Quotes That Summarise an Entire Story

There are so many that jump to mind when I considered quotes from novels that I believe have the ability to summarise the entirety of the stories that they feature in. The quotes that I have chosen hold so much meaning that it is hard to imagine their novels without them. 

The first of the two quotes I am going to look at comes from the end of a series about a romantic relationship that faces many trials, while the second comes from a dystopian series that contains some dark themes. 

The first quote that I believe can be used to summarise a story, in fact a whole series, is from Anna Todd’s Before which the final installment in the After novel series. On the final page of this book, Todd writes “I dragged Tessa and myself through hell and back, but here we are ーAfter everything, we made it to our own version of heaven.” 

I believe that this line from the perspective of the troubled character of Hardin Scott shows how he is summarising his love story with his love, Tessa Young. This couple spends five novels together (one being told from the different perspectives of essential characters within the story). Hardin and Tessa are faced with so much pain and many obstacles that they are able to face in order to come out stronger at the end of the series. This pair are perfect together, and they are able find their “own version of heaven” together with their two children. I believe that this quote is a perfect closing line to a story that made me believe that no matter what is thrown at people in life, they are able to find love in the end. 

The second quote that I believe summarises an entire story is from Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, which is the first installment in the dystopian series of the same name. In the second chapter of the novel, Collins gives the character of Effie Trinket her first line of dialogue with “Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favour!”. 

This line is a strong example of how one line can summarise a whole story. The characters of Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark really need “the odds to be ever in [their]favour” if they are going to survive their journey in this eponymous game. However, the fact that Collins chooses for Effie to wish people gathered at the Reaping Ceremony (ceremony uses to choose the contenders of the Games) a “Happy Hunger Games” is ironic because this contest is not happy due to the human casualties and the suffering that takes place. It is more the second part of the quote that summarises the story due to the need for having odds in one’s favour in order to survive this trial. 

Both of the quotes that I have discussed are perfect examples of lines that can summarise an entire story because they give readers an insight into what the authors are thinking when exploring their unique and imaginative ideas on the page. These quotes have always resonated with me throughout the novels when I am reading them due to their ability to summarise their content.