The surprising real-life anecdotes behind 10 classic novels

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Handpicked from our Blog for you• Jul 19, 2026

Life inspires fiction The surprising real-life anecdotes behind 10 classic novels 7 min. Many great books stem from real-life stories, but we often ignore to what degree. Few people know that, before Moby-Dick, there was a real whale that sank a ship and left its crew adrift for 90 days. Or that it was the four Alcott sisters living in Massachusetts who inspired the four March sisters from Little Women. The ten novels in this article have collectively sold hundreds of millions of copies; here are the true stories behind 10 of the most famous books ever written. Read full article

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Word Challenge: Amateur

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Word of the day · Jul 19, 2026 Amateur 1. a person who is incompetent or inept at a particular activity “that bunch of stumbling amateurs” noun/ˈæmədər/

Choose the word that fits in the phrase “I'm no Michelin-star chef, but the ______ dinner the new cook prepared makes him seem like a total amateur.” horrible delicious

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