615 Results with the "Historical Fiction" genre


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      The Boches

      The Boches Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin The chapter depicts the arrival of German soldiers, referred to as "Boches," in the French town of Saint-Malo through the observations of Marie-Laure and her father. The Germans are described as impeccably dressed, their uniforms spotless, as if they’ve never seen battle. The townspeople note their voracious consumption of local goods, from postcards to champagne, while whispers of Hitler touring Paris underscore the surreal tension. Curfews and bans on music and public gatherings are imposed, leaving…
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      Hauptmann

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      by testsuphomeAdmin The chapter introduces Dr. Hauptmann, a small-statured but authoritative instructor of technical sciences, who challenges his cadets with a practical task. He distributes metal boxes filled with electrical components—gears, lenses, batteries, and wires—and instructs the class to assemble a Morse-code practice circuit within an hour. While most cadets hesitate, overwhelmed by the unfamiliar tools, Werner Pfennig, the protagonist, immediately recognizes the opportunity. Drawing from his innate curiosity…
    • The Sum of Angles Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin Werner is called into the office of Dr. Hauptmann, a professor whose study is filled with scientific curiosities and guarded by elegant hounds. The atmosphere is tense as Werner notices the imposing presence of Frank Volkheimer, a legendary upperclassman whose physical prowess and rumored brutality loom large in the academy's lore. Hauptmann immediately tests Werner's knowledge of trigonometry, presenting him with a formula to solve. Despite the intimidating environment—Volkheimer's watchful gaze, the…
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      Perfumer

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      by testsuphomeAdmin Big Claude Levitte, a perfumer in Saint-Malo, runs a struggling parfumerie that thrives only during the fish-salting season when the town reeks. To supplement his income, he has ventured into a lucrative side business: transporting meat from Cancale to Paris, navigating bureaucratic hurdles with shrewdness. Despite the October heat, which feels unseasonably oppressive, Claude spends his day idle in his shop, surrounded by unsold perfumes, snacking on biscuits and fanning himself. The stagnant air mirrors…
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      Two Cans

      Two Cans Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin Marie-Laure awakens in a cellar, disoriented and sweating, with a miniature house pressed against her chest. Unsure whether it’s dawn or if the war has ended, she debates venturing outside but fears encountering German soldiers. Her thoughts oscillate between hope—imagining liberation or her uncle Etienne’s return—and dread, picturing him dead or tormented by hallucinations. Despite her resolve to ration food, hunger overcomes her, and she finishes the stale bread, leaving her with nothing but her…
    • Number 4 rue Vauborel Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin The chapter opens with a haunting depiction of post-shelling Saint-Malo, where Sergeant Major von Rumpel navigates the devastated streets. Amidst the eerie silence broken only by distant machine gun fire, the city lies in ruins: shattered buildings, smoldering debris, and the occasional corpse. Von Rumpel, armed with morphine and a pistol, moves cautiously through the chaos, his progress marked by surreal sights—a bloated horse, a velvet chair, and swinging curtains in broken windows. The atmosphere is…
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      What They Have

      What They Have Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin The chapter depicts a tense and dire situation as Werner, Volkheimer, and Bernd are trapped in a dark cellar, their sense of time distorted by the flickering of a flashlight. Volkheimer tends to Bernd, who is injured and panicked, while Werner observes their dwindling supplies: minimal food, half-empty canteens, and a bucket of undrinkable sludge. The oppressive darkness is occasionally pierced by the flashlight's beam, revealing the grim reality of their confinement. The group's meager possessions—a…
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      The Professor

      The Professor Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin The chapter opens with Marie-Laure and her uncle Etienne reading Darwin together when he suddenly becomes agitated, convinced someone is present despite Marie-Laure hearing nothing. Etienne hastily leads her to the kitchen, revealing a hidden cellar hatch beneath the floor. As he urges her to descend, Madame Manec interrupts, dismissing his fears as irrational. The scene reveals Etienne’s fragile mental state, as he trembles and whispers nursery rhymes to himself, while Marie-Laure attempts to comfort…
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      January Recess

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      by testsuphomeAdmin The chapter opens with a propagandistic speech by the Schulpforta commandant, extolling Nazi virtues and the symbolic fire of patriotism. Werner listens passively, while a classmate sarcastically mocks the rhetoric. The narrative then shifts to Werner's guilt-ridden interactions with Frederick, a fellow student who bears visible bruises from a recent beating. Despite Werner's inaction during the incident, Frederick shows no resentment, instead inviting him to Berlin, revealing their complex friendship amid…
    • Time of the Ostriches Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin Marie-Laure remains confined in her great-uncle Etienne’s house in Saint-Malo, counting the days—now over 120—since she last went outside. She reminisces about the attic transmitter that once carried her grandfather’s voice across the world, a stark contrast to her current isolation. Her father, absorbed in building a model, avoids answering her pleas to venture outside. Meanwhile, Madame Manec’s kitchen buzzes with grim tales of Parisians resorting to desperate measures, like selling wine or…
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