I remember seeing a website that summarized novel plots very succintly.

February 21, 2005 6:20 AM

Does anyone have a link to a web site I vaguely remember seeing that summarizes classic novel plots in one or two sentences? For example, Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment could be "Special guy wonders if he’s entitled to commit murder. Turns out the answer is no." I stole that one from an article in the Scotsman that I did find, but I can't seem to find the site in question by googling.
posted by hazyjane to writing & language (9 comments total)

Book-A-Minute -- very funny site.
posted by davidmsc at 6:22 AM on February 21, 2005

Thanks davidmsc, this is great! I love the summary of War and Peace: "History controls everything we do, so there is no point in observing individual actions. Let's examine the individual actions of over 500 characters at great length".
posted by hazyjane at 6:41 AM on February 21, 2005

Summarize a Novel in 25 Words
posted by glibhamdreck at 7:09 AM on February 21, 2005

Slight thread derail, but there were these cartoons on PBS that did plots of operas and plays in thirty or sixty seconds. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? Ever seen them?
posted by fixedgear at 10:27 AM on February 21, 2005

And I recently saw a blog entry that asked readers to give movie summaries in seven words...cute.

Brevity = wit's soul, eh?
posted by davidmsc at 1:09 PM on February 21, 2005

davidmsc: there was a funny little bit on the Simpson's episode where Homer gets a free Reader's Digest. One of the "quotes" in it was "Brevity is .... wit"

Well. I thought it was funny.
posted by RustyBrooks at 1:50 PM on February 21, 2005

Oh fixedgear, now you've got me googling all over and I still can't find it. I think you mean a short film done by a graduate of Ryerson with quick summaries of several major opera plots, each ending with body counts, etc. PBS used to use it as a filler quite often.
posted by Geo at 3:52 PM on February 21, 2005

I can't recall if it was an actual film or animation, but yes, body counts and bells!
posted by fixedgear at 4:03 PM on February 21, 2005

And I recently saw a blog entry that asked readers to give movie summaries in seven words...cute.

Ha! Cut three words, and you have the Four Word Film Review.
posted by ALongDecember at 6:25 PM on February 21, 2005