Fiction Story Briefs

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.

Guido Reni created a painting—The Abduction of Helen—in 1631. There is more to this painting than meets the eye of today’s beholders.

See Old Marley (who was “dead as a doornail”) pay Scrooge a ghostly visit.

Mark Twain published his famous book, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, in Britain (in December of 1884) and in America (in February of 1885).

After he leaves the house, around midnight, Huck Finn joins his buddy, Tom Sawyer.

Huck Finn's father - whom his boy calls "Pap" - has not been in his son's life for awhile.

Huck Finn is sceptical about many things, but he is also a realist.

Huck Finn has a father who beats him.

In William Shakespeare's opinion, the life of a person - who lives to old age - consists of seven stages.

Two gentlemen visit Scrooge's office to ask for a Christmas donation to help the poor. Scrooge refuses.

As the action begins, in Dickens' famous tale, the Dover mail coach is making its way on a Friday night.

Jerry Cruncher, the messenger, is bothered by the direction he's received from Jarvis Lorry: "Jerry, say that my answer was, RECALLED TO LIFE.

After Jarvis Lorry reaches Dover, he awaits the arrival of another traveler from London - Miss Manette.

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