan Marshall • 1998
Turn one crisis into a full novel: three acts, three shocks, a synopsis that sells.
3.76
482
The Marshall Plan For Novel Writing Summary
The Marshall Plan For Novel Writing 88%
Turn one crisis into a full novel: three acts, three shocks, a synopsis that sells.
by Evan Marshall 1998
3.76
482 ratings
Your Creative Writing Masterclass
by Jürgen Wolff • 2012
A hundred great novelists teach you fiction's craft secrets, from character to voice.
3.88
182
Your Creative Writing Masterclass Summary
Your Creative Writing Masterclass 88%
A hundred great novelists teach you fiction's craft secrets, from character to voice.
by Jürgen Wolff 2012
3.88
182 ratings
Nonconformity
by Nelson Algren • 1996
Real writing means siding with the damned, risking obsession, and refusing to comfort.
4.07
268
Nonconformity Summary
Nonconformity 88%
Real writing means siding with the damned, risking obsession, and refusing to comfort.
by Nelson Algren 1996
4.07
268 ratings
The End of Mr. Y
by Scarlett Thomas • 2006
A cursed book lets her enter other minds. Now shadowy agents hunt her through that world.
3.77
19k+
The End of Mr. Y Summary
The End of Mr. Y 88%
A cursed book lets her enter other minds. Now shadowy agents hunt her through that world.
by Scarlett Thomas 2006
3.77
19k+ ratings
The Lonely Voice
by Frank O'Connor • 1961
The short story speaks for the outsider the novel was never built to see.
3.89
246
The Lonely Voice Summary
The Lonely Voice 88%
The short story speaks for the outsider the novel was never built to see.
by Frank O'Connor 1961
3.89
246 ratings
The Art of X-Ray Reading
by Roy Peter Clark • 2016
How to read a novel and come away with a toolbox, not just a story.
4.04
1k+
The Art of X-Ray Reading Summary
The Art of X-Ray Reading 88%
How to read a novel and come away with a toolbox, not just a story.
by Roy Peter Clark 2016
4.04
1k+ ratings
How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method
by Randy Ingermanson • 2014
From one sentence to a full novel draft, one step at a time, without the pain.
4.24
3k+
How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method Summary
How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method 88%
From one sentence to a full novel draft, one step at a time, without the pain.
by Randy Ingermanson 2014
4.24
3k+ ratings
Immortality
by Milan Kundera • 1990
A novelist sees a woman wave at a pool. He invents Agnes, who yearns to disappear.
4.14
43k+
Immortality Summary
Immortality 88%
A novelist sees a woman wave at a pool. He invents Agnes, who yearns to disappear.
by Milan Kundera 1990
4.14
43k+ ratings
How to Write a Novel
by Nathan Bransford • 2013
Forty-seven rules for finishing a novel, from character motivations to the editing that saves it.
4.18
441
How to Write a Novel Summary
How to Write a Novel 88%
Forty-seven rules for finishing a novel, from character motivations to the editing that saves it.
by Nathan Bransford 2013
4.18
441 ratings
Plot & Structure
by James Scott Bell • 2004
Four pillars of plot that hold readers from opening to climax, whether you outline or not.
4.11
6k+
Plot & Structure Summary
Plot & Structure 88%
Four pillars of plot that hold readers from opening to climax, whether you outline or not.
by James Scott Bell 2004
4.11
6k+ ratings
The Art of Subtext
by Charles Baxter • 2007
What a character won't say, can't hear, and can't admit: the hidden engine of unforgettable fiction.
4.02
1k+
The Art of Subtext Summary
The Art of Subtext 88%
What a character won't say, can't hear, and can't admit: the hidden engine of unforgettable fiction.
by Charles Baxter 2007
4.02
1k+ ratings
How to Write a Damn Good Novel, II
by James N. Frey • 1994
Most novelists fail at the premise, not the prose. The craft rules for getting it right.
4.07
720
How to Write a Damn Good Novel, II Summary
How to Write a Damn Good Novel, II 88%
Most novelists fail at the premise, not the prose. The craft rules for getting it right.
by James N. Frey 1994
4.07
720 ratings
Gabriel García Márquez
by Michael Wood • 1990
The craft behind the curse: how magical realism, circular time, and prophecy hold Macondo together.
4.54
6k+
Gabriel García Márquez Summary
Gabriel García Márquez 88%
The craft behind the curse: how magical realism, circular time, and prophecy hold Macondo together.
by Michael Wood 1990
4.54
6k+ ratings
The Broom of the System
by David Foster Wallace • 1987
When her great-grandmother vanishes, a phone operator discovers that words are all she is.
