Fiction Chapters

Great novels are often connected-to (or based-on) real-life events. It's fun to search-for (and uncover) those connections. This Collection features fictional stories with real-life tie-ins.

Dostoevsky suffers greatly due to the deaths of his wife and brother and gambling losses.

In Norse mythology, trolls are supernatural and dangerous beings.

As Drosselmeier concludes his story, Marie begins to wonder if the Nutcracker is actually her Godfather's nephew.

Vatican City is the center of the Catholic Church and is the smallest city-state in the world.

Once again the Nutcracker comes to life, this time eliminating the threat of the Mouse King by ending the seven-headed monster's life.

Woolf's novel "Mrs. Dalloway," uses a "stream-of-consciousness" style to transform fiction writing.

Learn about the Battle of Waterloo, which serves as the backdrop to "Vanity Fair."

Travel back in time to view plans and witness bloodshed in the Battle of Waterloo through annotated maps, drawings and paintings.

Napoleon escapes from Elba and, during "One Hundred Days," attempts a comeback. This June marks the 200th anniversary of Napleon's defeat at Waterloo.

Dew is not only beautiful on a spider's web, it also provides the spider with essential drinking water.

"Freedom Summer" results in terrible violence yet the civil-rights workers keep at their task of registering black voters.

The Tommy Gun (for General Thompson who invents it) becomes famous during the Prohibition-era for its use by gangsters in Chicago.

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