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SoBrief
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How to Read Literature Like a Professor
by Thomas C. Foster • 2003
Reading shortcuts that turn road trips into quests, weather into meaning, and meals into symbols.
3.58
34k+
How to Read Literature Like a Professor Summary
How to Read Literature Like a Professor 89%
Reading shortcuts that turn road trips into quests, weather into meaning, and meals into symbols.
by Thomas C. Foster 2003
3.58
34k+ ratings
The Seven Basic Plots
by Christopher Booker • 2004
All stories are one of seven shapes. And they all solve the same psychological problem.
3.76
2k+
The Seven Basic Plots Summary
The Seven Basic Plots 89%
All stories are one of seven shapes. And they all solve the same psychological problem.
by Christopher Booker 2004
3.76
2k+ ratings
Analyser un film, de l'émotion à l'interprétation
by Laurent Jullier • 2012
Great films work on you before you understand them. The method for closing that gap.
3.33
21
Analyser un film, de l'émotion à l'interprétation Summary
Analyser un film, de l'émotion à l'interprétation 89%
Great films work on you before you understand them. The method for closing that gap.
by Laurent Jullier 2012
3.33
21 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 89%
A novelist dismantles fiction into its working parts: story, plot, and the characters who breathe.
by E.M. Forster 1927
3.80
5k+ ratings
The Anatomy of Genres
by John Truby • 2022
Genres are philosophies disguised as story types. Crack the beats and you crack writing and life.
4.21
607
The Anatomy of Genres Summary
The Anatomy of Genres 88%
Genres are philosophies disguised as story types. Crack the beats and you crack writing and life.
by John Truby 2022
4.21
607 ratings
The Interpretation of Fairy Tales
by Marie-Louise von Franz • 1970
Fairy tales are the psyche's purest mirrors; von Franz shows us how to read the glass.
4.16
1k+
The Interpretation of Fairy Tales Summary
The Interpretation of Fairy Tales 88%
Fairy tales are the psyche's purest mirrors; von Franz shows us how to read the glass.
by Marie-Louise von Franz 1970
4.16
1k+ ratings
The Limits of Interpretation
by Umberto Eco • 1990
When deconstruction declared all readings equal, Eco showed why the text itself disagrees.
4.13
552
The Limits of Interpretation Summary
The Limits of Interpretation 88%
When deconstruction declared all readings equal, Eco showed why the text itself disagrees.
by Umberto Eco 1990
4.13
552 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 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
Discovering the Hidden Wisdom of the Little Prince
by Pierre Lassus • 2014
Beneath the fable, a secret self-portrait: his wife in the rose, his despair in the desert.
3.31
51
Discovering the Hidden Wisdom of the Little Prince Summary
Discovering the Hidden Wisdom of the Little Prince 88%
Beneath the fable, a secret self-portrait: his wife in the rose, his despair in the desert.
by Pierre Lassus 2014
3.31
51 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 88%
Fiction's real intimacy lives in the subjunctive, the white space, and the shared glance.
by Stacey D'Erasmo 2013
3.93
248 ratings
Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies
by Blake Snyder • 2007
Fifty films, ten master genres, one hidden template: the blueprint behind every story that works.
4.00
2k+
Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies Summary
Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies 88%
Fifty films, ten master genres, one hidden template: the blueprint behind every story that works.
by Blake Snyder 2007
4.00
2k+ ratings
The Ultimate Hero's Journey
by Neal Soloponte • 2017
195 steps, four acts: the master structure hidden in every bestseller, and how to use it.
4.11
131
The Ultimate Hero's Journey Summary
The Ultimate Hero's Journey 88%
195 steps, four acts: the master structure hidden in every bestseller, and how to use it.
by Neal Soloponte 2017
4.11
131 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 88%
How do novels create the illusion of a thinking mind? A master critic explains the techniques.
by James Wood 2008
3.99
8k+ ratings
Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible
by Linda Wagner-Martin • 2001
Nathan Price never narrates: inside the five-woman chorus that indicts a missionary's arrogance.
4.31
308
Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible Summary
Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible 88%
Nathan Price never narrates: inside the five-woman chorus that indicts a missionary's arrogance.
by Linda Wagner-Martin 2001
4.31
308 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
Dialogism
by Michael Holquist • 1990
All speech answers prior speech, all selves depend on others: the dialogic philosophy of Bakhtin.
4.09
88
Dialogism Summary
Dialogism 88%
All speech answers prior speech, all selves depend on others: the dialogic philosophy of Bakhtin.
by Michael Holquist 1990
4.09
88 ratings
Princes, Frogs and Ugly Sisters
by Allan G. Hunter • 2010
Grimm's tales are not for children; they map six stages of healing from injury to love.
