Plot summary, “A Summer's Reading” by Bernard Malamud in 4 Minutes - Book Review

"A Summer's Reading" by Bernard Malamud is a short story about a young man named George Stoyonovich, who lives in a poor immigrant neighborhood in New York City. George, feeling dissatisfied and aimless, drops out of high school and spends his days wandering the streets and parks. He dreams of self-improvement and escape from his current life but struggles to take concrete steps towards achieving his goals. Encouraged by Mr. Cattanzara, a local working man who believes in George's potential, George tells him he is reading a hundred books to educate himself over the summer. This small lie inspires George to consider actually reading and changing his life, highlighting themes of aspiration, self-deception, and the desire for personal growth.