General fiction represents a broad literary category encompassing narrative works that do not fit into specific genre classifications like mystery, science fiction or romance. These stories focus on realistic characters, complex human experiences, and nuanced explorations of life’s challenges, relationships and personal growth.
Dead Famous – Summary Dead Famous is a satirical whodunit set in the world of reality television, parodying the voyeuristic culture surrounding shows like Big Brother. The story revolves around House Arrest, a fictional TV programme where ten contestants live under constant surveillance by thirty cameras and forty microphones. The routine drama of alliances, betrayals and romantic entanglements […]
Summary High Society is a darkly comic and provocative novel that explores the pervasive issue of drug addiction and the failures of the war on drugs in Britain. The central narrative revolves around Peter Paget, a Labour Party MP who proposes a controversial bill to legalise all recreational drugs. Paget believes that regulation and taxation
Summary Nick Hornby’s How to Be Good is a witty and thought-provoking exploration of morality, relationships and personal transformation. The novel centres on Katie Carr, a 40-something doctor living in Holloway, England, who is disillusioned with her marriage to David Carr, a bitter newspaper columnist known as “The Angriest Man in Holloway”. Katie’s dissatisfaction leads her
Summary High Fidelity follows Rob Fleming, a thirty-something record store owner in London, as he grapples with the aftermath of his breakup with Laura, his most recent girlfriend. Rob is an obsessive music fan who spends much of his time ranking songs, albums and even his past relationships. After Laura leaves him for another man,
About A Boy – Summary About a Boy is a 1998 novel by British author Nick Hornby, set in London in the early 1990s. The story revolves around two protagonists: Will Freeman, a 36-year-old bachelor who avoids responsibility and lives off royalties from a Christmas song his father wrote, and Marcus Brewer, a socially awkward 12-year-old
Foucault’s Pendulum – Summary Foucault’s Pendulum is a complex and intellectually stimulating novel that weaves together elements of conspiracy theories, historical mysteries, and philosophical musings. The story revolves around three editors working at a vanity press in Milan: Casaubon, Jacopo Belbo and Diotallevi. Initially sceptical of the occult manuscripts they encounter in their work, they
The Robber Bride – Summary The Robber Bride is a captivating novel that weaves together the lives of three women—Tony, Charis, and Roz—whose paths are forever altered by the enigmatic and destructive Zenia. Set in Toronto, the story begins with the three friends meeting for their monthly lunch at a trendy restaurant called Toxique. Their
Cat’s Eye – Summary Cat’s Eye is a haunting exploration of childhood trauma and its lasting impact on adult life. The novel follows Elaine Risley, a successful painter in her forties, as she returns to Toronto for a retrospective exhibition of her work. This homecoming triggers a flood of memories from her past, particularly focusing
The Handmaid’s Tale – Summary Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale is a chilling dystopian novel set in the Republic of Gilead, a totalitarian regime that has replaced the United States. Gilead is governed by a strict interpretation of Christian theology, where women are stripped of their rights and reduced to roles based on their reproductive capabilities.
East of Eden – Summary East of Eden is a multi-generational saga set primarily in California’s Salinas Valley, spanning from the American Civil War to World War I. The novel intertwines the stories of two families: the Hamiltons and the Trasks. At its core, the narrative draws inspiration from the biblical tale of Cain and