3.85
25k+
The Broom of the System Summary
The Broom of the System 88%
When her great-grandmother vanishes, a phone operator discovers that words are all she is.
by David Foster Wallace 1987
3.85
25k+ ratings
A Little History of Literature
by John Sutherland • 2013
Myths, money, and modernism: how literature got from campfire tales to your e-reader.
3.82
2k+
A Little History of Literature Summary
A Little History of Literature 88%
Myths, money, and modernism: how literature got from campfire tales to your e-reader.
by John Sutherland 2013
3.82
2k+ ratings
Why Read Moby-Dick?
by Nathaniel Philbrick • 2010
The whale is America: a historian on why Moby-Dick is the novel our present moment demands.
3.78
5k+
Why Read Moby-Dick? Summary
Why Read Moby-Dick? 88%
The whale is America: a historian on why Moby-Dick is the novel our present moment demands.
by Nathaniel Philbrick 2010
3.78
5k+ ratings
Revision & Self-Editing
by James Scott Bell • 2008
A big-picture-first revision system: fix your novel's bones before you polish a single sentence.
4.19
2k+
Revision & Self-Editing Summary
Revision & Self-Editing 88%
A big-picture-first revision system: fix your novel's bones before you polish a single sentence.
by James Scott Bell 2008
4.19
2k+ ratings
The Anatomy of Influence
by Harold Bloom • 2011
Literary influence is love with its guard up, and Shakespeare is still winning.
3.93
477
The Anatomy of Influence Summary
The Anatomy of Influence 88%
Literary influence is love with its guard up, and Shakespeare is still winning.
by Harold Bloom 2011
3.93
477 ratings
The Strength to Dream
by Colin Wilson • 1962
The crisis of modern literature is a failure of imagination, and the cost is human freedom.
3.93
123
The Strength to Dream Summary
The Strength to Dream 88%
The crisis of modern literature is a failure of imagination, and the cost is human freedom.
by Colin Wilson 1962
3.93
123 ratings
About Writing
by Samuel R. Delany • 2006
The sentence, not the world, is science fiction's true unit of meaning. A master explains why.
4.26
459
About Writing Summary
About Writing 88%
The sentence, not the world, is science fiction's true unit of meaning. A master explains why.
by Samuel R. Delany 2006
4.26
459 ratings
Invisible Ink
by Brian McDonald • 2010
Forget formulas: the deep craft of story is a hidden framework of theme, pain, and dramatic irony.
4.38
2k+
Invisible Ink Summary
Invisible Ink 88%
Forget formulas: the deep craft of story is a hidden framework of theme, pain, and dramatic irony.
by Brian McDonald 2010
4.38
2k+ ratings
Every Day I Read
by Hwang Bo-Reum • 2021
Fifty-three essays that reclaim deep reading from the scroll, one stolen quarter-hour at a time.
3.88
4k+
Every Day I Read Summary
Every Day I Read 88%
Fifty-three essays that reclaim deep reading from the scroll, one stolen quarter-hour at a time.
by Hwang Bo-Reum 2021
3.88
4k+ ratings
Make Believe
by Mac Barnett • 2026
How the most daring literature ends up for eight-year-olds, and what adults can learn from them.
4.38
3k+
Make Believe Summary
Make Believe 88%
How the most daring literature ends up for eight-year-olds, and what adults can learn from them.
by Mac Barnett 2026
4.38
3k+ ratings
Travels in the Scriptorium
by Paul Auster • 2007
An amnesiac wakes in a labeled room and reads a typescript telling his story.
3.26
12k+
Travels in the Scriptorium Summary
Travels in the Scriptorium 88%
An amnesiac wakes in a labeled room and reads a typescript telling his story.
by Paul Auster 2007
3.26
12k+ ratings
Who We're Reading When We're Reading Murakami
by David Karashima • 2020
Your Murakami was crafted by translators who cut, reshaped, and sometimes rewrote him; this is how.
3.71
477
Who We're Reading When We're Reading Murakami Summary
Who We're Reading When We're Reading Murakami 88%
Your Murakami was crafted by translators who cut, reshaped, and sometimes rewrote him; this is how.
by David Karashima 2020
3.71
477 ratings
Write Your Novel From The Middle
by James Scott Bell • 2014
Forget outlining and pantsing. The one scene every novel needs sits exactly in the middle.
4.20
3k+
Write Your Novel From The Middle Summary
Write Your Novel From The Middle 88%
Forget outlining and pantsing. The one scene every novel needs sits exactly in the middle.
by James Scott Bell 2014
4.20
3k+ ratings
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