59 pages 1 hour read

Stephen Graham Jones

My Heart Is a Chainsaw

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2021

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Chapter 1-Interlude 3Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 1 Summary: “Night School”

Content Warning: This novel includes depictions of death by suicide, child sexual abuse, rape, murder, and debilitating alcohol addiction. It also discusses bigotry and violence against Indigenous Americans.

A young couple from the Netherlands, Lotte and Sven, pause on their road trip across America on the shores of Indian Lake in Proofrock, Idaho. The far shore of the lake is a national forest, but Lotte sees lights across the water. Lotte and Sven strip naked and decide to go out onto the water. They notice the light at the end of the dock flickering as they approach, and Sven discovers a canoe tied up there. They get into the canoe and begin paddling across the lake to investigate the lights. Lotte records their adventure using a phone inside of a Ziplock bag. Suddenly, the canoe enters a terribly smelly part of the water, covered in a substance that Lotte thinks might be fish guts or an animal carcass. Sven goes overboard to rescue the lid of their cooler and reports that the mass of refuse floating in the water is hair. The canoe hits something and Sven vanishes. He begins to scream, and Lotte attempts to paddle back to shore.

blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
Unlock IconUnlock all 59 pages of this Study Guide
Plus, gain access to 8,650+ more expert-written Study Guides.
Including features:
+ Mobile App
+ Printable PDF
+ Literary AI Tools