4.00
35
Princes, Frogs and Ugly Sisters Summary
Princes, Frogs and Ugly Sisters 88%
Grimm's tales are not for children; they map six stages of healing from injury to love.
by Allan G. Hunter 2010
4.00
35 ratings
Acts of Meaning
by Jerome Bruner • 1990
The cognitive revolution was supposed to study meaning. It gave us a machine instead.
4.06
346
Acts of Meaning Summary
Acts of Meaning 88%
The cognitive revolution was supposed to study meaning. It gave us a machine instead.
by Jerome Bruner 1990
4.06
346 ratings
The Anatomy of Story
by John Truby • 2007
The organic alternative to formula: how character, plot, and theme grow from a single premise's DNA.
4.25
7k+
The Anatomy of Story Summary
The Anatomy of Story 87%
The organic alternative to formula: how character, plot, and theme grow from a single premise's DNA.
by John Truby 2007
4.25
7k+ 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 87%
Seven Russian classics, read one line at a time, reveal the hidden machinery of great fiction.
by George Saunders 2021
4.53
26k+ ratings
Shadow and Evil in Fairy Tales
by Marie-Louise von Franz • 1974
Fairy tales are the psyche's oldest maps. Evil as natural force; the shadow hiding in every hero.
4.31
865
Shadow and Evil in Fairy Tales Summary
Shadow and Evil in Fairy Tales 87%
Fairy tales are the psyche's oldest maps. Evil as natural force; the shadow hiding in every hero.
by Marie-Louise von Franz 1974
4.31
865 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 87%
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
The Thirty Six Dramatic Situations
by Georges Polti • 1921
Every story fits into 36 conflicts. The art is in how you combine them.
3.45
222
The Thirty Six Dramatic Situations Summary
The Thirty Six Dramatic Situations 87%
Every story fits into 36 conflicts. The art is in how you combine them.
by Georges Polti 1921
3.45
222 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 87%
Myths, money, and modernism: how literature got from campfire tales to your e-reader.
by John Sutherland 2013
3.82
2k+ ratings
Making a Good Script Great
by Linda Seger • 1987
Script doctor's toolkit: structure fixes, subplot craft, and momentum rules that sell a screenplay.
3.88
1k+
Making a Good Script Great Summary
Making a Good Script Great 87%
Script doctor's toolkit: structure fixes, subplot craft, and momentum rules that sell a screenplay.
by Linda Seger 1987
3.88
1k+ ratings
The Hero with a Thousand Faces
by Joseph Campbell • 1972
A scholar traced one story pattern through every myth on earth, and Hollywood never looked back.
4.12
46k+
The Hero with a Thousand Faces Summary
The Hero with a Thousand Faces 87%
A scholar traced one story pattern through every myth on earth, and Hollywood never looked back.
by Joseph Campbell 1972
4.12
46k+ ratings
Psychology for Screenwriters
by William Indick • 2004
Hidden wounds, not goals, drive the best characters. The psychological frameworks that build them.
3.93
432
Psychology for Screenwriters Summary
Psychology for Screenwriters 87%
Hidden wounds, not goals, drive the best characters. The psychological frameworks that build them.
by William Indick 2004
3.93
432 ratings
The Writer's Journey - 25th Anniversary Edition
by Christopher Vogler • 1992
A Hollywood analyst unpacks the monomyth: a story blueprint that works from Homer to Star Wars.
4.10
10k+
The Writer's Journey - 25th Anniversary Edition Summary
The Writer's Journey - 25th Anniversary Edition 87%
A Hollywood analyst unpacks the monomyth: a story blueprint that works from Homer to Star Wars.
by Christopher Vogler 1992
4.10
10k+ ratings
The Forgotten Language
by Erich Fromm • 1976
Between Freud's sex and Jung's archetypes lies a lost symbolic grammar that all dreams share.
3.80
2k+
The Forgotten Language Summary
The Forgotten Language 87%
Between Freud's sex and Jung's archetypes lies a lost symbolic grammar that all dreams share.
by Erich Fromm 1976
3.80
2k+ ratings
The Bestseller Code
by Jodie Archer • 2016
An algorithm spots bestsellers with 80 percent accuracy, reading signals no writing class teaches.
3.81
1k+
The Bestseller Code Summary
The Bestseller Code 87%
An algorithm spots bestsellers with 80 percent accuracy, reading signals no writing class teaches.
by Jodie Archer 2016
3.81
1k+ ratings
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 87%
Why great novels put you in a trance even as you know every word is invented.
by Orhan Pamuk 2010
3.95
3k+ 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 87%
Read selfishly, chase pleasure, and recover the irony that academic jargon banished.
by Harold Bloom 2000
3.61
4k+ ratings
Screenplay
by Syd Field • 1979
The structural template that turned screenwriting into a learnable craft, from setup to final draft.
3.99
9k+
Screenplay Summary
Screenplay 87%
The structural template that turned screenwriting into a learnable craft, from setup to final draft.
by Syd Field 1979
3.99
9k+ ratings
Wired for Story
by Lisa Cron • 2012
Your reader's brain evolved to crave story. Neuroscience now knows what it expects from yours.
