Novels, short stories, and articles that train the exact skills RW passages test.
Stories and articles read free online — full novels are PDFs in our Telegram channel.
Novel · hard
The Picture of Dorian Gray
by Oscar Wilde
"The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde is a philosophical fiction and Gothic horror novel published in 1890. When a beautiful young man wishes that his portrait would age instead of himself, his desire becomes terrifyingly real. As Dorian pursues a life of pleasure and moral corruption, he remains eternally youthful while his painted image transforms into a horrifying record of his sins. Wilde explores beauty, morality, and the dangerous influence of hedonistic philosophy in this tale of vanity and its consequences.
A classic of American literature that explores themes of wealth, class, and the elusive American Dream in the 1920s. It is frequently used for SAT passages due to its rich imagery and sophisticated 'words in context' challenges.
A satirical novel of manners that follows Elizabeth Bennet as she navigates social hierarchy and marriage in 19th-century England. It is essential for mastering irony, social commentary, and complex character dialogue.
A foundational American narrative focusing on racial injustice and the loss of innocence in the South. Its straightforward yet powerful prose style provides a benchmark for understanding narrative structure and perspective.
Historical Fiction ·Classic
Novel · hard
Frankenstein
by Mary Shelley
The story of Victor Frankenstein and the sentient creature he creates, exploring themes of scientific ethics and isolation. It helps students prepare for passages with formal 19th-century prose and philosophical tones.
A dystopian novel that depicts a future society driven by technological control and social engineering. It is an excellent resource for practicing with social-science-themed passages and analytical language.
Dystopian ·Science Fiction
Novel · hard
The Scarlet Letter
by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Set in 17th-century Puritan Boston, this novel examines sin, guilt, and legalism through the life of Hester Prynne. Its dense, archaic sentence structures offer high-level practice for the SAT's most difficult reading segments.
A first-person narrative following the growth of an orphaned girl into adulthood, emphasizing her search for independence. The novel is useful for its complex narration and descriptive passages often mirrored in the SAT's literary section.
A dark tale of passion and revenge set on the Yorkshire moors, featuring the intense relationship between Heathcliff and Catherine. It challenges readers with its non-linear structure and highly emotional, sophisticated diction.
A satire following Lemuel Gulliver's voyages to several remote and fantastical nations. It is a prime example for students to practice identifying an author's subtle intent, metaphor, and political satire.
An allegorical novella that uses a farm setting to mirror the events leading up to the Russian Revolution. Its clear, direct prose is excellent for identifying central ideas and rhetorical purpose.
Political Satire ·Allegory
Novel · hard
Invisible Man
by Ralph Ellison
A powerful narrative addressing the social and intellectual issues facing African Americans in the early 20th century. The prose is celebrated for its complexity and its exploration of identity and anonymity.
Literary Fiction ·Classic
Novel · medium
Little Women
by Louisa May Alcott
Following the lives of the four March sisters, this novel provides insight into 19th-century domestic life and character development. It is often cited for its accessible yet rich vocabulary and dialogue-heavy passages.
Set during the Great Depression, this novel follows a family of sharecroppers driven from their home. It is frequently excerpted in the SAT for its sociological themes and vivid descriptive language.
Historical Fiction ·Social Realism
Novel · hard
Heart of Darkness
by Joseph Conrad
A dense and atmospheric novella exploring imperialism and the human psyche in the Congo. Its complex sentence structures and high-level vocabulary make it a frequent source for difficult SAT reading passages.
An epic tale of Captain Ahab's obsessive quest to kill the titular white whale. The novel is famous for its intricate technical descriptions and philosophical tangents that test a reader's stamina and comprehension.
Set in London and Paris during the French Revolution, this novel deals with themes of resurrection and social change. Dickens' rhythmic prose is excellent for practicing sentence structure analysis.
A detailed look at the rigid social codes of upper-class New York in the 1870s. The text is ideal for practicing the identification of social nuance and indirect characterization.
Focusing on the Dashwood sisters, the novel explores the tension between emotion and logic. It is an excellent resource for understanding Regency-era social dynamics and complex syntax.
An early feminist work focusing on a woman's struggle between her unorthodox views on femininity and the prevailing social attitudes of the turn-of-the-century South.
The story of an orphan named Pip and his journey through various social classes. It provides a wealth of SAT-style vocabulary and complex, interconnected plot points to track.
A young couple sacrifice their most prized possessions to buy each other Christmas gifts. A masterclass in irony and economical storytelling — both DSAT favourites.
In a single hour, a woman processes news of her husband's death — and discovers something unexpected about herself. Very short, dense with inference questions' favourite material: tone shifts and unstated feelings.
A nervous visitor is undone by a teenage girl's improvised ghost story. Short, witty, and built on exactly the kind of subtle misdirection DSAT passages love.
A woman confined for a "rest cure" becomes obsessed with the wallpaper in her room. First-person narration whose reliability decays — excellent close-reading practice.
A banker and a lawyer make a wild bet about solitary confinement. Compact philosophical fiction — strong practice for main-purpose and claim questions.
A shy country girl must choose between a charming stranger and the wild bird he hunts. Nineteenth-century descriptive prose very close to real DSAT literature excerpts.
Darwin lays out the argument for evolution by natural selection. The reasoning — observation, hypothesis, evidence — is exactly the structure DSAT science passages test.
Faraday's famous lectures use a single candle flame to explain combustion, gases, and chemistry. A model of clear scientific explanation for a general audience.
NASA's survey of the data behind global warming — temperature records, ice cores, sea level. Reading data-driven scientific claims is a core DSAT skill.
A short NOAA explainer on phytoplankton and the ocean's role in producing the air we breathe. Compact informational writing with a surprising central fact.