testsuphomeAdmin
Stories
167
Chapters
9,217
Words
23.6 M
Comments
0
Reading
81 d, 23 h
-
The chapter "Visitors" opens with tension as an unexpected electric bell rings at Number 4 rue Vauborel, startling Etienne LeBlanc, Madame Manec, and Marie-Laure. Each fears their secret activities—such as the attic transmitter and beach trips—have been discovered. When two French policemen arrive, claiming to act on behalf of the Natural History Museum in Paris, their presence and demeanor unsettle the household. The officers reveal grim news about Marie-Laure’s father, Daniel, who has been…-
392.9 K • Ongoing
-
-
The chapter depicts the deteriorating conditions at a Nazi military school as the war intensifies. New propaganda banners with slogans like "Be slim and slender, as tough as leather" hang ominously, while instructors are replaced by broken, elderly men who command little respect. Werner observes the school becoming increasingly unstable, likening it to a grenade with its pin pulled. Electricity failures, food shortages, and substandard supplies highlight the war's strain on resources, with cadets facing…
-
392.9 K • Ongoing
-
-
The chapter "The Frog Cooks" depicts a growing tension in the household of Marie-Laure, her great-uncle Etienne, and their caretaker Madame Manec. While Madame Manec maintains a cordial demeanor, her frequent absences and distant behavior create a sense of unease. Marie-Laure's days grow lonelier, and she finds solace in Etienne's readings about the resilience of snails, which subtly mirrors their own fragile existence under wartime pressures. The household dynamics shift as Madame Manec's mysterious…
-
392.9 K • Ongoing
-
-
The chapter "Alive Before You Die" depicts a tense conversation between Madame Manec and Etienne, observed by Marie-Laure. Madame Manec urges Etienne to join the resistance against the occupying forces, emphasizing the injustices faced by civilians, such as imprisonment for trivial offenses. Etienne, however, remains hesitant, fearing the dangers of defiance and the watchful eyes of collaborators like the perfumer Claude. The open window symbolizes the clash between Etienne’s caution and Madame Manec’s…
-
392.9 K • Ongoing
-
-
The chapter opens with Marie-Laure accompanying Madame Manec as they search for Harold Bazin, the librarian who has mysteriously disappeared. Carrying soup, they inquire about his whereabouts, but the remaining librarian offers only vague, unconvincing explanations. Madame Manec’s frustration grows as Bazin fails to return, and Marie-Laure recalls his vivid stories of sea monsters and mermaids, which now feel like distant memories. The absence of Bazin casts a shadow over their group, hinting at the…
-
392.9 K • Ongoing
-
-
The chapter opens with Marie-Laure grieving the loss of Madame Manec, while her uncle Etienne withdraws into his study, consumed by silence and sorrow. The community of women—Madame Blanchard, Fontineau, Guiboux, and Ruelle—offer support through gestures like attending memorial services and bringing food. Marie-Laure grapples with the harsh reality that life continues despite their loss, symbolized by the unchanging rhythms of nature and the indifferent passage of time. Her longing for her absent…
-
392.9 K • Ongoing
-
-
In the chapter "Making the Radio," Werner meticulously assembles a makeshift radio amidst the ruins of a war-torn city. Using salvaged materials like wire, a pipe, and a diode, he constructs a tuning coil and antenna, working under the dim light of a fading flashlight. The oppressive atmosphere is underscored by distant mortar explosions and the groaning of the damaged hotel above them. Despite the precarious surroundings, Werner remains focused, methodically completing the circuit with the help of…
-
392.9 K • Ongoing
-
-
Marie-Laure hides in the attic after a German soldier searches the wardrobe below, her heart racing as she struggles to remain silent. She recalls a quote about snails slowing their heartbeat under stress and attempts to calm herself, pressing her ear to the false panel but hearing nothing. Despite the danger, exhaustion threatens to overwhelm her as she contemplates how to open the cans in her pockets without making noise. The attic, a cramped and sweltering space with no escape, becomes her precarious…
-
392.9 K • Ongoing
-
-
The chapter "Prisoners" opens with Werner, a young recruit, being collected by a gaunt and disheveled corporal named Neumann Two. The corporal's ragged appearance and dismissive attitude set a tone of indifference and decay. Werner, dressed in his new uniform, is subjected to a perfunctory inspection of his belongings, highlighting the impersonal nature of his induction into the Wehrmacht. Their journey begins with a walk to a village, where Neumann Two eats greedily while Werner remains uninformed about…
-
392.9 K • Ongoing
-
-
The chapter "East" follows Werner, a young soldier, as he travels by train through war-torn landscapes, witnessing the devastation of cities like Lodz and Warsaw. The journey is marked by bleak surroundings—overturned railcars, endless plains, and a sunless sky. Soldiers around him sleep despite the harsh conditions, numbed by exhaustion or medication. Neumann Two, a fellow soldier, urinates off the train and takes pills, casually noting their arrival in Russia. The air reeks of steel, reinforcing the…
-
392.9 K • Ongoing
-
- Previous 1 … 301 302 303 … 922 Next
