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The Rachel Papers
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Plot Summary of The Rachel Papers
"Charles Highway approaches women in the same way he does his study of literature: systematically. He has binders full of observations, studies,and other ways in which he can bed women. In other words, he has made a study of the ways in which he can use women. But when he meets Rachel, just before he sits his exams to enter Oxford, he finds his plans secondary to his growing feelings for her. And luckily enough, she's attracted to him, too. As the fall progresses, and the two of them prepare for the biggest exams of their young lives, Charles will begin to learn that while systematic studies of What Women Want may be enough to get women into bed, relationships may take more than notes on how to kiss and fondle. As he learns more about Rachel-the-Person, as opposed to Rachel-the-Female-Body, Charles' emotional deficiencies come to light. Can Charles change his old ways in order to make the relationship work?
"

Miranda, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of The Rachel Papers
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book? - upbeat
Time/era of story - 1960's-1970's
Kids growing up/acting up? Yes
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Age group of kid(s) in story: - college
Loving/sexing? - girl chasing

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - student
Age: - a teen
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - healthy but a geeky weakling

Main Adversary
Identity: - Female
Age: - a teen
Profession/status: - student
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a substantial amount
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 5 (an average amount)
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK
City? Yes
City: - London

Style
Person - mostly 1st
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - descript of kissing - touching of anatomy - actual description of hetero sex - descript. of female anat. (the big B's) - descript. of female anat. (the big V)
Lot of foul language? Yes
Unusual Style: - a lot of flashback and forwards - written like a journal/diary/letters
Amount of dialog - significantly more descript than dialog
Most similar books to The Rachel Papers
Survival of a Catholic Schoolgirl by Janice Haas Kasten
That Was Then This Is Now by S.E. Hinton
Frenching Violet by Gary Marchal
Portnoy's Complaint by Philip Roth
The Liar by Stephen Fry


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Martin Amis Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Miranda  

SCHOLARS:
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