4.20
6k+
Wired for Story Summary
Wired for Story 87%
Your reader's brain evolved to crave story. Neuroscience now knows what it expects from yours.
by Lisa Cron 2012
4.20
6k+ ratings
Reading the Silver Screen
by Thomas C. Foster • 2014
You've seen 1,000 films. A literature professor shows you what your eyes already knew.
3.35
326
Reading the Silver Screen Summary
Reading the Silver Screen 87%
You've seen 1,000 films. A literature professor shows you what your eyes already knew.
by Thomas C. Foster 2014
3.35
326 ratings
Documentary Storytelling
by Sheila Curran Bernard • 2010
From research to final cut: the craft rules for making nonfiction films that grip like fiction.
4.00
148
Documentary Storytelling Summary
Documentary Storytelling 87%
From research to final cut: the craft rules for making nonfiction films that grip like fiction.
by Sheila Curran Bernard 2010
4.00
148 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? 87%
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
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 87%
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
The Science of Storytelling
by Will Storr • 2019
Why a hallucinating brain is the secret to unforgettable characters and plots.
4.05
8k+
The Science of Storytelling Summary
The Science of Storytelling 87%
Why a hallucinating brain is the secret to unforgettable characters and plots.
by Will Storr 2019
4.05
8k+ ratings
Creating Character Arcs
by K.M. Weiland • 2016
Why your character believes a lie, and how that single flaw designs your entire plot.
4.31
4k+
Creating Character Arcs Summary
Creating Character Arcs 87%
Why your character believes a lie, and how that single flaw designs your entire plot.
by K.M. Weiland 2016
4.31
4k+ ratings
Video Game Storytelling
by Evan Skolnick • 2014
Screenwriting's classic tools applied to games, so story and gameplay pull the same direction.
3.99
503
Video Game Storytelling Summary
Video Game Storytelling 87%
Screenwriting's classic tools applied to games, so story and gameplay pull the same direction.
by Evan Skolnick 2014
3.99
503 ratings
Only a Joke Can Save Us
by Todd McGowan • 2017
When lack and excess collide, laughter erupts. A philosopher shows why that shock is liberating.
4.32
37
Only a Joke Can Save Us Summary
Only a Joke Can Save Us 87%
When lack and excess collide, laughter erupts. A philosopher shows why that shock is liberating.
by Todd McGowan 2017
4.32
37 ratings
Neil Gaiman and Philosophy
by Tracy L. Bealer • 2012
What Aristotle, Nietzsche, and Derrida would make of Neil Gaiman's gods, graveyards, and dreams.
3.55
92
Neil Gaiman and Philosophy Summary
Neil Gaiman and Philosophy 87%
What Aristotle, Nietzsche, and Derrida would make of Neil Gaiman's gods, graveyards, and dreams.
by Tracy L. Bealer 2012
3.55
92 ratings
Story Engineering
by Larry Brooks • 2011
Six storytelling skills and a four-part map that transform an idea into a novel that works.
4.10
3k+
Story Engineering Summary
Story Engineering 87%
Six storytelling skills and a four-part map that transform an idea into a novel that works.
by Larry Brooks 2011
4.10
3k+ ratings
The Story Grid
by Shawn Coyne • 2015
Why stories fail, scene by scene: an editor's diagnostic that finds the break and the fix.
4.30
2k+
The Story Grid Summary
The Story Grid 87%
Why stories fail, scene by scene: an editor's diagnostic that finds the break and the fix.
by Shawn Coyne 2015
4.30
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 87%
Nabokov on Russian masters: art alone matters, not message. Dostoevsky fails, Gogol soars.
by Vladimir Nabokov 1981
4.26
2k+ ratings
Slavoj Zizek
by Tony Myers • 2003
Your cynicism isn't rebellion. According to Žižek, it's the purest form of ideology.
3.82
266
Slavoj Zizek Summary
Slavoj Zizek 87%
Your cynicism isn't rebellion. According to Žižek, it's the purest form of ideology.
by Tony Myers 2003
3.82
266 ratings
The Emotional Craft of Fiction
by Donald Maass • 2016
Move past showing versus telling: design a story that gives readers their own emotional journey.
4.25
3k+
The Emotional Craft of Fiction Summary
The Emotional Craft of Fiction 87%
Move past showing versus telling: design a story that gives readers their own emotional journey.
by Donald Maass 2016
4.25
3k+ ratings
Screenwriting Is Filmmaking
by Brian Dunnigan • 2020
Write screenplays that think like a camera: the craft of making films from the page up.
3.33
3
Screenwriting Is Filmmaking Summary
Screenwriting Is Filmmaking 87%
Write screenplays that think like a camera: the craft of making films from the page up.
by Brian Dunnigan 2020
3.33
3 ratings
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